PRESIDENTIAL FREEBIES GALORE
Huh! We have just come through a week in which De Pa demonstrated extraordinary acts of ‘generosity’ ...well on the face of it, that’s what we want to encourage ourselves to believe. First the DJs came along and took their share, the Traders followed closely behind, Dollar Boys collected some green backs, Okada boys couldn’t decide what they wanted – the fuel paid for by De Pa at one petrol station in the west of Freetown or raw cash (some collected money others fuel) and great FC Kallon collected one hundred million leones for playing out a drab 90 minutes or so with a hapless Warri Boys team from Nigeria. We also hear that so-called SUPPORT GROUPS are springing up all over the place. There are even people with banners close to the Saint Augustine’s Church at Hill Station daily just to catch the eye of De Pa – Pa you borbor den daeyar.
The more we hear and see these things, the more we feel a sense of déjà vue. In 2007, Solomon Berewa had zillions of support groups and we were told that he gave out ten thousand leones and a SUPPORT BEREWA T-shirt to anyone who turned up at his Spur Road lodge. By the look of things, De Pa is doing far better than SOLO B. But more money more problem?
We have nothing against people who think they are smart, doing a few undignified manoeuvres to get a few extra pennies including just shouting NAR U as De Pa’s motorcade rolls by. Or De Pa dae Wok! We just feel we should ask questions around whether November 17 will not be decided by these endless freebies. Let’s be honest, the danger does exist.
At which point will the nation be able to draw a line between ‘Presidential Generosity’ and Vote Buying. We should probably ask old man Wade who reportedly dished out money like a mad man. Will the PPRC please do something decisive about campaign financing quickly?
IG MUNU, ANY BOMBS IN YOUR ARSENAL?
Inspector General of Police Munu again! He is a nice guy but Salone police being what it is, he is getting increasingly rattled. He told the BBC this week that there were no bombs in the controversial arms purchase to police the November polls. Asked whether grenades were not bombs as they were part of the consignment, he emmed and erred and muffled and stumbled and jumbled and wobbled….then he said they were for Alqaeda in the Islamic Maghreb PLUS Salone. Bombs for SLP. Then we should get WMDs for RSLAF when they get called on under the MAC-P concept. Lorda mercy! ONLY in Salone.
LIVE FIRE AT OKADA DEMO IN KENEMA
Munu has already used part of the arsenal he brought in recently against pupils of Ahmadiyya secondary school in Kenema and OKADA riders. It was scary...the police pumped live bullets and tear gas in a manner reminiscent of January 6 1999 when rebels not paid by the taxpayer and protecting no constitution and rights of people, invaded Freetown
We are still trying to put our fingers on the reason why people now take the law into their own hands all the time instead of bringing in the police. For two days, large parts of Kenema town were put out of action by OKADA boys who were trying to burn down Ahmadiyya School because pupils of the school had chased and allegedly stabbed to death an alleged hit-and-run OKADA rider. The boys confronted the police despite live rounds being fired in the air.
Kenema is a volatile place. Guns and tear gas are not enough...the police need to do something more. It’s not for us to say what that is.
KING HERMAN ROAD HOSPITAL
The satellite hospital at King Herman road needs a lot of attention and proper management. The place is extremely filthy, infested with mosquito and short on basic drugs even those that should be available on the free health care åto face people like us who have always called their attention to cockroaches and rats, dirty linens and over-flowing bin bags at the clinic.
This is a very important facility. It’s serving many people – the Brookfields community alone is enough to overwhelm the staff. Add people coming from as far afield as New England and Dwozark and you have a real problem to deal with. If the government can do forcible acquisition along Wilkinson Road, it can do the same near the hospital by extending the building and improving facilities at this hospital.
First step Madam Minister, HawaBangura...clean the hospital up. It’s one thing wearing expensive so-called Bamako robes, chasing and abusing badly paid and ill-motivated “sleeping nurses” at the Ola During hospital. But it’s another to improve their working conditions both in terms of their pay and the environment in which they work.
AMBASSADOR JOHN LEIGH SIGNS UP FOR THE REDS
Red t-shirts are running out. So guys are streaming in for theirs before the sub bench is exhausted. So we welcome home Oga John. This man still has some fire in his belly. He was on radio the other day telling us why he thinks De Pa is the best man and why we should avoid Bio who has “blood on his hands”. We hear you Oga. But you know sir, we wonder what difference your membership of the APC will make to De Pa’s chances in seven months time. And your reply to one of the questions was that you will remember your supporters if bettehfalla you usai you dae go. So this is about you? We thought this was about serving the nation on the APC ticket. Oga John you have no political supporters around you – the evidence is there, from Makeni to Youyi building in Freetown. Politics, they say, is about numbers but Oga John you are one man with a burning desire to milk state money for yourself and your “supporters”. After many years in Obama Land and approaching God’s THREE SCORES AND TEN mandatory age requirement, we can understand why you believe you must make your move now. Shakespeare says in Julius Caesar “...there’s a tide in the affairs of men...” No problem bro. “...take the current when it serves or lose your ventures.” May be next time you will be lucky to have two votes in your quest to lead the SLPP – or maybe the APC. This time, third time lucky!
LUMLEY BEACH KILLINGS
Whatever happened to that case involving those musicians who are accused of causing the death of innocent Sierra Leoneans on Lumley Beach on that fateful Saturday morning? It started with a lot of hype...bail was denied BIG FISH and LAJ and so on. Now things have gone very quiet. Politico has put two journalists on that story so that we keep it in public view for very good reasons. In an election year, don’t rule out anything. Even Big Men asking the police IG to defy carrying out an eviction order by a court of law if only to get votes. Hahahahahaha! Salone me land! Courtesy Kool Don Kay.
MPs AND THEIR CAR LICENSE PLATES
We’ve been wondering why our MPs decided so late in the day that they have to be different from ordinary folks like us who use the normal car license plates. The status symbol has been with them for just a little while and the life of parliament will come to an end sometime in August. Will they continue to use those license plates when their term ends? A good many of them will not return to that House forever because some will be rejected by their own parties, others will face the people in much the same way as Abdoulaye Wade.
We also notice that the Chinese are almost completing the office block for MPs. Forget it, many will not enter that building as MPs. We are prepared to bet our bottom penny that many of them didn’t say a word in Parliament throughout the last five years. Their own was merely to shout support for the party position or walk out of debates, leaving the ruling party and what was left of the PMDC to hammer away at mining bills and money requests on Certificate of Urgency sent by De Pa, except for the FOI bill. Hehehe. This unnecessary display of power and wealth turns a lot of people off, to be honest. But unago learn!
