RASTA SENGS STEPS INTO ROW OVER HIGH DATA COST
Rasta Sengs says all the good people of Sierra Leone should be “DATA-WISE”. He stopped short of telling us how we should be using our data but things that whatever we decide to with our data should not include going to social media to complain or to even throw in a bit of salty language in frustration at the rising cost of data. Rasta Sengs also believes we should not gossip around on social media and then complain about the high cost of data.
Thank you very much Rasta Sengs but we absolutely don’t believe we want to hear from you on this matter for many reasons. We don’t have time to run through all of those reasons for now but let’s see how many we can handle in the little space we have here:
1. Since you came to this country to work with the New Direction, we have been taking care of many things for you using our taxes – your official vehicles, drivers and other staff, you travels and per diem and of course your data bills. So for you there’s nothing to worry about. Our taxes are rising daily amid inflation and part of the reason is to take care of some of your bills and that of your colleagues around that cabinet table. So please bear with us while we complain.
2. The truth is you probably don’t like to listen to our cries over the high cost of living with the New Leone being battered by inflation. Does that make you uncomfortable sir? When people decide to go into politics, they sign up to listen to their people no matter what.
3. Please don’t get us to believe that despite the brilliant explanations given by your colleague in the information ministry; this country has actually bought into the idea of levying a so-called GOSSIP TAX on the people just like what old man Yoweri Museveni did in Uganda. Anyway, if you can’t appreciate what we are going through now in terms of economic hardship, don’t push us down the drain.
Rasta Sengs we don’t need lectures from you on how we use our data. We can handle that.
MEANWHILE HOW WAS IT AT THOSE NIGHT CLUBS MR. CM?
We have pictures of our dear Rasta Sengs at night clubs in the east end of Freetown in the past few days. Actually, that wouldn’t be in the headlines if he’d turned up at one of those joints along Lumley Beach. Many big guys visit those places regularly but they hardly go to the east of this city even in broad daylight. Life in that part of Freetown is
Fast and unpredictable – one minute they are celebrating a victory in football; the next minute there is a big antigovernment demonstration in which police officers are killed in the streets. Meanwhile on the west end, life would be so normal that children would be in schools and open air markets in full swing. So, yes we have to talk about that move by Rasta Sengs take a quick swing round certain night clubs on that side of town.
Rasta Sengs we hope you had a good one despite the fact that we believe the visit was planned to produce a surprise with the sole purpose of posting it on social media just minutes after you were safely back in your flat in the west end. We have indeed seen those pictures sir.
The element of surprise is not bad but now that people know you are likely to swing around the east at night, we want to say the following as your friends:
1. Never take the east end for granted. Things can change very quickly and explanation of a complex phenomenon and sweet talking would mean nothing at that material time. Please watch that sir.
2. The rough guys in the east are very patient. They are now preparing for your next swing by sending their teams to all night clubs every day of the week believing that every dog has its own day.
3. We are told that you don’t move around with cash. ATM cards are not required in the east so put some New Leones in your car at all time. No political theory can convince our brothers in the east when it’s action time. Only raw cash can STOP NONSENSE.
4. By the way, what is all this swinging around and posturing all about. We would like to get your reply on Facebook sir. Don’t worry about our data because we can take care of ourselves.
STOP POURING BUILDING MATERIALS ON OUR STREETS
This is now a common practice that must stop. Not too long ago we read a press release from the Sierra Leone Roads Authority warning against the habit of people building houses using our roads as store from sand and stones. It’s not as if they would pour the items on the roads for a few hours and then clear the road again. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, even months and during that period vehicular and pedestrian movement is badly disrupted.
Those who are in this habit know very well that they are infringing on the rights of other Sierra Leoneans but they just don’t care. This is something that must stop immediately. It’s happening in many places so both the smiling Tik Tok Mayor and the SLRA cannot tell us this is news to them. In fact why would SLRA issue a press statement about something they know nothing about?
We are living in a city where some people think they can do anything. This is a country where politician like the Tik Tok Mayor believe they should first consider politics before the welfare of the good people of Sierra Leone. To issue a press release and not back it up with action is to tell the subjects of your statement to always ignore you because you are not serious about anything. In fact we are waiting for the SLRA to tell us they haven’t seen the danger that is called Pike Street Bridge. Many roads are being given rough patches around Freetown so we wonder why this bridge was not included. Is it neglect or what?
END MARIJUANA TRADE WITH OUR MRU NEIGHBORS NOW
This is not the first time we are calling attention to what looks like a booming trade in marijuana from Sierra Leone into Guinea and Liberia. It emerged towards the end of this week that a large quantity of marijuana bound for one of our neighboring countries, possibly Liberia was confiscated at a checkpoint in Bo district.
We have always called on the authorities to stop this cross-border trade in marijuana because it’s doing enormous damage to our economy and food production and indeed the reputation of this country. We really can’t afford that at this time.
There is certainly no national outcry over this and it’s almost as if the nation and its institutions are powerless against a few criminal who prefer to make big money at the expense of the economy and reputation of Sierra Leone. We should NEVER be surprised or outraged when a serious western country slams a ban on Sierra Leoneans traveling to their place because we are slowing but surely moving towards becoming a supplier of narcotics.
The immediate danger we face is that people are turning away from growing food crops to the production of marijuana on a large scale because the market exists in Liberia and Guinea. Why can’t they grow what they smoke?
The other danger is many Sierra Leoneans are being jailed in those countries and our innocent people are facing intimidation and harassment on a daily basis on the streets because the security agencies there think they are all part of the marijuana trade.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency knows that periodic news items about the agency or persistent calls for more money will not solve the problem. There’s a lot of money in this business and the big guys running the show are influential and dangerous but we have to fight them because we have no choice.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (10/11/23)
