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ENERGY MINISTER FACES BLACKOUT IN PARLIAMENT

Aso Rock couldn't have been more embarrassed than turning up in parliament for his confirmation hearing as Minister of Energy only for the lights to go out in the middle of the event. Welcome to Freetown. Electricity is an absolute luxury for millions of Sierra Leoneans. We are right back in the period just before the election that brought De Pa to power in 2007 in terms of electricity supply.

ARE WE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING CORRUPTION?

Ask De Pa about his commitment to the fight against corruption in high places and he will be very happy to talk to you about his "toughest" anti-corruption legislation in the world; the fact that the ACC can now prosecute their own cases and indeed the arrest and trial of some of his friends. That's not bad, is it?

AS IT IS WITH ENERGY, SO SHALL IT BE WITH WORKS MINISTRY

When De Pa finally moved to reorganise his cabinet, the whole thing ended in an absolute damp squib. Well to be honest, we didn't expect anything spectacular. We've been with De Pa for seven years now and we know the factors he considers in appointing people to high office. Just look around. Newspaper people like writing big speculative copies about cabinet reshuffle and all that, but look at what we have here.

ASO ROCK COMES TO TOWN: BUT FOR HOW LONG?

At last De Pa has appointed a group of people to run the beleaguered Ministry of Energy. The man from ASO ROCK is now the minister. Recent events have caused many to have mixed feelings about the choice of ASO ROCK for this job. We are looking carefully at the reasons behind De Pa's choices. There are some indications but please bear with us until we conclude our investigations.

ISSUING EXECUTIVE ORDERS: THE PEOPLE'S CONCERNS

We honestly need some education on this matter of De Pa issuing Executive Orders. We know he has enormous powers conferred on him by the constitution. We know he could move mountains as long as those mountains are found within the borders of this Land That We Love. But the same constitution puts limits on those powers. In some cases those powers are exercised by other people by means of statutory regulations.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIERRA LEONE AND COSTA RICA?

"The worship of the image of the president is over, at least under my government," say Luis Guillermo Solis, the new President of Costa Rica.

WITH CATHEDRAL NOW GONE, MIGHT DE PA RE-VISIT THE ANNIE WALSH?

With the Annie Walsh Memorial School, the Anglican Church in Sierra Leone stood firm against a government proposal to turn the place into another Bombay Street market. We applauded that because even if the school was moved, we didn't believe it should be replaced by a market - the type proposed by the government. So well-done The Annie Walsh.