KEISTER NAMES PROVISIONAL SQUAD: WAITING FOR THE NEXT STEP
John Keister has called FORTY players to the national team camp for training ahead of AfCON in Cameroon. Almost all the names on that list are people we know but we are surprised that some guys who were in the national team about FIFTEEN years ago are still on the list. Keister’s job is not an easy one but it was his decision to take it. Now he finds himself in the hot seat with several competing interests to deal with. He has told us many times that he is in charge and he makes all the decisions when it comes to selecting the team. So far we have no reason to doubt that.
As we approach AfCON, Keister’s much talked about control of the team will be tested because TWELVE of the people on the current list must be thrown overboard as surplus to requirement. In the period of COVID-19, all teams have been asked to put forward TWENTY EIGHT instead of TWENTY THREE players. Let’s see who goes and who stays. At that point we will know who is really in charge.
We haven’t met any Sierra Leoneans that are even dreaming of our boys winning AfCON next year. Most people only want them to put on a decent performance and move out of the group stage. We have to achieve that to show the world that we merit our place among the elite football nations in Africa.
For some of our young players, this is a fantastic window to announce their presence on the world stage. Scouts will come from all the big leagues of Europe to get some good players so while representing Sierra Leone, here is an opportunity for personal advancement.
We have no doubt that Principal will provide all the money they need. We will support them throughout. They have no choice but to deliver the goods. Let’s play the game.
HEADING TO THE COUNTRYSIDE BUT EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH
Many in politics and business are closing down their offices and rushing up to the countryside to spend the holiday. Anyway for many it’s a yearly ritual but others are running away from people who want to have a big Christmas and New Year celebration from the pockets of others. Principal is definitely heading to his hometown of Tihun and we expect business people looking for contracts and politicians fearing the sack or looking for jobs to also flock to that formerly sleepy little town.
Our people out there are looking forward to a lot of goodies but many of them will be disappointed because those expectations would not be met in full. That’s a fact.
And the thing about our politicians in particular, is that they never try to manage those expectations. They make big promises and end up locking themselves up in a prison. Over the years they have created a situation in which their people always expect them to part with cash when they meet and it’s now like feeding a beast. Unless the food is readily available when the wolf turns up at the door, the master becomes the dinner. In this case, this is how MPs lose their seats in parliament or are sacked from the cabinet because the hate around them makes them a total liability to Principal.
Saying the truth is always a good thing but for people in politics, that could be very dangerous. Sorry guys!
BETWEEN SEAT BELTS AND THROWING RUBBISH ON THE STREETS
Many Sierra Leoneans generally don’t like to be told what to do. They obey public order regulations only for a short while, especially in the early days of a certain regulation being put in place but they soon return to the old ways and settle down with ease. It is also the case that even law enforcement agencies behave that way.
So people in Freetown in particular would openly make the point that they obey regulations only in the first week or so of it coming into force.
We know however that using seat belts has been very well respected since the Sovula boys asked everybody to do it or be fined some good money. Frankly, nobody should be reminded about the safety questions around using seat belts on the road but the practice was almost a taboo on our roads. The few people who insisted on putting it on were seen as fussy or too much into Western orientation. Now, even the taxi drivers enforce the wearing of seat belts.
The next step is for Sovula boys to get public transport drivers to help stop this disgusting practice of people throwing trash on the streets from inside public transport vehicles. It is possible. A good amount of the trash on our streets is there because some commuters believe throwing rubbish on the roads is part of living in a city. This small group sadly includes our brothers and sisters from abroad. They will not dare do that in London, Washington or Paris but for them anything goes in Sierra Leone.
This job is not just for Sovula boys alone but we urge them to take the lead once again. Good luck guys.
BEGGARS POSING AS COMEDIANS DISRUPTING TRAFFIC
What we saw at a place called FIVE-FIVE, to the edge of Waterloo heading out to the provinces the other day was bad, very bad. We saw three beggars dressed up as what we know locally as comedians blocking vehicular movement and begging for money. The three guys stood in front of vehicles with outstretched hands asking for money from each vehicle heading to Freetown. Why are these guys so desperate?
Frankly, we’ve seen this kind of behavior in the heart of Freetown. We just want to make the case that the practice is not restricted to Waterloo but in Freetown many drivers were not amused and it would appear as if the police moved in quickly and kicked them out. They may return at some point but we’ll see.
Those beggars in Waterloo were doing this less than ONE HUNDRED yards from nearly half a dozen police officers whose job was to ensure the free flow of traffic in that chaotic junction. And they should never tell anybody that they were not aware of what was happening so close to them. They cannot be controlling the movement of vehicles while allowing three beggars calling themselves comedians to cause a gridlock because they want people to feed them.
By the way, what kind of comedy is that? These guys should just look over their shoulders in Nigeria and see how far comedians have gone. They will see how powerful, rich and sophisticated their counterparts are. We believe that will inspire some of them at least to behave themselves, try to be more organized and FUNNY and stop naked begging on the streets of this country.
IG Sovula’s men arrest people for parking in prohibited areas because they disrupt the flow of traffic, they should now arrest these beggars for doing the same and for endangering their own lives in the process.
PLEASE TRY TO KEEP ALL NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
People are in the habit of making New Year resolutions at the end of every year. These are things people don’t monitor so that those wonderful resolutions are largely never kept. The most popular resolutions people make include drawing closer to God, quitting alcohol and cigarettes and embarking on a lot of charitable giving in the New Year.
These resolutions are very good personal Public Relations stunts that normally earn people a few points in the eyes of society but not within their own consciences. So please, at the end of 2021 in a few days’ time don’t make any resolutions you know you can’t keep. All we ask is for the good people of Sierra Leone to put their relationships with God on a sound footing and treat other Sierra Leoneans like brothers and sisters. Happy New Year!
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (22/12/21)
