Insensitive Motorists during minor accidents along busy roads
Road accidents happen daily in Sierra Leone and some are quite serious. Others though are minor ones and we are referring here to minor cases like when one mistakenly presses on the accelerator and bumps into a vehicle few metres ahead in a slow moving traffic along a busy street in Freetown. We totally agree that accidents normally should be brought to the attention of traffic police officers or road traffic corps personnel of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority.
Sometimes there is hardly any noticeable dent on the vehicle to suggest it could have taken a hit but some motorists or vehicle owners would not be reasonable enough to think about getting their vehicle to the other side of the road so as not to interrupt traffic flow, whilst they get the matter addressed. They would instead insist that the two vehicles stay right there on the spot till traffic authorities arrive, creating inconveniences for other motorists and commuters. A similar incident recently along Wellington Street, almost on the Siaka Stevens Street intersection, saw middle -aged female owner of her 4WD take some thirty minutes to be persuaded to allow her driver move the vehicle away after a mini- bus (pod-poda) hit the vehicle from the rear. The bus driver and other people had to beg profusely. The bus’ front lamps were smashed but her vehicle due to the protecting frames had not even a scratch. We have to be considerate at times and make less fuss about things which we might be at the receiving end of, but with less effect on us, but of inconvenience to many others.
Boom Box Noisy Drugs Sales, what a nuisance!
These days we see young men all over Freetown in particular selling medicines that they claim can cure all kinds of diseases one can think of. They traverse every street and corner with huge speakers booming out too good to be true messages about the potency and efficacy of their drugs. It is quite shocking when you listen to the mostly misleading messages coming from their sound boxes about the curative power of their medicines and the illnesses they target. The speakers are often in full blast and quite a nuisance they are. People are importing all kinds of medicines into the country and giving them out to barely literate or even illiterate peddlers.
How many unsuspecting people, desperate for a cure are not instead purchasing substances that have gone on to affect their organs or brought on other ailments? We will never know the number of people that are dying from this unregulated selling of medicines.
Some of their messages about serious diseases are not just misleading but shockingly comical in nature. We are quite perplexed that this madness could be allowed to continue when we have the Pharmacy Board and the Medical and Dental Association, two bodies that are often quite ethically sensitive to matters about medicines. We suggest that some tough regulatory measures be put in place to curb this unhealthy merchandising of presumed health products.
Uncertainty mounts over suspended Salone league football
The Sierra Leone premier league football was brought to a sudden halt because of the Covid 19 pandemic which was quite understandable. Three months on, things aren’t getting clearer in the eyes of fans as to how the football landscape would look like post- corona, especially with the country’s football running body apparently not saying anything when there are many issues at hand that fans would want SLFA to be definitive about. When they eventually attempt to they appear to be talking down at people, making copious references to FIFA.
Bo Rangers were the surprise table toppers, though having played a couple more matches than some other sides. Some people would want Rangers announced as Champions and for the FA to start planning for the next football season since this one is already dead. Opposing views suggest that such a move would have given the title to an unmerited side especially with Rangers’ slender lead and with their close contenders having more games at hand. And should things stay the way they are at present, there would be no clubs representing Sierra Leone at the two major continental club competitions next year. We cannot see the teams playing during this period to complete the season even behind closed doors. There could be so much to do as well including testing the players and officials for coronavirus and making the necessary provisions to keep them virus free off the pitch. And that could mean no club participation for the country two years in a row, though the non- participation of our clubs last year after the successful holding of a league in as many years, was more to do with palace intrigue, ego and sheer jealousy. Football fans are demanding Isha Johansen’s Executive just about get the uncertainty surrounding the disrupted league put to rest by coming out with a clear position, as well as outline what next holds for salone club football.
Meanwhile top Leagues in Europe are back
Games have resumed in the top leagues in Europe and for Germany that started a couple of weeks before, traditional winners Bayern Munich last week wrapped up their eighth title in a row. Thoughts of a new order in the Bundesliga is for now far- fetched except something extra-ordinary happens and teams like Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Leverkusen and RB Leipzig mount very serious challenge.
In England Arsenal‘s encounter with Manchester City mid last week shows how far the Gunners have drifted away from the top of English football. Some think managers in the mold of Massimiliano Allegri could have been given the Manager’s job at the Emirates and that Arteta was not experienced enough for such a high profile job. As for the calamity David Luiz he is no way premier league material anymore! Except something dramatic thing happens, one can’t see Leicester knocking off Man City off second spot, and can’t be free of not being overthrown for third place by Chelsea and Man United who are fighting too for a healthy spot. And for Liverpool it is just a matter of when they lift their first league title in 30 years.
In Spain, the battle for the La Liga crown would go down the wire as Barcelona and Real Madrid both keep the pressure burner on, full blast. Italy Serie A could be in for quite a finale’ with big surprise Lazio emerging as genuine title contenders, making Juventus to be wary of the guys from Rome. Atalanta and Inter Milan will battle over who snatches third spot. The coming days in Serie A couldn’t be more interesting. The cinemas here are closed due to the pandemic but some people can watch matches at home. We hope overcrowding will be avoided as we fight against covi-19.
Mosquitoes rampage homes: Where are the Nets?
We are told mosquito nets are being distributed in various parts of the country which is welcome news. But we’ve also gathered that the Western region would be the last area to benefit from the reported 4 million nets that are to be distributed nationwide. Why should the capital and environs be last? We ask because it seems the mosquitoes might have got wind of the restrictions they are to face when homes here get the free nets.
So ahead of that, the mosquitoes have swarmed homes and stepped up their onslaught. They might be saying ‘’let’s make the most of the opportunity whilst there is one, before the nets come’’! People in the western region are having uncomfortable nights as the mosquitoes are really having a field day.
There are people going around neighbourhoods with megaphones informing residents of the coming registration exercise for potential recipients of the nets. That’s fine but the process should be sped up as kids with weaker immune system are getting sick. Please let the mosquito nets come now, people are saying.
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