NEC ADDITONAL REGISTRATION - WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
The best thing for the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to do is to come out with a proper statement on the reports we are getting that 27,000 more people are to be registered or re-registered. All we know is that NEC has declared the registration business over; NEC has announced the provisional figures; NEC has facilitated the movement of some politicians to faraway Belgium to be part of the so-called matching process to fish out those who tried to rig the registration process by doing double-registration. So where is this report about twenty-seven thousand more people re-registering coming from?
We know that someone dug a huge registration hole in some part of the country, to favour a certain political party. The hope was to fill that hole with manufactured voters on November 17 and so influence the outcome of the elections. This will not work, friends.
We have to state once again, that at Politico, we have a lot of respect for institutions like NEC and we always try to support their work. However, we will not allow this attempt to subvert the will of the people to succeed. We shall return to this topic in a big way very soon. As always, we try very hard to satisfy all the demands of good journalism before publishing. We make no claims to infallibility, but soon the last chips will fall in place for a big story on NEC. Read Politico every week
AND...COMMISSIONER MATTIA DON’T PUSH YOUR LUCK TOO FAR
You know sir, we have been a little patient with you but it looks as if we are at the end of our tether and like all human beings we are reaching breaking point. We haven’t approached you on this matter but be warned that in the last month or so we’ve been briefed from time to time about partisan comments you always make to your subordinates. You know that the last thing you should do is give away your political preference while serving in that capacity.
Mattia you are supposed to be an experienced NEC man, perhaps the oldest person around in that NECK of the woods. You have no business discussing the future of VP Sam Sumana all the time with some of your junior officers; it’s just unethical, even wrong. We hold it there for now. We have been promised mobile phone recordings on this.
KONO ROAD - DE PA DAE CAM O!
In the past we have had cause to complain about the road between Bo and Mattru Jong and also between Bo and Gendema on the border with Liberia. The road between Matotoka and Kono also came under our radar not too long ago. This is not because we think the roads in places like Kamakwei and Kabala are like the Kambia road. It is because we are fed up with the people of Kono being treated like kids or even like fools.
The road has been totally impossible for a long time and whenever the people complain, some government press release is issued proclaiming that money is now in the bag and construction will begin soon. The people are sick and tired of this hide-and-seek method of governance.
During De Pa’s recent visit, the totally broke SLRA in their usual style hurriedly scattered red earth on the road and had some tractors run over it to give De Pa a far less bumpy ride than that ordinary people are used to as they go about their daily business. We wonder if this favourite SLRA tactic since Siaka Stevens is still useful and that even De Pa could fall for it.
The fact of the matter (IB Kargbo – style) is that in the case of Kono, since the departure of De Pa, it has rained cats and dogs and the water has washed away the red earth – things have gone worse. We received news of an accident involving a road transport bus and a trailer in the last few days. Accidents happen all the time but we believe the condition of the road played a part in this one. SLRA are only fooling themselves. The rest of us understand the trick and we will join the sensible people of Kono to shame them. Mark You! (again, IB Kargbo – style) De Pa will get a very bumpy ride in November because of this road.
...and ON THE BO KORIBONDO HIGHWAY
Does it really have to take a comment by Politico for Munda Rogers to work on the small stretch of the Bo – Koribondo highway? We mean just after Shellmingo. The people of that place have suffered for years as a result of neglect by Munda Rogers. He suddenly constructed a hotel just off the road and therefore felt compelled to do the road leading to his place.
When we visited a few weeks ago, we observed the situation and decided to complain very loudly about that injustice for that is all we could do to help.
We visited again last week and lo and behold, Munda has done some cosmetic surgery on the road to give the impression he cares. Come on man, we know what’s happening. Your resolve to do the right thing will be tested in the middle of July. You can be sure we will be there again.
OSWALD SAYS DE PA IS LIKE JESUS CHRIST
We have tried to ignore this issue since the new APC convert decided to go the way of Solomon Berewa by taking himself to the edge of blasphemy. We could have said outright blasphemy, but we are not members of a Sanhedrin. However, for what it’s worth, we want to urge Oswald not to compare ordinary mortals even in the most remote way with prophets of the living God. It’s in very bad taste, Mr. Hanciles.
The real issue with De Pa is that all the bad press he is getting is normally initiated by people on his staff. Just a few please: One of his officials once issued a statement saying the visiting UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon had supported the APC government’s quest to hold an inquest into the killing of Bambay Kamara others, the UN quickly rubbished the report; very recently a paper owned by a minister reported De Pa as having said that he was a Loko by tribe. Since then the issue has spiralled out of control and De Pa has been forced to threaten the media saying “the honeymoon is over.” What does that mean sir? The trouble is that you for look under you foot sir. That’s where it starts.
Imagine this new convert, Oswald Hancils, who like the guy in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart who wanted to prove to the white Missionaries that he was fully with them, killed the sacred python and in the process, “desecrated the land.” Our man wants to prove that his many articles about people with “APCistic” tendencies were just bad dreams that everybody must forget about because the true dream is – “THE NATURAL BORN LEADER” IS HERE FOR GOOD. We hear O!
COUNSELLOR AT LAST – KANU MANSARAY
So counsellor Kanu-Mansaray is finally on seat at the Freetown City Council? After months of go-kam tunmara, go-kam tumara, go-kam tumara, Kanu Mansaray can now start his one-man fight on behalf of the GREEN flag movement. GREEN flag people like this one-man thing eh? We remember their Secretary General doing that one-man demonstration against the AFRC, only for him to be arrested and thrown into prison.
We wish counsellor Mansaray well but to be realistic, the odds are really against this man. He has come to the place at a time when almost the entire top leadership is before a judge for alleged corruption; those running the show now are not even sure they will get their party symbols to contest not to talk about returning to office and when all is said and done, Kanu Mansaray knows he is only there for the symbolism of an SLPP man holding elective office in the Western Area after that wipe-out of 2007. Boys collect you allowance yah, nor fallah we.
SALONE PREMIER LEAGUE IS SUSPENDED; SORRY IT’S ON AGAIN
The first few matches of the second round of the Sierra Leone Premier League have just been played with predictable performances and results. But what was this nonsense about suspending the league all about? We have to say once again that the football loving people of Sierra Leone deserve better in terms of league organisation.
This FA has lost its way and must be hurriedly thrown out of office. That’s why a lot of people think Isha Johansen will need a miracle to win the election to the SLFA presidency after having received such public endorsement by the current FA executive. That was a truly false move.
What is the SLFA bus doing at the Law Court building? If we are not careful, we will wake up one morning to find the FA secretariat building uprooted and brought to the Law Court compound with all the officials locked up inside. They just can’t pay their debts.
ANSARUL CHILDREN POLITICISED
Whoever brought those innocent children to the street yesterday must be investigated and punished. Some toddlers from one Ansarul primary school were assembled at the Jomo Kenyatta Road-Kingharman Road intersection. They held placards one of which read: “President Ernest Koroma we dae for you tay go”. This is indoctrination! We understand that the school has been issued with eviction notice and all the authorities could do was to expose the kids to these Presidential Freebies that are going on and get the kids into politics. This is reprehensible!
