POLICE RECRUITMENT AND COMPLAINTS OF CORRUPTION
So how far are we now with the recruitment drive in the Force for Good? The other day we saw people on social media shouting and complaining about being locked out of the Police Training School in total disregard of the fact that they were the GRASSROOTS of the ruling Green Movement. They also alleged that those in charge of the recruitment were busy collecting money for the jobs. Many of those people who commented on those videos did so in the normal Salone way. In other words they quickly put on their partisan political battle gears and went into their trenches to launch artillery in the hope of destroying the other party. Anyway there’s no surprise in that.
Our business in this is to look closely at what was alleged:
1. The woman who put herself forward as spokeswoman for the group accused a certain Mr. Johnson, a senior police officer of corruption – that he was receiving TWO THOUSAND NEW LEONES from people before allowing them to enter the next stage of the recruitment process. We know Johnson very well and we believe he is capable of defending himself. What we can say however is that we find it almost impossible to believe that such a thing could happen at the entrance to the recruitment center. Again, we are not here to defend Johnson but we believe the names on that list were those who passed the recruitment exam and the list itself may have been approved at headquarters and passed on to Johnson to work with. So did he suddenly ignore the official list to collect cash at the entrance to PTS? We wonder how many of those standing there that day looking for the job had even FIVE HUNDRED NEW LEONES on them. We absolutely think that was a lie.
2. She also alleged that ruling party GRASSROOT SUPPORTERS were not recruited. It is highly like that a good many young people who thought they would get the job because of this grassroots thing were disappointed. We believe many were recruited on that basis but the big guys realized that recruiting only their grassroots supporters would have caused a big alarm so they sprinkled some qualified neutrals to clean things up.
3. Why didn’t that lady and her friends tell us they passed the exam but were overlooked in the final register? That would be a good case for the ACC. Anyway we have a long way to go in Salone.
WHY DO MANY PEOPLE THINK KUSH IS A PROBLEM FOR THE GOVERNMENT?
KUSH appears to have taken top spot on the national agenda in a dramatic way in the last two weeks so that even on his campaign rehearsal tour, Principal found time to drop a word or two about the dangers of taking KUSH. Again, all of this has been driven by social media and inevitably by the over the top reaction by the RSLAF and the Force for Good. The two institutions sacked three of their personnel – two soldiers and a policeman who were filmed misbehaving apparently under the influence of KUSH and alcohol.
We are waiting for videos of SENIOR personnel of one or both institutions under the influence of KUSH to appear on social media and for their colleagues to tell us they couldn’t dismiss them for this and that reason. At that point we will be justified in describing these hasty dismissals as OVER THE TOP reaction to satisfy a cynical social media bunch.
Only the RSLAF and the SLP can explain why other forms of punishment weren’t applied instead of summary dismissals. We don’t want any tactical retreat when senior officers are caught on camera.
What we are seeing now on social media is that many are calling on the government to DO SOMETHING ABOUT KUSH. Well, we agree that there is a lot the government can and should do and we have outlined them here in the last few days but what are we doing as a people?
1. Why are we covering up for those importing and selling KUSH and other drugs on our streets? We know them but we are not turning them over to the police.
2. We know it can be dangerous because drug dealers have powerful contacts. So we ask why are you in the police, the judiciary and politics and at the same time helping drug dealers while making hypocritical public statements.
3. Parents who neglect their responsibilities so much that their children end up becoming drug addicts. Do you want the government to take over the running of your homes?
SALONE ATTITUDE AND COMBATING DISASTERS
There is a general trend in this country in particular for people to blame the government for everything that goes wrong even within their household. They will always take personal credit when the sun shines on them. Anyway, governments get involved in a lot of things so they should be ready to accept anything. Our concern here is how we protect ourselves from disasters. We now know that we are living in a country where disaster strikes from time to time.
1. Let’s think twice about trying to build dwellings in every little corner. How can anybody explain the fact that thousands of people have migrated from their decent communities in rural Sierra Leone and settled in slums around Freetown? When rising sea levels or fire destroys those places politicians become celebrities in front of cameras donating cups of rice and soap. The affected people dance and clap and in a few days the suffering resumes.
2. Let’s also think twice about building houses on the hills on one side of Freetown. Despite several warnings people are still recklessly constructing shacks on the hills. When a government agency moves in to demolish those dangerous dwellings, we hear cries of highhandedness and bullying. When disaster strikes and people perish, the government is again blamed for not clearing the place. We can’t have it both ways guys.
3. As for our governments, this idea that to win an election in Sierra Leone a political party should help people do whatever they like – street trading, building in prohibited areas, avoiding taxes and engaging in all round lawlessness is wrong, wrong, wrong. The majority of Sierra Leoneans are getting fed up with this and soon they will be forced to make that clear at the ballot box. It will be a battle between parties that would allow anything for votes and those who would stand for something and face the consequences. The latter will win hands down.
Copyright (09/11/22)
