THE SLP MUST EXPLAIN WHY SO MANY CASES ARE GOING COLD
We don’t want to go into the many cases which our Force for Good has been “investigating” forever. There are many. Today, when SLP spokespeople say they are “investigating”, they simply mean something like forget about that and we have been like this for years and with many cases. Recently, a young journalist and law student was dragged out of a Keke to his death as criminals tried to steal his phone. Many Sierra Leoneans are still trying to come to terms with that loss while waiting for the police to catch that criminal and put them behind bars for a very long time.
So far, SLP media guys have released the same line: “We are investigating”. We now serve notice that on this matter, we will not allow them to allow this case to go cold. We will ensure that the criminal is put before a judge so that the soul of Alusine Mansaray can RIP. We don’t want to get emotional but this was a trained journalist, who was also in the third year of his law program with all the expectations of serving his family and the nation. His life was brutally cut short by a criminal that is on the run and our SLP is still “investigating” several weeks later. And things are going quiet. No, this cannot happen.
1. A colleague journalist recently wrote a letter to IG Fayia Sellu asking him to quickly bring the criminal to book. So far, there’s been no direct reply to that letter. We fully associate with that call and we are ready to join others now planning to petition the IG in this same direction.
2. We know the police are constrained a bit in terms of their ability to conduct certain types of investigations but this is a case they can solve.
3. It is Alusine Mansaray today, it could be anybody tomorrow. In fact we will be dealing with this new criminal collaboration between these two groups, Keke and Okada riders is becoming serious. The pattern of policing cannot remain the same to deal with it. We will deal with that in subsequent editions.
HOUSES ARE COLLAPSING: LET’S ASK HARD QUESTIONS
Another house has collapsed in Freetown causing enormous damage. Lives were lost in the first incident in the hills around Freetown. When these things happen the first thing we do is help those in distress and pray for God to console them. Our hearts go out to those of our compatriots. Especially for those poor young souls that perished in the first incident.
The next step for us in the media is to try to ask those questions that are relevant – so relevant that people in authority that can help stop such tragedies will do something. Let’s begin:
1. Did the Country Planning ministry actually approve building permits for the two houses that have collapsed recently? The ministry ought not to have waited for us to ask this question, weeks after the first incident occurred.
2. So let’s assume permits were approved, did the house owners follow in detail the plan they submitted to the ministry? Is it normal practice for the ministry to inspect buildings after the permit is granted?
3. How about the contractors doing the actual building, are they qualified? In both cases, did they use the materials the house owners paid for? Is it a case of sub-standard materials used to construct the building?
4. Is anybody in custody now following both incidents? Are we back to the normal Sierra Leone way in which criminal negligence is taken as an act of God that humans should not try to investigate?
WE ARE BACK FROM THE OLYMPICS: SO WHAT NEXT?
Let’s start by congratulating our brothers and sisters who put on the national colours to represent our country. We didn’t pick up any medals – actually we didn’t expect to get any. All we expected was a good showing. There was a promising performance in the pool and a commendable one on the track. Otherwise, we had a very poor outing overall.
We are very pleased with what the new leadership of the NSA is doing to put sport in its place in Sierra Leone so far but we must warn them that what we want to suggest now might mean they should step on some powerful toes. They should be ready for that in the belief that the nation is behind them. Those powerful toes have in place well-oiled machines that can fight in any terrain. They have done it before and are ready to defend their interests again. The fact is that nobody ever said running a public institution is a joke. It is not.
1. NSA has to move its office into one of the new structures inside the Siaka Steven Stadium. Their present location is not great. We need to feel their presence inside that complex.
2. NSA should be very prudent in how they spend our money. We cannot continue to put money into undemocratic and unaccountable sporting associations created for the sole purpose of a few guys attending conferences and making token appearances at international games. We want real value for money now.
3. Our nation loves football. We are not winning anything there but we cannot afford to annoy millions of Sierra Leoneans who pay their taxes by refusing to invest in football. All we must ensure is accountability and good management, not the mediocre thing we are dealing with now.
4. Volleyball, cricket, aquatics, boxing and Paralympic sports are all doing fine. We have no problem with the NSA giving them money. We have potential in athletics but unless they are able to run a democracy, we urge the NSA to protect our money.
5. Let’s have some priorities: The Jamaicans know that they are good with sprints, Kenyans and Ethiopians are killing long distance races so they are concentrating in those areas. Why are we trying to participate in every sport recognized by the IOC? We may have talents hidden here and there but the money is not enough and we need to start winning medals.
NPSE RESULTS ARE OUT: THE SCREAMING STARTS
Parents have been eagerly waiting for the NPSE results but they know that these are normally not the best of times for them. While their children are celebrating going to secondary school, they have to deal with a number of issues to make that possible. That’s why the joy of a child making the necessary grade gets quickly replaced by crying in silence and eventually screaming.
Here’s why parents have to scream instead of celebrate until the day they take their children to secondary school for the first time:
1. Naturally, not all children are going to make the necessary grades set by the schools of their choice so their disappointment definitely goes down to their parents.
2. Some of those schools set really high targets over and above that of the ministry of basic education and the ministry does nothing about that. They then organize a rogue system by which they collect cash in the corner to admit children who under normal circumstances would qualify for admission.
3. In some schools teachers are given three or 4 spaces to admit children and make money out of it. The whole game is played in the open. Again, the ministry has never bothered to investigate. The ACC acted when some brave children went on social media and called some prominent schools out.
4. Business people and some schools are making a real kill selling school uniforms and other materials. Everybody is taking advantage of the other in this wicked game. Anyway we congratulate those children who will make the grade.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (16/08/24)
