THE SCARY BUSINESS OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
Yet again there is news about another mass shooting in the greatest country in the world – the United States of America. Up to the time we were writing this piece a gunman who shot 16 people dead in the state of Maine was on the run. We looked at figures from the gun violence archive published on the BBC website and realized that gun violence has been steadily increasing – in 2014 it was 273 by 2021 it had risen to 690, the highest so far. Now with a few weeks to the end of 2023 it stands at 565. It’s possible that by the time you read this, this figure would have moved upwards.
This is a very serious issue indeed. In America the constitutional right to own a gun and the absolute for gun control to at least prevent such mass killings is a political hot potato that the two big parties are struggling to deal with. Powerful organizations are on both sides pulling indifferent directions but the reality is ordinary people are being shot in schools, churches, parks, shopping centers, street corners and in homes. Surely, something can be done to save a lot of lives and it may not be about stopping owning guns but consideration should be about who is allowed to own what type of weapon.
Anyway, we are not in America but because we have relatives there we have a few words of advice for them:
1. All Africans should come and live in Sierra Leone where there are no such mass shootings. We know things are difficult here but at least nobody goes to our shopping centers or schools thinking about the possibility of a gunman blowing their heads off.
2. Should they choose to stay for economic reasons, we urge them to make their funeral arrangements now because by the way things are going, it’s beginning to look as if those guys who love guns and show traces of racism are heading for the White House in 2024.
3. In Sierra Leone we don’t care about weather forecasts or any training on how to avoid being shot on the streets. We would rather teach people how to escape the many beggars on our streets.
FEED SALONE PROGRAM LAUNCHED: WHAT NEXT?
On World Food Day Principal launched his FEED SALONE program in Pujehun district, in the deep south of the country. All the speakers were clear that the task of FEEDING SALONE is heavy and looks unachievable. One guy even told us that a second year president can set that challenge knowing fully well that they are not up for re-election. Anyway, Principal is a man that likes to take on such challenges. He is still battling with the Free Quality Education program and there are signs that things are moving.
With FEED SALONE the challenge is even bigger. We are waiting for the first harvest after the formal launch of this program. In the meantime we want Principal to not the following:
1. We have put 10% percent down in the budget for the FEED SALONE project. Let’s see what that translates into in the coming budget and how that money would be utilized.
2. We don’t want to hear about people stealing fertilizers or tractors being kept in small corners instead of them being deployed out in the field.
3. We also don’t want to attend any government program and be served with chicken from Brazil and fried rice. We want our own local varieties. What’s the point of growing food only to continue importing something like chicken from Brazil and rice from Cambodia?
MAY THE VIOLENCE IN THE SAHEL NEVER REACH OUR NEIGHBORS
ECOWAS appears to have climbed down from their original position to use military force to drive the junta out of power in Niger. They also now have to deal with Mali yet again because the soldiers are reneging on the agreed transition timeline. There is hardly anyone with even a little bit of experience in West Africa and how military regimes behave who didn’t see this coming. All the junta governments in the Sahel are not going to leave until the ordinary people in those countries with the civilian political leadership in front, force them out.
We think ECOWAS should keep an eye on them but the organization must now focus on how rapidly the security situation is deteriorating out there and the implications for people like us sitting in the neighborhood. Peace agreements are being torn up by insurgents and there are almost daily announcements about soldiers being killed in large numbers.
How come those who fired their way to power blaming civilian leaders for failing to defeat the insurgents are now not able to hold their ground against the same enemies? We have some recommendations and we hope our African brothers will consider them for what they are worth.
1. The military units ECOWAS intended to use in Niger should now be deployed in vulnerable countries to stop the Sahelian war spreading down the gulf of Guinea. Those who think they don’t need ECOWAS can continue with Wagner.
2. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger should stop the anti-French rhetoric and face the reality of their condition right now because not long from now the people will find out that while they don’t like France continuing to dominate them, they also won’t tolerate their brothers in the army lying to them. At that point they will be on the streets again but then it will be against the so-called liberators.
3. The more body bags coming from the frontline, the more frustration among the population. The best course of action for the soldiers is to organize democratic elections and leave office. Those wars cannot be won with Wagner bullets.
4. Attacking and chasing the French out means chasing out a significant part of the so-called international community. It also means losing an important ally against the rebels in the desert. The French may not back the rebels but they will not do much to deter them. Think guys!
PA SACKEY WHAT’S THE LATEST ON THOSE BADLY-RUN PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
Conrad Sackey has to quickly deal with this unbelievable mess that private schools have caused. On Monday he reported that results for TWENTY EIGHT private schools were not released by WAEC because those schools owe the examination body some cash. Those schools have now seriously embarrassed parents and our children. While their colleagues in government schools and well-run private institutions have received their results and are applying to universities at home and abroad, they have to anxiously wait for their schools to pay WAEC.
Thousands of students are attending these schools where parents are made to believe that a decent pass at all examinations is guaranteed. So we are now at a point where Sackey has to stand up and convince us that he means business in that ministry which means so much for the legacy of Principal. We are spending a good part of our small budget on education so we are not prepared to accept any jokes with the system.
1. We want WAEC to explain how the children from the 28 schools named and shamed became candidates with genuine INDEX NUMBERS without paying full examination fees. This really sounds strange to us.
2. Why is WAEC now trying to collect their debts using our children’s results into the bargain? Their business is to release the results of candidates who took the exam and were not involved in any malpractice.
3. What if the schools fail to pay and those results remain in the drawers until University admission windows close, what would those schools and WAEC say to the children and their parents?
4. Is this not a big opportunity for Conrad Sackey to take these schools off the books until he is convinced about their ability to operate in a fit and proper way. The institutions that fail should be struck off. This is not the time for jokes
Copyright © 2023 Politico (27/10/23)
