POLICE SHOOT TO KILL: HOW MANY MORE TO DIE?
We are compelled once again to make a comment about the performance of the Sierra Leone Police following the shooting dead of another Sierra Leonean at Lumley Beach. All the police have said so far is that the deceased had a pistol with which they allege he was threatening ordinary people. Surely that was a matter for the police, but we demand a lot more by way of explanation right now.
Relatives of the deceased have questioned the circumstances under which the man was killed and somebody must listen to them and address their concerns. It’s not enough for the police to paint the man as a mad person that was threatening passers-by.
We are extremely glad that efforts to put in place an Independent Police Complaints Committee have gathered pace.
We need our police to tell us why those terrorists who killed that British soldier in London are still alive while they (SLP) cut down a man alleged to be carrying a gun in such a manner. Imagine what would have happened if it was the SLP that found that Boston Terrorist hiding in a boat. Even the boat would have been smashed.
The police spokesman was on radio talking about their rules of engagement. It’s a pity that by the nature of his job, he is made to defend such horrible actions. He wasn’t convincing at all. We remember what the police said after the Bumbuna killing. The Human Rights Commission report on that incident is very clear. Damning!
In recent times our police have killed a few people too many. This last case must be properly investigated and the public told what actually happened. We believe that the deceased could have been put out of action without being killed. We have many examples to point to when police have dealt with far more dangerous people without killing them. It’s not right.
HURRICANE MUSA TARAWALLIE DESTROYS KENEMA
The people of Kenema are reeling from the destruction caused by HURRICANE MUSA TARAWALLIE which completely destroyed its central business district. The hurricane brought aliens wielding machetes and clubs to Kenema and unleashed them on the people. The destruction was widespread.
Our understanding is that representatives of the people met with the hurricane and asked for a period of grace to allow them move their wares and evacuate the area so that the hurricane could make land fall with no difficulty. The hurricane agreed but went back on his word and unleashed aliens high on marijuana and cheap alcohol manufactured by Punjab Distilleries. They systematically destroyed market stalls and stole goods from defenseless people.
Meanwhile the hurricane hurriedly passed over the much more powerful and affluent community of Abacha Street without anyone noticing. The people there are well trained in taking shelter in their politically-correct bunker where even power-drunk ministers are too scared to enter.
We understand that the defenseless people of Kenema are on their way to court to ask whether the hurricane got a court order before it lashed their town. They will seek compensation for loss of earning and inhuman treatment at the hands of the hurricane. Some asked: What about Makeni, Port Loko, Kono, Bo, Kambia and…? Why not Rogbaneh Road which is worse in terms of street trading than anywhere else outside Freetown?
ACC PROSECUTORS FAIL AGAIN: WHAT NEXT, HOW NEXT?
The ACC definitely doesn’t like people saying this but as citizens it’s our business to ask tough questions when things continuously go against our interest. Our interest is to end corruption so that our taxes and monies we get from friends abroad will be put into proper use for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.
We set the ACC to catch and deal with those who steal from their grandchildren and to help design measures to make it impossible for people to steal. We agreed to pay the head of the commission a huge amount of money and the prosecutors are very highly and well paid. But we are sorry to announce that in recent times the ACC has been receiving too many bloody noses in court. They have just lost another landmark case and in a now familiar pattern, they have given an indication they will appeal.
The Allieu Sesay case is still not complete. The former Mayor almost slipped through the net. Sarah Bendu is back at work having been cleared. And a few other cases, including the now famous Gavi Alliance case, are looking shaky in terms of the ACC securing a conviction.
The ACC have always told us they wouldn't go to court if they didn’t have good evidence. So what is happening? Or is the judiciary itself in need of a real anti-corruption swoop? It should not be difficult for a thorough ACC to provide an answer for that last question.
Now if Bra Josie loses another case, he should consider leaving. We know the cash is big but we can’t go on like this. He should shake up his prosecutors and get the best out of them. We will not listen to any complaints about the judiciary being this or that or "my confidence has been shaken".
The ACC must win the two appeals against Allieu Sesay and Momoh Konteh otherwise our patience will run out. We plead with the Court of Appeal to hear these cases now.
UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE FAILS
We respect and appreciate the role of the University of Sierra Leone in shaping the nation’s human resource. Despite the odds, its dedicated teachers have performed exemplarily in that regard. However, there is a lot the USL must learn from even much younger tertiary institutions some of whose leaders it helped shape. Recently, a meeting in Bo of all tertiary institutions to have a performance benchmark left a lot of rotten eggs splattered on the face of the USL. All tertiary institutions, including some whose existence is suspect, presented their plan. The USL failed abysmally to present theirs. First they were supposed to do so on the first day, as a mark of respect for being the first in the country. They asked that they be shifted to the final day. Come did the final day. NO WAY! So having failed to plan, is the USL not also planning to fail?
DEPUTY EDUCATION MINISTER DISRESPECTS PRINCIPALS
The time has come for Deputy Education Minister Mahmoud Tarawallie to relax for a while and reflect on whether copying the abrasive style of SAJ Musa in state administration is the best way to go. He is developing a reputation as a man who would say things and act before thinking about the consequences.
When he met JSS principals and teachers at Rokel Secondary School recently, he blamed them for all the problems in the schools and accused them of “sitting on their oars” waiting for him to solve their problems for them. The minister said whenever he turned up in a school and checked the register, he would find out that some teachers were absent and the principals were unable to account for them. He said that’s why “I sometimes tell them to shut up in front of the pupils”. Serious stuff!
We hold no brief for the school authorities because we know of some odd things that happen in our schools. But surely that is not the way a minister deals with such issues. Some of those principals were in the classroom before the minister was born. Doesn’t Tarawallie think they deserve some respect even for that alone?
The problems in the education system will not be solved by threats and rough language and disrespect for the key stakeholders. Minkailu Bah spent five years chasing ghosts only to produce a list the falsely criminalised genuine teachers who’ve been managing a broken education system.
We warn the SAJ Musa clone to behave himself. There is more to life than being a minister. We have seen many such ministers who are today looking for friends to hang out with.
SLBC DIRECTOR GENERAL IS MISSING IN ACTION, AGAIN
Diplomats don’t touch too much but if the German ambassador decides to open up about the presentation he made to the SLBC on Friday, he will say how disappointed he was with the way the Director General of the SLBC and his senior management staff treated him. The ambassador used the occasion of the annual IMC awards to present a fantastic collection of rare Sierra Leonean and other African music to the state broadcaster. The SLBC lost its sound archive when rebels burned down the library in the closing stages of this country’s civil war.
Gbanabom was absent. Somebody whispered to us that he was attending to a sick relative. We wish that relative speedy recovery. His deputy was also missing in action. All his senior management officials, absent. So the German ambassador stood on the stage alone and made a brief speech. Then the MCs called out “any representative from the SLBC”. A man with his shirt hanging over his trousers emerged from the crowd and attempted to thank the ambassador for the CDs.
After rambling a few sentences for about two minutes he said something to the effect that the ambassador should not “consider the CDs as anything subversive” but a worthwhile gift to the people of Sierra Leone. “Subversive”? What was the guy really thinking? Anyway, the guy was totally unprepared for such high profile event.
The ambassador left quietly after that and only a few people took notice. The whole SLBC management must go to the ambassador’s office soon with a letter of apology.
We wonder if those precious materials are safe in the hands of SLBC alone.
