KING MESSI PLEASE GO TO THE ACC AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
We can’t understand what is difficult about a former president walking into the ACC in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni or Portloko to answer to questions about any issue. What is really difficult or threatening about that? In fact why was it so difficult for King Messi to host two ACC investigators at his mansion in his fortress city after agreeing to receive them as a compromise for him not physically going to the local ACC office in Makeni?
In fact what we saw on that day along the road leading to his mansion were all types of mask devils and hundreds of young people, high on alcohol and other substances hurling abuses at Principal and his family (that’s the new style of opposition politics). The Red Movement spokesman dishonestly told the world no such thing happened and he didn’t know which video clips the rest of us were watching.
A private telephone conversation between King Messi and the Inspector General of Police was leaked with the motive of telling the world King Messi had no objection talking to the ACC and that the things that happened on that day were unfortunate. Now King Messi has failed to turn up for another appointment citing security concerns. What does he really take the rest of us for?
We should never reach a situation in this country where a citizen, no matter his status, puts himself above the law. King Messi should go to the ACC and answer all questions. There is no record of anybody under investigation or not, going to the ACC office and getting physically hurt. We are all subject to the law.
QUEEN JOHANSEN AND THE ARTIFICIAL TURF LIE IN KENEMA
What was Queen Johansen thinking when she invited Principal, his wife and key people in Kenema to the football field in that city to announce that after all the waiting, SLFA and FIFA manipulations, the artificial turf project would at last get underway and within weeks Kenema would be at par with Bo, Makeni and Kono in terms of having a high standard football pitch? What in this world was she thinking?
Please we don’t want to hear any excuses tied to coronavirus because nobody invites a head of state to commission a construction project that would begin months after that event. As far as this project is concerned, Queen Johansen knew the SLFA had lost control of the project but she took advantage of Principal’s presence in the city and convinced him to take part in what was clearly a charade. Months after that event, the playing field remains closed and no work is taking place there. Principal passed through the city last week on his way to Kailahun. He must have been absolutely livid that Queen Johansen told her a fat lie about the artificial turf project for Kenema.
Here are some issues for Principal and his advisers to consider about that albatross of a project for the SLFA:
1. The artificial turf itself and all the accessories needed to lay it out arrived here more than two years ago when King Messi was at State House. He refused to give permission for the materials to be cleared free of tax and excise duty. It took a change of government and the commitment of Principal for the goods to finally leave the ports.
2. That project has become a huge political football for Queen Johansen in her bid to continue in office, even when she is in breach of the SLFA constitution. She brought a FIFA man to Kenema to help her through a congress at which she thought she would be impeached. The man lied that the project would start two weeks from the day he spoke. We are close to a year now. The same queen made a statement in front of Principal to the effect that 95% of her Executive Committee is Tolongbo, suggesting she was part of the New Direction.
3. Despite all of this, there are three desperate men running football in Kenema who are subverting the will of the football community of the district by giving succor to Queen Johansen despite the fact that her incompetence and hunger for power has hurt Kenema so much. The three are only concerned about what they get from SLFA. This is a big lesson next time the people of Kenema elect leaders in any position.
WHEN WILL OUR POLICE CURB THE RAMPANT VEHICLE THEFT
The stealing of cars is becoming rampant these days and it seems the criminals have well-crafted their art of stealing and catching people off guard. The guys are so deft at their game that even the Cops are left scratching their heads, with the thieves many steps ahead of them. Prominent people as well as ordinary folks in society have had their cars stolen without a trace, so much that people are beginning to see the Police as incapable of nabbing the thieves. Famous Academic Dr. Kitty Fadlu- Deen had her car stolen by a man dressed in suit who entered her compound sometime ago.
About a month ago, a young man whose sister bought a cab and entrusted it to him to run as a taxi after class in the evening so he could raise money for his college needs, was in tears, after the vehicle was wrestled from him, close to midnight, on the Regent-Jui road. Four men had approached him at Wilberforce and struck a hired deal to be taken to Jui. As they approached the side dirt track leading to the Tacugama Chimp Park, the men forced him off the wheel, brandishing machetes. He was almost slashed when he attempted to cling onto the car. They sped into the night and the car has never been found. The student is now denied a source of income. Other people have lost their cars parked in public places.
We do not have to be detectives to figure out the likelihood of an organized criminal network operating all over our major cities that is stealing cars. We believe it is difficult under this pandemic to move stolen vehicles across the borders and we ask that our officers turn their attention to garages where they are more likely to be taken and completely dismantled and their parts sold. These criminals have specialized keys to enter into vehicles and drive off. If you park your car in a public place make sure you have someone nearby to keep watch or do not consider it burdensome to be checking often. Even if you are away from home and your car is in your compound, warn your family not to hand over the keys to anyone showing up to say you’ve sent him to collect the vehicle, no matter how smartly dressed they may look! As for our Cops, we can only hope you step up and face these guys. We see a lot of traffic officers chasing commercial motorists and why can’t some of even the Police OSD’s be drafted into a special road patrol unit with motorbikes and vehicles and with special toll lines to reach them in the event of car theft and other traffic related criminal acts. For heaven’s sake can’t people be out with their cars and feel at ease having with them what is just a necessity? What is becoming of this our society? Police please raise your game and solve this mysterious and rampant thieving of vehicles!
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
