HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR DEAR LEADER OF THE GREAT TANGERINE PARTY
Well, well, well, Politico has was not invited to the celebrations marking the 70th birthday of our dear leader of the Tangerine Movement which was yesterday 19th August. We spent the whole day expecting a messenger to come through our doors with a card but as it turned out, we weren't part of the chosen few. Anyway, we wish our leader the very best. We wish him the very best and pray he lives for many more years.
You see, we have a lot of respect for a man who has served this country for almost all his adult life, sometimes selflessly. He has groomed many young people and is still doing so. Thank you sir. We should just drop this gentle hint that next year, invited or not, we would turn up and crash our way in. What are friends for?
The real reason we wanted to attend the party was to help our dear leader open up his presents particularly his birthday cards so that we would read out the nice words from friends and admirers. However, our reporter who employed the subterfuge strategy that is so popular with investigative journalists was at the event and in fact took a look at the birthday cards sent by the following people.
1. AG Frank Kargbo wrote: "Happy birthday my big bro. I wish you all the best. I don't really understand why we fought that bitter public war recently. Some of what you wrote are true but you like to stretch things. Anyway, let's move on. In fact a good contact has told me I am up for the sack in the coming re-shuffle. Good luck."
2. De Pa - "Hi buddy...congratulations on this important day in your life. You have attained the biblical three score and ten years. Praise God. I will see you just before the next election -2018, who knows, we may need you again. God Bless."
3. Kamarainba "Good day great leader. Happy birthday to you. Wish you all the best. You are my political role model. I pray that one day I will be as powerful as you. But I will surely win the presidency. All the best."
What is all this? O God, we've been dreaming in broad daylight. Sorry people. Don't mind us.
TRANSFER DEADLINE LOOMS BUT WHAT'S THE STORY SO FAR?
Hundreds of millions of US dollars are on the move between clubs and countries for the services of footballers in the major leagues of Europe. The so-called transfer market has gone really mad, even corrupt. Players' agents, coaches, journalists and those of us who pay for satellite TV and spend hours watching the game have encouraged all this. The cash so far spent is enough to change Sierra Leone forever - well, that's if we are able to keep those who stole the Ebola money far from every penny.
As usual ARSENE WENGER is trying to be clever. The Arsenal coach thinks he can rely on Alexi Sanchez and win the EPL. Sanchez is a fantastic player but Arsenal needs two more players of his quality to win something other than the FA Cup. He should simply sell the sleeping Mesut Ozil and get players who know what they want.
BRENDAN ROGERS is serving his last year at Liverpool. He has bought many players but from what we've seen so far, he needs magic to meet the expectations of his employers. He might just be sacked by Christmas.
LOUIS VAN GALL is looking very shaky. He is still spending money but his team is woefully lacking in confidence. The fans of Manchester United are not likely to be too patient with his this time. They are watching the Champions League with keen interest. The Dutch guy who struggles all the time to sign players but continues to talk about "A PROCESS", must deliver very quickly. Umaru Fofana suspended his support for Man United during the last season. He appears to have crept back slowly under the cover of darkness. Come on bro!
JOSE MOURINHO has to come to terms with the fact that many managers and players are now familiar with his tactics both on and off the field. Chelsea are not going to have it easy time. Their poor start says nothing as far as the twists and turns of the notoriously unpredictable premier league is concerned. But they normally start early.
Chelsea's back line is growing old. Ivanovic and Terry who were a kind of Rock of Gibraltar are looking vulnerable. We believe Mourinho will soon go into the transfer market but to what end.
MANUEL PELLEGRINI is looking very assured but his expensive but aging squad is not likely to hold firm through all competitions this year. Some would burn out. His defence line is more about power than skill. Apart from Bakary Sagna, the rest are power men. And they have just signed Velencia's Ottamendi, another power man. Clichy has neither power nor skills. He should move on.
Considered against the others, Pellegrini looks promising. But that's what we said last year. Let the ball roll.
AGBA KHOLIFA, WHERE HAVE ALL OUR PASSPORTS GONE SIR?
How did we get the point of not being able to get new passports or renew those we already have to travel? Is this a way of keeping everybody at home - Soviet-style or the result of bureaucratic delays arising from total incompetence? Why is Agba Kholifa still in office? This guy ought to have been sacked since he entangled himself with that traffic warden called Musa Kamara. Is he a SACRED COW?
The lack of passports has embarrassed many Sierra Leoneans. For example:
1. There are business people who have lost plenty of cash because they can't travel for meetings with business partners
2. Many students are missing classes in overseas Universities because there is no travel document
3. Sick people wanting to get medical help outside ECOWAS are stuck
4. Families in Sierra Leone can't be reunited with those abroad for graduations or weddings - such great family events.
LIVING IN FREETOWN'S MANY SLUMS IN JULY AND AUGUST
Those who live in comfortable housing on the hills overlooking Freetown should spare a thought for their countrymen and women who have to make do with the worse dwellings in the world, in places like Kroo Bay and Susan's Bay. Life is tough in those places. The last we time checked, there were nine of such places along the Freetown Bay and just below the hills of Freetown.
It's only when people visit those places that they realise how unequal a society like Sierra Leone is; how poor and hopeless many people are.
But for the big guys, they couldn't care less. Otherwise they would have done something about Kroo Bay. All they do is wait for five years and flood the place with cash, bags of rice and cheap alcohol. Next minute the people deliver the votes and dance all day and night. They then wake up in the morning to discover that all the politicians are gone for another five years. When will these people teach lying politicians a serious lesson at the polls?
Even in normal times, Kroo Bay people are busy fighting for living space with their pigs. Most of the rubbish in Freetown is emptied at Kroo Bay. All kinds of anti-social activities and crimes are common in places like Kroo Bay. How come nobody is doing something about that?
The NGOs too are getting in on the action. They pretend that their job is to end poverty but in reality they need the Kroo Bays of this world so that they can continue writing project proposals about this and that to get money from unsuspecting groups abroad. We know where much of that cash goes. Long Live Sierra Leone! Maybe we should start our own NGO. OK, let's call it HUMANITARIANS FOR A BETTER WORLD. Sounds great eh? We shall operate from a virtual office.
(C) Politico 25/08/15
