CORONAVIRUS WAR GETTING SERIOUS AS CURFEW TAKES HOLD IN KAMBIA
The whole country has just come back from a three-day lockdown, a break that the authorities say they needed to trace all contacts related to confirmed COVID 19 cases we have in this country. It wasn’t easy at all for many people. The truth is most of those we spoke to before and during the lockdown told us they appreciated what the government was doing so far to fight the Coronavirus and that the lockdown was a key weapon in that fight.
In all of this let’s spare a thought for the people of Kambia who would continue to face a curfew. Kambia is surely not the liveliest place in this country but the idea that the people there will be confined to their homes from 8pm to 7am daily until further notice is a very situation to be in considering the issues of civil liberties and the economy of Kambia into consideration.
Kambia lies on our border with Guinea. It’s a long and largely porous border starting in the northwest and ending in the east with Kailahun district. Guinea has registered more than ONE HUNDRED cases of COVID 19. So it’s right to be careful how we interact with that country.
We call on the people of Kambia to accept the curfew as their contribution to the fight against the deadly Coronavirus. Maybe we should consider compensating the people of that district at the end of all this. We don’t know how but normal life is now badly disrupted there. And trade too.
DO WE NOW KNOW THE SOURCE OF FAKE DRUGS IN OUR MARKET?
As if to underscore the importance of that border in everything we do in this country, we saw huge bundles of EXPIRED and FAKE drugs confiscated by the security forces. The criminal package was smuggled into this country even after the borders were declared closed by both countries. We are told that some of the drugs expired in 2017 while the rest were banned substances in this country.
We congratulate those officers who arrested the criminals but we have something to say about that situation:
1. This was an extremely brazen act that could only have been carried out with the active connivance of some unscrupulous local authorities in the area and members of the security forces on both sides of the border.
2. Nobody knows the amount of illegal drugs these people now detained have brought into this country. It could well be that they merely ran out of luck this time or they fell out with their colleagues over money and some of them decided to expose the deal. We must investigate that. Some of their criminal goods may well be on the market in Freetown already.
3. Our transnational crime police should fight this menace on both sides of the border. Nothing will be achieved by Sierra Leone continuously making arrests while Guinea sees nothing wrong in allowing their territory to be used as a staging post to smuggle such expired and banned substances into Sierra Leone.
4. By the way, what’s the latest on those four people who were detained over the incident? We serve notice now that we will not allow this case to die like others that were clearly compromised during so-called investigations.
5. Finally, let nobody joke with that cargo of death. We say so because we know of situations where exhibits have been pilfered to the extent that by the time the case came to court there was nothing to present. This exhibit should be verifiably destroyed after those criminal are jailed.
RSALF RECRUITMENT IN LIMBO: WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING?
We don’t believe the RSLAF should allow the good people of Sierra Leone to continue asking questions about a recruitment they handled so well up to the day they decided to put things on hold for God knows what. Hundreds, if not thousands of young men and women – prospective cadet and ordinary soldiers who signed up and have been going through one exam or the other were simply told to go home and wait until they get a call to report for more exams, physical exercises and some kind of interview.
It’s been a few months now and the RSLAF is not saying ANYTHING to the good people of Sierra Leone. There are all sorts of rumours flying around about what may have happened. The RSLAF has trained media personalities who should warn their bosses that leaving such gaps in the communication process opens them and the nation up to wild speculations on social media and in small corners.
When the RSLAF recently called a news conference to address this and some other issues, they cancelled the thing at the ELEVENTH HOUR. Why was that? Now the questions keep piling up. So we here’s our take:
1. The RSLAF has no choice now but to call in the media and speak on this issue. It makes no sense to keep refuting so-called rumours on social media without saying what; according to you is the truth of the matter.
2. These young people have gone through a lot already so that it is unacceptable for anybody to even contemplate scrapping this recruitment process. It must reach its logical conclusion.
3. Remember that a life has already been lost in this recruitment drive and the only justice that will keep our late colleague happy in his grave is a credible conclusion of this process.
4. We call on the RSLAF to also note that Paramount Chiefs and other highly respected people recommended most of those who signed up to join the army. If this process is cancelled they will suffer serious reputational damage in their communities. It must never happen.
5. Having said our own bit, we now MUST hear from the RSLAF. As citizens we demand an explanation.
WILL PRINCIPAL PUT SOME CASH IN THE ACCOUNTS OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS?
So far Principal has done extremely well leading the fight to keep the Coronavirus out of Sierra Leone. No doubt about that. All borders are closed now, national awareness on the issue of personal hygiene as the main line of defence against the virus is really high, a state of emergency is now firmly in place and the nation is ready.
Principal said it was a question of WHEN and not IF coronavirus will hit the soil of Sierra Leone. We believe he was trying to manage our hopes of going through this struggle without shedding any Sierra Leonean blood. That’s not a bad strategy because if we woke up one morning to the announcement of even one case, it will be easy to say Principal had said it. Now we have SEVEN. So yes, he told us that several weeks ago.
Now our concern is that other countries are doing a lot to keep their economies running properly and helping their people stock up on food and toiletries +Therefore we call on Principal to help the good people of Sierra Leone prepare their homes by giving ALL public sector workers ONE MILLION LEONES EACH and then encourage the private sector to match that. It makes no sense giving the private sector tax breaks, freeing them up to be able to give big cash to their shareholders and bonuses to CEO’s. Let them give some of their profit to their ordinary staff.
We are waiting for that press release to come out of State House this week. Come on Principal, you can do this!
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