THIS MAMMY CUSS IS REALLY SHAMING THIS COUNTRY
Let’s start by saying that we stand by our colleague ASMA JAMES.As far as possible we will implement what SLAJ has directed and we congratulate our executive for accompanying ASMA JAMES to the CID to file a complaint against LAJ. We are also extremely happy that the whole country, including the family members of the man who was so rude to our colleague, condemned that unprovoked rudeness.
The truth is 98.1 does a lot of court reporting, in fact more than any radio station in this country so the idea that they were out to embarrass that musician makes no sense. Most times court reporters go to court in the morning not knowing which cases will be heard. Since CJ Edwards took over there has been a lot of improvement in the sense that cases are published mostly on social media to guide court reporters. So surely the reporter from 98.1 may well have turned up at that court to do the normal reporting and then witness a warrant of arrest being issued. What’s wrong with reporting that for the benefit of his audience?
By the way, who should this guy direct his anger at? The reporter is neither the person who filed the case nor the magistrate who approved the bench warrant. And let’s say this, the head of a radio station does not necessarily approve every news bulletin on their radio station. Station managers hardly visit newsrooms. They receive reports and monitor the overall output. So attacking the station manager because of the station’s output is a very bad and dangerous move. Why didn’t he attack the magistrate? He is aware of the consequences. This is really bad.
So we have seen what he calls an apology. It’s up to ASMA to deal with that. We are following SLAJ directives on this matter.
Let’s make this point for good measure: there is a belief in some circles these days that MAMMY CUSS is the best way to respond to challenging issues in Sierra Leone. The situation now is that instead of MAMMY CUSS being an extremely rare occurrence as we knew it, it is now just like greeting people. This is very bad. We are very surprised that in politics, business or sport, those on whose behalf volleys or MAMMY CUSS are launched at people for merely disagreeing with one position have NEVER stood up to condemn such actions. This is an absolute disgrace.
GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE FA CUP 2019 ACCOUNT IS EMPTY
The SLFA likes issuing press releases but we have waited for several hours now in vain for them to issue a statement to clarify the issues we raised in our report on the huge withdrawal they made from the SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT FA CUP ACCOUNT opened under special request from the director of sports Dr. Ken Brima who is now at NSA. This is a story we will return to subsequently whether the SLFA decides to take issue with us or not.
We are clear the original signatories to that account were not consulted and are in fact they are still signatories to that account as far as we know. We know that the money was rejected by Queen Johansen in 2019, which explains why it remained in that account for two years. The nation was deprived of the FA cup and now the money has been withdrawn without the nation being told what the SLFA wants to do with it.
We want the SLFA to know that asking for clearance is not the same as actually obtaining one when it comes to dealing with government money. We have received fresh briefings from our sources inside the SLFA.
The will of the good people of Sierra Leone will be done in this matter. There was no FA Cup so the money should be returned to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
MOVING CONTAINERS OF DEATH ACROSS FREETOWN
Sea Cargo Containers moving along the streets of Freetown have become a harrowing experience for commuters and motorists. They are often not chained to the trucks transporting them and that is murderous on the part of the transporters. Worse still, such is the derelict state of most of these trucks coming from the port that we begin to wonder how they got to ply our roads in the first place. Did SLRSA actually clear them to be on the road?
The trailer trucks carrying these containers have crushed innocent people to death after tipping over due to the carelessness of those managing those vehicles including the reckless drivers.
High transportation fees are charged for every loaded container leaving the port but little or no consideration is given to the safety of the vehicles. Some of these are trucks that shouldn’t be running on our roads as they should have well stayed in their scrap yards in Europe. The city is on a hill and it is so scary to see these trucks struggling through crowded streets fully loaded. And to even leave those containers unchained to the truck is an offence that should warrant maximum penalty for such recklessness. Who is listening out there?
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS: MISSING IN ACTION (MIA)
We are looking for volunteers to help us locate our Minister of Internal Affairs. He’s been Missing in Action for months, actually just after three months in that office. In his early days there he went into small communities to talk to people and to assure them that how would put a robust security system in place for the people to sleep at night with both eyes close. It was a great move at the time because the spate of armed robbery was beginning to cause serious alarm in our big cities. In the New Direction language, the minister HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
It is against this background that we really can’t now explain why the guy is completely Missing in Action. There is growing lawlessness on our streets. Okada Riders in particular have no concerns making a nuisance of themselves.
Of major concern also is the number of police checkpoints springing up across the country. We don’t want to get into the security sense the checkpoints make or not. What we can say for certain is that police officers are busy collecting money from drivers and the drivers are passing that burden to the ordinary people. The cries are getting louder and louder. Why should there be NINE CHECKPOINTS between Bo and Jendema on the Liberian border? That stretch is less than ONE HUNDRED MILES. Many of these COLLECTION POINTS must be removed NOW.
The search continues for our Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA). So far we think he is busy with one of the following:
1. At home missing his former job SLRSA. He knows he wasn’t cut for his current job but Principal asked him to take the job. He wants to be there issuing licenses. Since he left his successor has been suspended twice in as many years.
2. He is so afraid of COVID-19, particularly the OMNICRON variant that he has decided to stay home until WHO declares the war over.
3. He is in his situation room monitoring Freetown on his computer. That’s his idea of being a minister in Sierra Leone.
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