STRIKE-PRONE JUNIOR DOCTORS ARE GETTING ON OUR NERVES
Let’s get a few things out of the way before we make our point on this recent strike call by our JUNIOR doctors;
1. There can be no excuse for keeping those hospital cleaners on duty for so long without paying them their salary forcing them to allow rubbish to pile up at our main hospital.
2. We can’t understand why a government ministry would sign such a crucial agreement with a private company and default on payment. In fact why did it take so long for the company boss to speak out? Why did it take such disgraceful strike action by cleaners to force such high profile visit by the political and professional heads of the health ministry?
3. There was absolutely no need to engage in any arm-wrestling with a doctor who decides to take pictures of the event for whatever reason. The pictures were already on social media because after a week of stalemate, those who organized the strike took their case to social media.
Now, let’s turn to our strike-prone JUNIOR doctors. Are they really telling us that walking out of their offices after that alleged assault incident was their last resort? We know that professionals like doctors in particular only call a strike as a last resort after exhausting all channels of redress. In this case, we know that their colleague had already made a report alleging assault to the police and that investigations were ongoing. We also know that the new minister had issued a statement pledging to investigate the incident and solve the cleaning problem. Why was it still necessary for our JUNIOR doctors to go on strike and risk the lives of their patients?
As we write this JOURNALISTS in Sierra Leone are still pursuing the case of the beating and killing of our colleague Ibrahim Samura in the line of duty by state security personnel without causing any national anxiety by closing the media space down. If the JUNIOR doctors were in our position, they would not only call a strike, they would probably burn down Connaught hospital.
We should also make the point that just because somebody is able to buy a smartphone does not mean they can go around filming everything. It is standard practice that even professional journalists can be moved away from restricted areas by security forces during some operations. Surely, this incident was threatening the peace of Connaught hospital and the police were interested.
Besides, cameras are normally not allowed in hospitals. Do our JUNIOR doctors want us to take our cameras and recorders into Connaught daily to record them as they go about dealing with patients? Why was it so necessary for our citizen journalist –doctor to go to such lengths to take those pictures at that time? The rubbish had piled up in her work place over a SEVEN DAY period. And please, when professional bodies call a strike, the last thing they should do is make POLITICAL STATEMENTS as they agitate for their welfare. We will be back on this particular issue in subsequent editions.
Meanwhile we are prepared to take up the challenge of flooding Connaught with cameras and audio recorders immediately. There is a lot this nation should know about things happening in all hospitals in this country. Let’s play now!
FAILED ALFRED PAOLO CONTEH PREPARES FOR WAR IN SALONE
Just out of jail after a presidential pardon, one would have thought that one of the tolongbo politicians who throughout his life had almost all the toys in the military and political playground of Sierra Leone should be having some deep reflection on his future, but no Alfred Paolo Conteh is already preparing himself and those who would fall for his stupidity to wage WAR.
Paolo honored an invitation for a meeting with Principal at State House. He loaded his GLUCK 21 pistol and took it along and was intercepted by security personnel just as he made his way to Principal’s office. Paolo was arrested, charged, tried and convicted. Now, he is VERY BITTER and believes that his supporters should prepare for WAR. This sense of entitlement Paolo is dreaming of is getting the better of him.
We don’t treat his recent outburst at some tolongbo rally with any concern. We know we live in an ocean of illiteracy where people can be easily misled but we know that Paolo Conteh talks too much and to no effect. As defence minister, the guy now calling for war fled like a headless chicken, leaving his shirt behind when a few unarmed former soldiers surrounded him asking for their end of service benefits. Paolo was a good sportsman man. We know that. So threatening to win the hundred meters at the next Olympic Games in Japan carries more fire than threatening war that, according to him only the UN can end. This army major fled abroad when his guardian angel uncle was overthrown and stayed there even when patriotic Sierra Leoneans battled to save the country from Foday Sankoh and his criminals. He was busy working his asylum papers.
We warn this so-called army BOSS who has NEVER seen fire in the front edge battle area to stop talking bogus WAR talk. He should be very careful what he is praying for. We believe the security people should call him over for a brief chat IMMEDIATELY.
RODNEY MICHAEL MOVES TO END SLFA BAD HEART FINALLY
Whether the Court of Arbitration for Sports rules in time to restore Rodney Michael’s candidature or not, Queen Johansen is spending her last days as SLFA president going by her artificial CONGRESS timetable. She has been running away from an ELECTIVE CONGRESS for FOUR YEARS now. That marathon will end soon and Sierra Leone football will breathe again.
CAS is the sporting world’s equivalent of the Supreme Court in Sierra Leone. The decision by Rodney Michael to hear from them on this long standing issue is fantastic because manipulating codes to disadvantage credible opponents MUST end now in SLFA. We congratulate Michael for spending a fortune to file this case. Many other people in his position are either unable to pay legal fees and other charges at CAS or have decided to kill their ambition to play a part in the running of the SLFA. In other words they have been forced out by Queen Johansen.
Frankly, this is a case that should take no more than a week to decide. The world knows that the so-called Ethics Committee members with DRUCIL TAYLOR as head simply disgraced themselves with that dog’s breakfast of a ruling they issued almost a month ago now. We want to tear the foolish ruling to pieces but we are still waiting for the full report that was promised. More than a week after their deadline expired, the so-called Ethics Committee has FAILED or REFUSED to release the document. They have behaved unethically by not even telling the nation why they couldn’t meet their own deadline.
So we are compelled to believe that the committee carried out those instructions given to them by Queen Johansen’s man in that leaked audio and is now cooking up justifications for that action. They have their SOLUTION but now have to define the PROBLEM. Joe Hills says “wickedness will prevail but only for a little while”.
HON. KONUWA IS HEADING TO THE HIGH COURT VERY SOON
When we wrote in this column the other day that the SLFA elective congress will not hold as planned in May, it is because our sources had told us that one of those people whose reputations were damaged by the so-called Ethics Committee of the SLFA is on his way to the High Court.
Hon. Francis Konuwa was absolutely called a THIEF in that report. He was asked to RESTITUTE more than SIXTY MILLION Leones to the SLFA. We heard in that leaked audio that he stole the money from Queen Johansen. As far as the rogue committee is concerned their job is done as instructed.
Now, Francis Konuwa, a two-term MP has his back against the wall. He must fight back otherwise his good name is in tatters and what is left of his political career fatally wounded. We understand Hon. Konuwa is fighting his case in our courts at the risk of offending the Republic of FIFA. We have interesting time ahead. Those lobbying for contracts to organize the Congress in Makeni should scale back their expectations. It is NOT happening any time soon.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (16/04/21)
