UKRAINE IN THE GRIP OF A DEVASTATING WAR
We know that a good many of the pictures coming out of Ukraine trying to explain what is happening in that country are fake or at least manipulated to create certain impression of how the war is progressing – in terms of who is winning and who is losing. What is undeniable is that many lives have been lost needlessly on both sides. We are relying entirely on information from usually trusted news sources to say this. How the world allowed such devastation to take place in the 21st century is something we will be writing about for a long time.
Vladimir Putin says he is carrying out a “Special Military Operation” for the “demilitarization” and “denazification of Ukraine. The world is waiting for some flesh to be put on his so-called “demilitarization” and “denazification of Ukraine. He will be totally unable to explain for the rest of his life why he ordered a war that would end up killing thousands and displacing millions.
We argued in this column the other day that Russia wouldn’t spend billions of dollars mobilizing more than a hundred thousand men and equipment and land them on their borders with Ukraine for the fun of it. So when reports emerged that the troops were being withdrawn from some areas about two weeks ago, we were among those who knew it was a lie. Joe Biden was clear throughout that an attack was in the making.
Western sanctions would slowly bite Russia but other countries in that eastern flank of Europe are now nervously looking over their shoulders in case the former KGB man suddenly decides to turn his attention to them.
Like many around the world, we feel very bad that civilians are dying, expensive infrastructure have already been destroyed and for us on this side of the globe we are already thinking about how to cope with the inevitable rise in the cost of living, the direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic disruption this avoidable war is causing to the world economy.
Starting is war is never as protracted as ending it and nobody can say at this point whether other countries wouldn’t get drawn into the killings.
The world cannot afford this war and we should NEVER imagine that we will be safe from the goings on in Ukraine. Bombs may not land here but the consequences of that war on our fragile economy could end up taking lives slowly. Peace now!
BRACE UP FOR INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF PETROL
The signs are all over the place again that the price of petroleum products will increase any time from now. Social media is awash with various computations about prices in other African countries compared with what we have in Sierra Leone and indeed there are lengthy articles with detailed explanations about the global increase in the cost of crude oil in the international market and government of Sierra Leone subsidy. All we can say at this time is that we don’t want that same formula repeated in our cities again and we all know the formula - the oil marketers would create some artificial scarcity, the people would complain and then the price would rise. Please spare us all that drama this time.
We know that a decision has been made already to push the pump price up so why not announce it now and fix a commencement date. Why the elaborate attempt by the government to spin its way into the announcement of the new price? Whether they spin or not the people will soon feel it in their pockets. In other words the household income is going up by a few thousand Leones. It is not possible to avoid the grumbling on the streets. In fact even at TEN THOUSAND Leones, people are complaining.
This government has reduced the price of petroleum products at least twice in the last four years and that was easily announced on social media and celebrated. Now things have gone the other way, please announce it and move on with the consequences.
1. This country doesn’t produce oil. Some of those that produce oil are also coming along with us in terms of the cost of the product. We have been looking for oil since Siaka Stevens. We have set up an expensive office to coordinate that search with zero result. From time to time they announce bids for oil blocks but the story is the same.
2. We know that a war is brewing between Russia and Ukraine and that may already have had an impact on the coming increase. So we ask the government to tell the people that things could get even more serious should Russia decide to take KIEV.
3. That’s just the way petroleum business is. Let’s just try and prevent the ordinary people from being exploited by criminal transport vehicle owners.
SLFA ETHICS BOARD AND THEIR MERRY-GO-ROUND DECISION MAKING
We woke one morning to news that the so-called Ethic Board of the SLFA had suspended the controversial General Secretary of the SLFA from office for failing to provide the cash and other logistics needed to make the Board functional. In the days leading to this strange decision by a much discredited board, the Executive Committee of the SLFA itself was putting finishing touches to its own place to push Chris Kamara out on leave and then sack him. Our sources inside the EXCO were absolutely sure the man who thrives in controversy would be gone before the end of February. As it turned out, Kamara ran to the Queen and the Queen quickly called up her clones in the EXCO and gave contrary instructions. Kamara ignored the Ethics Board the hostage boss endorsed his action.
Many big names in football administration criticized the Ethics Board for giving themselves fake powers and acting only in their own interests. They say it was all about money, not a concern for people suffering reputational damage because of the bogus decisions of the Ethics Board. The Board was shamed when CAS easily overturned their clueless decision to throw Rodney Michael out of the SLFA presidential race.
Now the Ethics Board has reversed their own suspension saying they have received letters explaining this and that. What is this board really telling us?
1. To shout all over the place about being treated with contempt and send the SLFA General Secretary home and then return after a week to say you have dropped your action because you have received a letter saying there is no money in the FA so you can’t do your job is most unsatisfactory.
2. So why not now go ahead and meet so you can clear the names of decent Sierra Leoneans while waiting for the next portion of FIFA money because the allocation that came in recently is gone. Your money will be paid later. Go ahead and clear the names of innocent people.
3. The Ethics Board should ashamed of itself because their suspension notice was ignored and they had zero legs to stand on. Why they didn’t all resign a day after Kamara told them to go to hell remains a mystery to us.
STADIUM CLOSED FOR RENOVATION: FOR PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS
We now know that the earliest we would return to the Siaka Steven Stadium to watch a Premier League match would be in two years at least. The facility has been handed over to the Chinese company doing the job and already they have begun taking charge.
At least FOUR Premier League clubs are moving their home matches to the northern town of Makeni. This is the most troubled national league we have witnessed in recent times. There is very little or no money to fund the league, the clubs have don’t have any idea about the value of the prize they are playing for or whether there is a prize after all. The league had to be and moving the big clubs from Freetown is another headache.
In line with the planned re-location, we don’t know how much enthusiasm there is for a football league there in Makeni apart from matches involving the local team WUSUM STARS. Playing in an empty stadium is a nightmare for even the big clubs in the league considering the money associated with running clubs and preparing them for matches like moving players from Freetown, putting them up in guesthouses for a day or two and all that.
By the way, the first people that we should throw out of the stadium are those inside the hostel and the offices around the main bowl who are using those facilities free of charge. Let them leave immediately. We also call on the authorities to clear that illegal garage and care sales point from the bus halt entrance. That whole area is part of the stadium and we certainly hate what we see there at the moment.
Please, next time we invite a Chinese construction company to Freetown on stadium matters it MUST be to crush what we have now to build a brand new one. No more renovation.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (28/02/22)
