A NEW SENIOR PREFECT IN NEW DIRECTION HIGH SCHOOL
At least from outside the New Direction government, Friday 30th April started like any other day with absolutely no idea that just after lunch the senior prefect of the New Direction would be demoted from his coveted position and put in another place of importance but of very little consequence in the grand scheme of things in this land that we love. Yes indeed, a few hours can be a long period in politics. Our Senior Prefect for the last three years now has the job of attending periodic African Union and ECOWAS conferences (these days they take place online) and also to introduce diplomats to Principal. That’s all. So the man who, for THREE years supervised ministries, departments and agencies now heads one of those ministries that the new Senior Prefect, Jay Jay Blood will supervise.
When the political history of this period is written a lot will be said about this man and his attitude to people, his style of leadership and his huge political ambitions. There was that episode in which he orchestrated a program in Kenema in which he was declared the GREAT political leader of the politically-powerful district of Kenema – a kind of Kim IL Sung of that district. When a newspaper, possibly wrongly accused him of stealing more than a million US dollars, instead of simply dismissing the issue, giving his own side of things and going about his normal business, he put in some telephone calls that triggered the arrest and detention of the journalist. Even a local chief in his home district was encouraged to write a letter to the media asking journalists to HANDS OFF THEIR GOLDEN BOY.
The former Senior Prefect had a presidential style in public. At a big media gathering towards the end of 2020, he wouldn’t use the door everybody else used to enter the hall at Bo Inn. He used a side door and his staff got the participants to rise as he entered the hall. There was no national anthem anyway.
The new Senior Prefect is very much local boy, in other words he is not one of the many guys who came in from abroad. Jay Jay Blood understands the local politics and has always been rumored as the man for that job. The fact that the president trusts him so much with the nation’s finances may well have delayed his taking over as Senior Prefect. Even now, he is still looking over the Finance Ministry.
He may well have a big role in recommending his successor and keeping in touch with him in office. Our reading of the situation is that Principal was determined not to keep the OLD SENIOR PREFECT in place for another day so he reshuffled things to take IMMEDIATE effect. Otherwise he could have waited for the new person at FINANCE to be agreed before making that announcement. Yes, it was time for the OLD SENIOR PREFECT to leave State House. We are living in interesting times.
MANIPULATION CONTINUES INFANTINO AND MOTSEPE TO VISIT SALONE
The SLFA released a notice on Friday the 30th April 2021 to announce the visit of FIFA President Infantino and CAF President Motsepe to Sierra Leone. The SLFA statement has two things worthy of note: the two men will meet the members of the SLFA. They will also meet Principal at State House. So at last, at the highest level, FIFA will listen directly to the much maligned, battered and bruised members of the SLFA.
The two men will also be in our Mano River Union neighborhood, Ivory Coast before. We hear from some powerful voices that country that the two fixers are going there to ask the president of that country to do everything possible to make former Chelsea legend Didier Drogba president of the Ivorian FA. Drogba lost his big for the job at the ballot box to the surprise of many.
In Sierra Leone word is going round that Infantino and Motsepe would attempt to get help from the government to keep the Queen in charge of our football. The Queen is one of the most unpopular F.A. presidents in Africa. FIFA and CAF know that.
So this is what we think Principal should tell his visitors:
Firstly Principal should insist ALL the members of the football association should attend the proposed meeting with Infantino and Motsepe and it MUST include all those still awaiting decisions in that bogus match-fixing investigation. All qualified and disqualified candidates for the coming elections and any other significant contributor to the development of football in Sierra Leone should be able to attend.
Secondly Principal should be very clear about the following issues:
1. The electoral process, up to this point has been manipulated for the benefit of the Queen. It’s almost certain now that she will be declared the winner within weeks if things continued this way.
2. That the composition of the committees was done to favor the Queen and the members have a clear instruction to victimize certain individuals.
3. That in spite of the perception created to FIFA, particularly by the Queen and her Executive Committee about a cross section of the football members, with certain individuals unfairly characterized as enemies of football.
4. That whilst the government has avoided the temptation to correct the wrongs within the football family, and particularly those in the electoral process, it was and continues to be the view of the people of Sierra Leone the only way to have sustainable peace and harmony in football is to have all candidates contest the elections.
The Queen must win fairly and through the ballot box, not through the soft power of the Infantino and Motsepe brigade.
THE NEW SEARCH IS OVER: WEDDING BELLS RINGING AT SLFA
Despite our best efforts as investigative journalists, we have failed to lay hands on the guest list for the big SLFA wedding. Our sources are hard at work and we trust them but the wedding is only a few days and hours away. In this business, time can be dangerous factor limiting the extent to which we can land and publish really big stories like this. We have a good idea of those who could make this list but we are striving to be perfect so we call on our readers to be patient. The important thing is the story is out.
We know we will not be invited but we wish the new couples all the best. Our friends and sources will be there and we will get the full story with pictures to back things up. We pray that the couple LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 04/05/21
