NO TRUE GREENBELT ON WESTERN AREA MOUNTAINS?
Successive governments in post-conflict Sierra Leone have made quite a fuss about keeping the mountains along the Western Area green and free from encroachment by people desperate to build houses of all shapes and sizes. To stop the depletion of the forested areas, particular points were identified and labeled as Green Belt. No building of any sort was to be built on the greenbelt and that was the emphasis from the outset.
Structures found to be in places in clear breach of the order, were to be brought down. We were informed this was to protect the forested areas and in a broader sense, our eco-system.
Men and women in jungle green military-style uniforms called forest guards were recruited and tasked with patrolling the mountains including other forest reserves in far flung areas. But many people are not sure these guards have been effective enough in getting encroachers off the so-called greenbelt.
You go to a place called New London close to Jui/Kossoh Town in the east, the very dam that has been serving water to residents down Kossoh Town has dried up because houses have been built around it and the pillaging of the forest is continuing further up the hills around. The water catchment surroundings are gone in man’s mad rush and recklessness to erect their sometimes ugly looking houses.
Forest guards will tell you that they are hamstrung in effecting control because of the attitude of guys at lands ministry. Cutting trees for coal and firewood up the Freetown Mountains happened way back in the past but it wasn’t as ferocious and damaging an act as that of people now building houses with not even a little care for nature not to talk of the law.
It would make sense if brightly colored pillars are erected to be visible to even people down the mountains, to define the area of the greenbelt. By doing so, encroachment could be seen from far away by even the visually impaired. For now we are bold enough to say the greenbelt is not practically visible or workable!
WHILE WAITING FOR MAYOR KEMOKAI’S CABLE CAR
We will spend some time talking about the recent riot in Freetown but for now we want to remind ourselves about the Mayor’s Cable Car project. If her dream comes true in our lifetime, to travel between Kingtom and Aberdeen for example there will be no need for a Keke or an Okada, between Eastern Police and Abacha Street will be the same just like between Aberdeen and Goderich and between New England and Wilberforce Street. On that day the angels in heaven will join us to celebrate the good work of Mayor Kemokai.
We understand she’s been conducting feasibility studies around this city but there is no indication when the result of that study will be made available to the good people of Sierra Leone. We also have no idea when the mayor will fly out again to look for money or even when that money is committed by donors, at which time the first cents would reach our accounts. That’s why we are not even talking about our first ever ride in a cable car. They look great on TV so our Mayor wants us to be like other nations. Great dreams our dear smiling Mayor.
So while we wait for all those processes to complete we have a few requests to make and we plead with Mayor Kemokai to act fast because we voted for her.
1. We need a clean city. She has to stop blaming the central government for all her failings and get the job done. To collect market dues while ignoring the job of cleaning the markets is certainly an issue for Kemokai.
2. We need a few public toilets in the city. We don’t want to interfere with our readers’ breakfast so we will not be brutal but we invite the Mayor to take a look around Freetown and understand why we need some public toilets.
3. We have just been reading the recent ACC conclusions on the management of the FCC. We know the whole thing might just end up before a judge so at this stage we can only call for a bit more openness in the running of our council. Remember we are preparing for the coming of our cable car.
4. Our Mayor likes publicity. She enjoys being in the limelight but on her own terms. We plead with her to make it possible for the people of this city to also smile on social media and that is only possible when the few things mentioned above are addressed.
THAT ATTACK ON MARTIN WUSHA: WHAT’S THE OUTCOME?
Weeks after our colleague journalist was attacked at the SLFA secretariat, we still don’t know the outcome of that matter. Why SWASAL had to set up a committee to investigate the attack on our colleague when a criminal investigation is already supposed to be underway beats our imagination.
Martin has reported the matter to the police. He’s seen a doctor and we believe statements have been obtained from him and witnesses and a determination should have been made now on how to proceed with the matter. The idea that SWASAL would order a parallel investigation of the same issues is something we don’t understand at all. In fact, has the SWASAL committee completed their investigation?
What was SWASAL trying to prove? Don’t they believe that Martin is credible enough to be supported on the basis of what he reports to his own professional organization? How sure is SWASAL that their committee’s report may not end up making a mockery of this very serious matter? Does SWASAL think their investigation will be considered in the event of charges being filed against those who decided to assault one the best sport journalists in this country?
We honestly don’t know how Queen Johansen’s hostage is running that place with people who can order attacks on journalists because of critical reporting when he is very open to meeting and talking to journalists even on some of the fiercest sports forums in this country.
We make the point that the unprovoked attack on Martin Wusha-Conteh is not just a matter for SWASAL because he is into sports. It is a matter for the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, SLAJ. Martin was assaulted because he refused to have his reports influenced by people who only like positive news. He has absolutely no record of violence. He is a clean professional. We stand with MARTIN.
NO SEX TRADE DURING QATAR WORLD CUP
So what is all this noise about the authorities in Qatar planning to act really tough against prostitution during the World Cup tournament in November? We have read quite a few articles on this matter and people making the issue part of their Human Rights portfolio. Really?
Since Sepp Blatter announced Qatar as the host of the coming World Cup he has had very little time to rest. The last we heard about the old man is that he is standing trial for alleged crimes bordering on corruption from his days as head of FIFA. We don’t know if he was prepared for this but Qatar was always going to be a controversial choice and people have done everything to prove that decision was influenced by corruption. Now they are complaining about a ban on sex sole on the streets. Come on guys!
Here’s how to avoid grumbling about such a thing in another man’s country and under their laws:
1. If you are not married and cannot concentrate on football during the World Cup please stay in your country and watch the thing on TV. There are many other ways to relax and have a good time in Qatar apart from sleeping with prostitutes.
2. Take your wife along with you. Stop looking for cheap sex with multiple women in another man’s country.
3. Take your Pekito along to act out that role during the tournament. She has to be strong just in case the religious police decide to press a few questions with her along the streets.
4. Anyway, this is the Football World Cup. It’s not a prostitution contest. Stop complaining about a potential ban on prostitution during the games.
5. Finally, those planning to ship prostitutes to Qatar to trade them should think of some other business to do in that country. We believe some people will actually not see any match because they will be in jail for prostitution
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