STOP VIGILANTE ACTION OVER KUSH NOW
Now it appears as if everybody is talking about KUSH. Many young people are hooked on this drug and it's destroying them and their families. Sierra Leone stands to suffer even more because we have to pay for long term care or even the burial of those that would collapse and die in some street corner. A lot of people have been in denial, while some put forward this politically correct argument about young people turning to drugs because they are jobless. We don’t accept that because we know what is possible when people make up their minds to lift themselves out of poverty. We are not saying there are no stumbling blocks. We believe in the old saying that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Our concern today though is about how communities are attempting to deal with this KUSH menace. There’s a video making the rounds on social media about a group of people in Cassel Farm to the east of Freetown threatening to beat up anybody found to be on KUSH and to possibly chase them out of their communities. We like the outrage – which suggests that the anti-KUSH movement is growing but we absolutely reject this idea that a group of people can beat up those suspected of being on KUSH. It’s a very dangerous idea to think of, let alone to execute in a country run on the RULE of LAW.
Here’s what we believe all anti-KUSH groups should do.
1. Let’s start by congratulating the people of Cassel Farm for standing up so forcefully against KUSH. The next step should be to find and report to the police all KUSH dealers in that community. Don’t allow people to be making big money while destroying Sierra Leone.
2. Create a network of anti-KUSH groups throughout neighboring communities. The idea would soon spread to the rest of the country. Please don’t write projects for NGO cash. Money will divide the movement. Continue with your bring and share arrangement. You are doing this job for the nation.
3. When the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency wakes up from their long sleep they will join and possibly support your effort. We can’t really say much about them anymore.
4. The State House will eventually be compelled to squeeze the agencies that are failing to prevent those harmful substances from entering our country and clear those offices or get them to do their jobs. We cannot continue like this.
NO RUSSIAN GRAINS FOR PRO-WESTERN SALONE
Sierra Leone is not part of the SIX countries to receive FREE GRAINS from Russia. At the end of the much boycotted Russia-Africa Summit, Putin announced that he would ship a large quantity of grains to six African countries soon, obviously as payment for supporting his so-called Special Military Operation in neighboring Ukraine. Sierra Leone was invited at the highest level but Principal chose to stay home. Our ambassador was there but that didn’t please the Russians. Besides we have voted twice against Russia at the UN and that’s something they don’t like at all.
We are part of those countries Putin accused of not attending at the highest level because the American told our Principal to stay away. It’s possible but America doesn’t really need to tell us which position to take. Sierra Leone is firmly in the Western camp and we can’t even imagine Principal going to Russia for that summit and backing that up with an abstention or vote for Russia at the UN.
Those countries that are now licking their hands as they wait for the grains should be ready to be accused of filling up their stomachs while people are killed on the plains of south-eastern Ukraine and whole cities, including civilian infrastructure are being bombed out.
Africa has launched a peace initiative. We should pursue that and see where we land. To begin to cut our noses to spite Western faces is a very bad idea. It tells of a continent that can do anything to put food on their table. Stomach diplomacy – is that it?
ELECTIONS OVER AND FUEL PRICE HAS FINALLY MOVED
We always knew that the price of petroleum products in the last three months or so was false. It was being heavily subsidized because elections were around the corner and allowing the global situation to dictate the price of that commodity as it should, would have caused some havoc to the ruling party. Now the election is won and the chips are down.
Going by the supplementary budget last week, the government has been spending some good cash to subsidize what we give at the pumps but we have been told that the subsidy would now be “gradually” withdrawn until we land at the real price of the commodity. On the following day, we saw a press statement from PRA announcing new prices for petroleum products from 21,500 to 25 Leones. That was a sharp movement, isn’t it?
Like people in other countries, we understand what’s happening in the world and how that is impacting our lives in our little corner in West Africa but we have to let the authorities know that things are getting really serious now with our finances. We expect them to find a way to address the issues and not simply surrender to so-called GLOBAL TRENDS.
WHY IS EVERYONE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES?
First it was Australia and now Canada has pulled out of hosting the Commonwealth Games. They have told the games organizers that the budget is heavy and they would like to put their money into social services for their people. It’s not exact but it’s beginning to look like the same argument we are making here about removing subsidies from petroleum products so that we can take the money from the few rich guys and put it into social services. Frankly, we cannot believe what is really happening to the great Commonwealth. How can rich countries like Canada and Australia complain so much about hosting this event? Do they expect Sierra Leone to suddenly put in a bid or what?
Anyway, let’s see what this is really about:
1. They are trying to embarrass King Charles. Why are they suddenly running away from the games now just because he is on the throne?
2. They are afraid that half of the expected FOUR THOUSAND athletes would seek asylum in their countries even before the end of the tournament.
3. They want to blackmail the games organizers to pay for the games while they make money from the event. Isn’t that clever?
4. Actually, they want the UK to be the permanent home of the Commonwealth Games but they are not strong enough to stand before their Head of State and say that.
5. Maybe the standard of performance at these games is now so poor that they want the event to take a break and resume only when we produce athletes that the world wants to stay up at night to watch.
We call on King Charles to end the complaints and speculation and take the games to Newcastle in the UK. The Commonwealth Games are here to stay. Or he can ask us in Africa to host the games. Sierra Leone can host the boxing side of it. Our Chinese friends would have completed the renovation of Siaka Steven stadium. Other African countries can decide what they want to do.
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