ARMED ROBBERS ARE BACK IN FULL FORCE
We’ve seen recent pictures on social media of people who’ve fallen victim to armed robbery in Freetown. It’s not as if the robbers were on holiday since the start of 2022 but the good people of this country know that the criminals intensify their activities at this time of every year, in other words at the height of the rainy season. The stories we’ve read in the last week or so clearly show that the armed robbers are not afraid to use their weapons to deadly effect and they are really bold – operating as if Force for Good doesn’t exist. We aren’t alarmists. This is getting serious and by August, it could get out of control particularly in major cities.
Three weeks ago we received reports of several robberies in Pujehun town. Even the police there found it difficult to understand what was going on. Then those in the nearby district of Bo picked up. Freetown has experienced at least THREE serious armed robberies in the ONE week in which the victims were seriously injured while cash and other valuables were taken away. This cannot be allowed to continue. The police have to prove to the people of this country that they are able to protect the population from a few armed criminals who have given up trying to make a genuine living.
1. We appeal to parliament to quickly confirm the new Inspector General in his post. As it stands there is serious uncertainty in the SLP because all commanders don’t know what the man is bringing along. They are waiting to see the next move.
2. We don’t want to bother the new man for now but the first thing on his table is dealing with armed robbers that are bold and dangerous and from the look of things they couldn’t give a damn about the presence of the police when they want to attack.
3. Again, we don’t want to ask for a special police – military task force to decisively deal with this menace. We believe the police can do the job but there is nothing wrong giving them a bit more muscles.
4. We believe local authorities should quickly reconstitute neighborhood watch groups to serve as auxiliary to the security forces. They just have to be careful not to allow the criminals or their agents to infiltrate the groups.
5. The IG should also not allow criminal elements in the Force for Good to destroy his plans. We know they exist.
6. We urge ordinary people to be extra-careful and help each other.
THE WORLD WATCHES IN SILENCE AS TUNISIA TAKES THE WRONG TURN
Things are not looking good in the home of the so-called Arab Spring. The Arab Spring was the name given to the democratic revolution that swept through North Africa and the Middle East ending long term dictatorships and unleashing hope, freedom and democratic renewal. It really didn’t last long before the people realized that what they shed their blood for was really not going to stick. Today Libya remains in stalemate – no serious government in place with the country effectively divided and the possibility of Col. Gadhafi’s son actually winning the promised elections, Egypt is under military dictatorship again and now TUNISIA, the home of the so-called Arab Spring has completed the journey to becoming a constitutional dictatorship.
Slowly but surely, the president of that country has smashed all forms of checks on his power and is now the god of Tunisia. He started by dissolving the parliament, accusing the MPs of corruption and throwing some of them in jail, he attacked the media, he sacked about FIVE dozen judges branding them supporters of terrorists and now he has changed the constitution to make himself the god.
This is happening in Africa but the African Union appears to be looking the other way. There is no special session to discuss the state of affairs in that country. How can ONE man be allowed to run a whole country like his farm? We are waiting to report the outcome of this political manipulation but the people of Tunisia will surely have THE LAST WORD on this.
KENEMA GRADUATION PARTY ENDS IN HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
We join the many Sierra Leoneans praying for those now being treated at the Kenema government hospital for food poisoning. Our understanding is that they went for a graduation party in one of the settlements in Kenema for a NURSERY school child only to end up in the hospital. We don’t want to say too much because we suspect the police have now launched a criminal investigation to determine the quality of the food and so on.
What we really want to talk about is the idea that graduation ceremonies are conducted at every stage of a child’s journey through school beginning from NURSERY. We have reached a point where RASTA SENGS has to step in and stop these many graduation ceremonies. The graduation ceremonies are expensive programs and we cannot understand why parents who always complain about the cost of living are all over the place organizing one graduation after the other when they really don’t need to.
The more the government moves to cut the cost of educating a child, the more parents bring additional expenditure on themselves with their eyes wide open.
We pray that those young souls survive. This affair has now provided an opportunity for SENG to end these graduations. He should also pay serious attention to all secondary schools, particularly at a time like this. The principals are now ready to kill parents with admission charges.
THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE IS BACK
The traditional opener to the English Premier League season took place last Saturday and it ended 3-1 in favor of Liverpool. So the game is back and weekends will now change for several years to come. In the last few weeks it’s been about players being sold between clubs for crazy sums of money and Ronaldo has become a big nuisance. He is no longer the team player.
He thinks about his place in the history of world football more than being a player for the collective called Manchester United. What a way to end an otherwise illustrious career.
Sierra Leoneans love the EPL. Young people gather in street corners to argue about the money players make, referee and VAR-assisted decisions and the quality of football on an industrial scale. Video houses make a kill during match days and petty traders also come around to pick up some pennies here and there.
All teams are beefing up and there’s a lot of hype about certain players and managers. The game is back indeed.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (o1/08/22)
