LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DUMPSITE AT MODEL JUNCTION NOW
Next time you approach Model Junction from the Christ Church end of Circular Road look to your left on the road leading to parliament and see the constant pile of rubbish deposited just before you get to SALWACO. It was like that before MASADA was recruited to clean Freetown, and it improved marginally in the early days of MASADA, now half the road has been blocked off by rubbish.
We are very concerned because that road leads to some of the most important buildings in this country - Parliament, the Foreign Ministry, Office of National Security, Audit Service Sierra Leone, the National Electoral Commission, the Vice President's Office and eventually State House. We can't afford to have so much rubbish packed on that road, NO WAY.
The main source of that rubbish is the uncontrolled street trading taking place near Model school in particular and along the incomplete Hillside by-pass road. It seems like we have given up trying to control street trading because of politics. So they can go on doing that. What we are asking for now is for the rubbish container on that road to be removed immediately. We will accept no assurances from MASADA about them being able to clear the rubbish daily. They are just not able.
We have nothing against MASADA. In fact they took on an impossible job because of money and approached it from the wrong premise. They believed they could simply pick up the rubbish and Freetown would be clean ever after.
We believe that they should have started with education and structural planning of Freetown backed, of course, by a strict implementation of the necessary by-laws.Just in case you don’t know how serious the issue of filth has threatened health and sanitation generally, we hope to publish details of a recent report on the terrible state of hygiene in Sierra Leone.
HILLSIDE BY-PASS ROAD NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION, PLEASE
We are afraid, very afraid indeed, that the Hillside By-pass Road, starting from Dwazark Junction to Berry Street is in danger of becoming another slums area. We are not even halfway through this project and already the beauty of the place is under serious attack.
When we drove through the other day, we saw many ugly structures built over the sidewalks. From Dwazark Junction vehicle mechanics are at work, we saw what remains of a rotten 4 wheel drive vehicle abandoned just after Winner's Chapel heading toward Berry Street. Wood sellers have also established a strong presence. Towards the Model Junction area, small Congo Market is developing. Where were all these people before the road was constructed?
We've been trying to identify exclusive areas in Freetown. Areas that are not besieged by the kind of people slowly taking over the Hillside By-pass road. We can't lay hands on any for now. The Freetown City Council should save themselves the trouble of coming back after the next six months to demolish those structures that they can block now. Can somebody do something now, IN GOD'S NAME?
SELECTING THE NEXT FIFA PRESIDENT: OUR THOUGHTS
We've heard Isha Johansen's name mentioned over and over again as one of those who will stand up to take over from Sepp Blatter. We think her chances are extremely slim but it takes nothing from her to try and fail. If anything, she would have put her name on FIFA history in a forceful way and doors could open for her. So as compatriots, we urge her to go ahead and fight for the job.
However, just before she announces her candidature, there are a few small matters to deal with at home. We are sure she wouldn't want to go into a tough contest with her own country people against her.
1. She must first organise an open congress at home, at which the real delegates would be seated.
2. Before that Alhaji Awoko must assure her that no impeachment motions would be moved.
3. She must do everything to put the national league back on track and make peace with Pope John Paul
4. We don't know if she belongs to one of these women's groups in Freetown. If not, we recommend that she gets the 50/50 group to adopther campaign as an advocacy platform for women's rights and tell the world that women can lead. Please forgive us if sounded a little stilted like some NGO workers.
5. Finally, the JOHANSEN for FIFA CAMPAIGN would be chaired by a multiple collection of Civil Society Organisations that have indicated their readiness for the job. They are now waiting for the BUDGET. No cheques please! Raw cash.
On the international front, she must promise never to allow Palestine to come to within a whisker of throwing Israel out of world football and that whenever the big boys come forward to host the World Cup, they will be allowed to. There will always be peace in FIFA.
EUROPEAN TRANSFER OPENS WITH BOGUS SPECULATIONS ALL OVER
These days the professional patience of journalism is being badly tested - stretched to the limit. Reputable news organisations are busy publishing rumours and gossips about which players are moving to which clubs or which players are saying what about other people and their colleagues, it's all just rumours.
Reporting football has become a mad sport in itself and the people are hooked.
Sometimes, you read about one player transferring to another club, then another club, then another club. In the end, nothing happens. The player remains. It's the same thing with managers and sponsors.
We now have to re-write the rules of journalism to accommodate this kind of reporting.
1. Anything goes. We can even say that FC Kallon was in the race to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovich. But there's no local league. Has Johansen returned home now?
2. That Arsene Wenger would spend about US $ 200 million on new players. Phew!
3. That Sam Alladyce has agreed to take over as coach of Leone Stars on a five year contract. He is ok now for that job because he has been sacked again from another English club.
4. That Robin Van Persie would make a spectacular return to Arsenal before the start of the new season and he ends up in Turkey
5. And that Queens Park Rangers were in advanced talks to sign Theo Walcott, the boy who believes he can dictate his position on the field.
(C) Politico 30/07/15
