JULIUS MATTAI, SALONE HIGH PRIEST OF PATRIOTISM
When journalists turned up at that hastily organized government news conference at Radisson Blu the other day they thought it was one of those normal events where the government puts out information to the people through the media but it turned out to be a Julius Mattai show because he quickly convinced us of his hatred for the media. Well, he really hates that part of the media that disagrees with him.
In the days following that fiasco of a news conference, Julius Mattai’s impressive CV has appeared in many newspapers and on some blogs. Mr. Minister, you told us long ago that you are a highly educated man and you have always created the impression as if by agreeing to take the job offered to you by your classmate, the whole country owes you a debt of gratitude. When Sierra Leoneans voted for Principal in 2018 and again in 2023, they didn’t bargain for this level of arrogance.
Here’s Julius Mattai in his own words attacking the media.
JULIUS MATTAI - It saddens me sometimes when I read newspapers and find out the way people are reporting things in a reckless way…I will not blame anybody…
The high priest of patriotism is describing the Sierra Leone media as RECKLESS. This is so unfair that we have no option but to ask Julius Mattai to withdraw his words and apologize to the journalists in this country who have served this country even in the most difficult of times when Julius Mattai was living the good life in other countries. We will not even understand that weak attempt by one of the people on that panel to say Mattai meant only a section of the media.
The only reason Mattai calls journalists reckless is because a large segment of the media recently called on the government to respect the agreement they signed on our behalf with Arise IIP.
That agreement was signed on our behalf by the government we elected. What is wrong with the media asking for detailed information as to why the government was pulling out just months after Principal made that big announcement in Songo? And what is wrong with the media pressing the matter, usually hard in the face of the government refusing to tell the people what was really going on? Why did you then decide to call that so-called news conference? Clearly you were attempting to explain away what the government did with your advice but your strategy to bully the media into silence failed woefully. The people are more confused today than before you called us to Radisson.
Julius Mattai we are not RECKLESS sir. We are only doing what the law permits us to. We are not always in suit like you but we are qualified professionals contributing our own quota to the development aspirations of this country.
I’ve been hearing about people going… I don’t know whether it’s a pilgrimage to Gabon or Benin
Come on Julius Mattai! You mean you call a reporting trip a pilgrimage? From your CV you are an educated man so you were only trying to demean the fact that Arise IIP took some of our colleagues to Gabon and Benin to see their operations. That’s totally unacceptable. What is so strange about a corporate house taking journalists out to showcase their investment priorities and achievements? So when journalists travel with Joe Biden on Air Force One to some world event in the interest of great America we should call that a pilgrimage. How many of such trips have you been on since you landed at the National Mineral Agency? Please tell us.
For those who’ve been talking about passenger rails on those tracks, except you want to commit suicide, you’re welcome
We do not question Julius Mattai’s brilliance in what he is doing. In fact his classmate realized all those years ago that he was an intelligent guy and rightly decided to call him into governance on day one of his administration but maybe his classmate should tell him now that PUBLIC SPEAKING is NOT his strongest attribute. You were so condescending towards journalists at that so-called news conference that it was an absolute miracle that the journalists didn’t walk out. You even launched an unprovoked and unnecessary attack on Arise IIP who were absent in the room – telling them they cannot even ride a toy train on a table. Is that how a minister talks to a company bringing millions of US dollars to create jobs in this land that we love?
Isn’t it possible to professionally disagree with people and institutions without attacking and trying to ridicule them in public?
We are now preparing a full transcript of Julius Mattai’s appearance in parliament before the election just to nail our point that he should NEVER face the public for anything because every time he does that he sends out the wrong signal about the government’s attitude to potential investors in the crucial mining sector.
Whether he remains in government is up to his classmate but he will struggle to bring journalists to any future news conference. By the way, can we now describe the section of the media that has since been carrying his syndicated write up backed by his CV as RECKLESS? We are just trying to see if Julius Mattai’s description of those who disagree with him fits those who ADORE him. We will be back.
THE SALONE PREMIER LEAGUE IS BACK
We humbly ask the SLFA and the Premier League Board to allow us to call their project this way for the last time because we understand it’s now called LEONE ROCK PREMIER LEAGUE because the Chinese Iron Ore Miner has bought the right to this brand. We witnessed a bit of controversy about that as some people complained that what they paid to brand our national football league was chicken feed. We agree with that viewpoint but we appreciate the fact that at least Leone Rock was the only ones sufficiently interested to put their money where our mouths are.
Anyway, we are looking forward to a great league because we believe it affords us an opportunity to completely change our current national squad. Our national team is not good enough to win anything and we are bold to tell our SLFA to urgently bring in a better coach as the league gets underway because we are confident that new players are coming up and they need a good coach to work with them. We have nothing against Amidu Karim but he is definitely NOT the man to take us to the desired NEXT LEVEL.
As the league gets underway we have a few points to put on the table
1. Fans and spectators are not going to encourage the kind of atrocious referring and brinkmanship we witnessed during the last league. Referees and match officials should be people with unimpeachable integrity.
2. We don’t want to hear any talk about INELIGIBLE players entering the field of play. This is perhaps the only country where people are still talking about such nonsense. Once registration is closed please publish the names of all players in their teams for all to see.
3. The SLFA should work with the police and judiciary to BAN people who instigate and take part in violence at football matches from all Leone Rock League matches. We are fed up with violence because it’s causing innocent people a lot of pain and giving us a bad name.
We are looking forward to good football despite the fact that it’s almost impossible to topple BO RANGERS. EE LIONS is going to push them all the way but BO RANGERS is just too organized and powerful to bring down. We are prepared to be wrong.
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