Politicotorial

The nation was shocked to learn on Friday 6 July about the death of the First Mother, Mrs Alice Rosaline Koroma. Aged 83 years. Grandchildren who lose their octogenarian grandmother would usually beat drums and dance her remains to the grave. But Mrs Koroma was a different grannie. She was, in fact, a mother.

It is shocking – the level of vicious attacks, vilification and smearing that takes place in some sections of our local media. Interestingly some of these spurious writings have been aimed at Politico or its journalists. If we need to say this again, here it is: WE WILL NEVER RESPOND TO THEM because they are a distraction to a serious cause of addressing those things affecting the welfare of our state and our people be they educated or uneducated, compromised or not, the rulers or the ruled.

We are still shocked and feel overawed by a statement made by President Ernest Bai Koroma last month that the HONEYMOON with journalists was or would soon be over.

Was there no irony lost in the president that he was making such a statement at an Open Government Initiative programme and that one of the cardinal principles of open governance is journalists’ ability to have unfettered access to information and to practice their trade without being intimidated by no less a person than the elected President of a country?

The one-day visit today to Sierra Leone by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)may not be unprecedented but is certainly a watershed. Apart from its obvious significance that the most important organ of the world body is visiting our country, it is further testament to the continued commitment of the UN to Sierra Leone.

The UN spent billions of US dollars on what was its largest peacekeeping mission in the world at the time – 17,800 troops – to help end the war, which was achieved in 2002. Since the war ended it has spent billions more in post-conflict reconstruction.

Politicotorial

The issue of the long drawn-out Freedom of Information Bill is embarrassing us as a nation. The stop-start nature or even the complete stall of the process is incomprehensible. May be nonsensical. No Member of Parliament has the conviction of their conviction to tell the people of this nation why such a progressive piece of legislation, which has been promised and assured the people of this nation, is still covered with dust in the House. Years on!

The loss being incurred by businesspeople through the erratic service and, sometimes, complete breakdown of the three mobile phone companies in Sierra Leone, is indescribably galling. The suffering and inconvenience visited upon other mobile phone subscribers is nauseatingly sickening.

"High we exalt thee realm of the free; Great is the love we have for thee; Firmly united ever we stand; Singing they praise oh native land;...Land that we love our Sierra Leone". How often do we sing these words! How less often do we really mean them! How many times do we actually remember them!