STEALING FOOD FROM PEOPLE QUARANTINED FOR EBOLA?
We are living in a strange country. Just when we thought the nation was together once more as we fight Ebola, we have a press release from the ACC and the Sierra Leone Police announcing that they've foiled an attempt to steal food meant for quarantined people. As they say, these are early days yet in the investigation but we are really just concerned at how the ACC and their ally, the SLP, broke the news:
ACC - "At about 20 - 21 00hrs on Saturday 27th Sept, 2014, the ACC together with other stakeholders including the SLP and the Health For All Coalition, intercepted two vehicles, a Salini Salcost Vehicle with registration number ACW 443, driven by one John Sesay and a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number 73 CD 24 driven by one Edith J Kargbo of WFP... the suspects were actively involved at odd hours contrary to WFP operational procedures transferring 50kg bags of rice from the truck to the WFP Toyota Land Cruiser."
POLITICO - Ok, but what are "WFP's operational procedures"? We hold no brief for those now "helping the police with their investigations" but the fact that their names have been splashed on all media platforms just because they were being "investigated" makes it extremely difficult for them to get justice in this atmosphere. It could well be that since we are in an emergency situation, WFP was also having its own emergency operation. Who knows? It could also be that the workers now arrested, also considered themselves quarantined because they were away from home attending to other people. So why can't they have a few bags themselves? These are all possibilities eh? Hahahahahahahah!
ACC - "A total of 69 bags of rice were found in the Salcost vehicle while 16 bags which is about 800kg of rice were loaded in the WFP vehicle purportedly for distribution to quarantined homes. The exercise was taking place in the absence of other members of the EOC."
POLITICO - It's really strange that a vehicle belonging to a construction company, SALCOST was found at that scene but may be SALCOST made it available to the government for Ebola operations. Or the driver is a very kind man, who only wanted to help move the food around to the quarantined homes.
You know, the media have been reporting about WFP supplies being sold on the streets of Kenema for a long time now but those reports have been ignored. How do we know this is not a publicity stunt on the part of the police and ACC? Is this not another 50th Anniversary case?
INVESTIGATING WITHOUT REPORTING: KAMANDA BONGAY MUST ANSWER
So what really caused the fire at the Law Courts building? So far, we don't know. Some newspapers are reporting that serious money was destroyed by the fire. Any exact figures please? We are still waiting to receive a statement from the judiciary explaining what happened at the place. All we have so far, is the chief of the Fire Brigade quoted as saying, "we are investigating."
We've heard this many times before from Kamanda Bongay. Every time there's a fire in Freetown, he comes up with this line. And with journalists looking for something to report, they simply go away quoting Kamanda Bongay as saying just that. None of these journalists have ever gone back to ask the fire chief about the outcome of his investigation.
In the meantime, when there is another fire, Kamanda Bongay comes up with the same line again and the media report it again. How did he get away with this for this for so long? His investigations are endless. At least, we have not seen any official reports about the causes of fire incident - from Youyi building to SALPOST. And the man enjoys the publicity he gets every time there's a fire incident.
Kamanda Bongay runs a very important service that doesn't get all the resources it deserves. Look at the state of their building and the surrounding area. Look at their vehicles and other equipment. We are not even sure they have the number of trained personnel required to investigate fire incidents.
Did Kamanda Bongay tell the minister who visited his office the other day how difficult working for the fire brigade is? Or was he just taken in by the minister's presence and the television camera?
EBOLA, BAGS OF RICE AND SLPP LEADERSHIP BATTLE IN DISGUISE
We hope the opposition SLPP would not allow bags of rice to determine who becomes their next presidential candidate. We have just read reports in some papers that Kandeh Yumkella has purchased more than one thousand bags of rice for people in quarantined homes across Sierra Leone. Not bad. But coming after Osuofia also donated some bags of rice in a few places, it would appear as if a rice war has emerged in the SLPP. And by the look of things, Osuofia is not doing well at all against his much more prosperous opponent. He has badly lost this round simply because he couldn't get up to 1,000 bags. Hahaahahahaha!
It's early in the morning yet, and the political season is on hold because of Ebola, but the Dark Horse in this leadership race is the former SLTU pen pusher. He is known to be a great organiser and a master tactician. He is not likely to try and match KKY and his big time cash but KKY and Osuofia can write him off at their own peril.
We hate this BAG OF RICE thing in Sierra Leone politics. Siaka Steven started it many years ago. Now every politician assumes all Sierra Leoneans eat is rice, rice and more rice. While KKY is away but depending on an eclectic collection of party activists to lay his foundation, Osuofia is looking for a PhD somewhere in UK. By the way, is that immigration question clear now? Anyway!
The pen pusher is here traveling all over Ebola-hit areas meeting the people. He is the very Dark Horse, people.
AGREE IN THE MORNING, DISAGREE IN THE EVENING - SLFA vs. PAUL KAMARA
Who is the Assistant Coach of our national team, Leone Stars? The Ministry of Sport under the control of Pope John Paul says his officials met with the SLFA and they both agreed to appoint John Sama to that post. They say they have the minutes of that meeting to prove that both sides agreed on Sama's appointment.
The SLFA, led by the controversially-elected Queen of Sierra Leone football say Sama is not qualified for the job according to CAF rules. They have even offered to train him free of charge for consideration in the future. So what's going on?
Let's not try to explain this in any other way - the ministry and the SLFA simply don't trust each other and they are doing everything to undo each other. We put our readers on standby for dramatic developments in football administration sooner than everybody expected. Here are some hints:
1. The queen's job as SLFA president is not safe
2. We could have the promised January congress of the SLFA no later than November and she will be definitely impeached
3. An interim body made up of experienced football administrators, excluding a former senior SLFA official who is busy snitching and conducting clandestine meetings all over the place.
4. Illegal bans imposed on some football stakeholders could be revoked
5. A series of corruption investigations will be launched at SLFA secretariat.
Interesting times ahead for neutrals like us in Politico. We are amazed at what we have been told so far.
