AFTER THE RAGING FIRES COMES THE WORST PRESS RELEASE IN OUR TIME
Two government institutions recently decided to do something about the many fire incidents in the city. The Freetown Fire Force and the Ministry of Internal Affairs met for some hours and then issued a press release saying among other things that, "although there are over (10) ten operational hydrants in the city, they can be made operational only when water is supplied in the area where they are located." So we ask: are they really hydrants? Just look at two of the resolutions from that meeting as published in a few newspapers.
1. "With immediate effect the National Fire Force must enlist the support of the Guma Valley Water Company and SALWACO in fighting fire outbreaks."
Politico - Is this why a meeting had to be called? We wonder how much money was spent on drinks and snacks for such a meeting. Whose support does the Fire Force require in fighting fires? The SLFA?
2. "The National Fire Force should immediately alert Guma Valley Water Company about the area where the fire outbreak has occurred so that Guma Valley Water Company can take appropriate action/put some measures in place to make the hydrant in the affected area functional."
Politico - How funny. So when fire breaks out, the first thing the Fire Force should do is call GVWC for them to "take appropriate action/put some measures in place to make the hydrant in the affected area functional."? With this, we can only say that we now understand why the Fire Force is as hopeless as a customer in a barber's chair.
ON AIR WITH PROF. MARCO ON MANKNEH RADIO IN THE SEAT OF POWER
Next time you visit the SEAT of POWER, otherwise known as Makeni, remember to tune in to the late night show on Radio Mankneh done by a man called Prof. Marco. It's not the best late night radio program in the world, but it makes good listening. Especially if you are not hanging out in one of those sleazy night clubs in the town.
Prof. Marco is building a reputation as a broadcaster who is willing and able to ask the really tough questions in a community where such attitudes are not particularly encouraged. We spent about three hours listening to Prof. Marco last weekend and generally, he did a good job. And for the first two hours, we really enjoyed his musical interlude which was mostly 1970s Congolese rumba by LipuaLipua and other bands.
We picked out a few issues Prof. Marco dealt with: apossibly flawed sub-chieftaincy election, delays and possible corruption in the renewal and issuance of drivers' licenses and free speech question in Magburaka town after fifteen minutes from Makeni.
On the license issue, we still can't understand why all the delays in renewals and fresh registrations. We really can't.
We have no evidence to accuse any official of corruption but we totally agree with most of the callers who complained about the operations of THIRD PARTIES in the renewals game. They increase the cost of the process and sometimes they are totally incompetent.
The caller who complained about lack of free speech in Magburaka and political intimidation should know that we share his pain. He even called for a new radio station to be set up to end the monopoly of SLBC and their politically-correct broadcasting. Is anybody listening? Anyway, good programme Prof.
JOURNALISTS IN NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR DE PA
Despite the recent jailing of their colleague, journalists organised themselves into a kind of mass choir and paid an unannounced visit to the residence of De Pa to do Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas. Anyway, this was really not a Christmas Carol service, the hidden agenda was to experience De Pa's life-changing left hand jabs that people say normally comes from underneath his desk. But all the journalists who signed up for the event were warned to behave themselves as the official SLAJ choirmaster conducted business.
The singing was badly out of tune and from the first few minutes De Pa was not impressed. But he played along. After twenty minutes, he was clearly fed up with the whole thing. He whispered in the ears of one of his men, who in turn told the choirmaster that his boss would like to withdraw from the program.
Just then four young ladies emerged with bottles of red wine for each of the choristers. But there was no movement to the left by De Pa. At this time, the journalists were singing While Sheppards Watched their Flocks by Night - watching De Pa next moves. When De Pa waved good bye without doing the left turn, the choir burst into SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT, ALL IS BRIGHT ALL IS CALM, knowing now that De Pa had not been amused and no lives were going to be changed that evening.
Desperation was setting in. At that point, about half a dozen journalists from the radical fringe group that calls itself Renaissance Journalists broke away from the choir and started singing, GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, OVER THE HILLS AND EVERYWHERE. But they changed certain lines to readTHAT THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSION AND CERTAINLY NO THIRD TERM.
….When we woke up from a very sound sleep. Yeah this was all just a Christmas DREAM.
HAPPY NEW YEAR ISHA JOHANSEN. HAPPY NEW YEAR SALONE FOOTBALL
We don't know where this tradition of giving New Year speeches and making resolutions come from. We've been trying to find out. Meanwhile, we've received quite a few this year - some we simply tossed into the trash bin, a few others we enjoyed reading, particularly the one from the lady FIFA describes as president of the Sierra Leone Football Association, Isha Johansen.
Just a quick word for her Public Relations people. For us, the picture of Johansen carrying a baby on top of the page of that message, didn't quite work out. She is a very good mother - we know that. But to use that picture just to symbolise REBIRTH in football is a little ELABORATE.Is this really a rebirth? Anyway we have a few comments to make on certain portions of the speech. We quote from the MADAM.
Isha Johansen - My pride was of a Sierra Leonean who against all the odds stacked up against a football association deprived of financial support from its government to participate in international competitions, she with the FA and not least a bunch of incredibly brave and patriotic young players engaged in every single competition on the FIFA and CAF calendar and they played with every single national pride they had in their human frame.
Politico - First of all, we are very surprised that you used the word DEPRIVED to illustrate what the government is supposed to have done or not done with the national team. Our understanding is that government spends huge amounts of money on our national football teams. In fact it was somehow ridiculous that the Sport Minister and some of his staff traveled with the team to pay allowances and bonuses. It was untidy but the money came from the government. Can you please take a second look at that word DEPRIVE?
We don't want to criticise our players. They did their best under the circumstances but the results were disgraceful. And the fact that some of the countries we played against ended up providing some of the welfare needs of our teamswas a little too hard to take. Look at what happened when Kambui Eagles betrayed their own consciences and landed in Algeria for a CAF tournament.
Isha Johansen - Finally, the pledge for 2016. I would like to take this opportunity of making this pledge as a mother and president of SLFA that there will be a REBIRTH of Football in Sierra Leone. Change, Good Governance, Integrity and confidence into football administration will be restored back into our football.Football is not about rhetoric. What you put into football is exactly the result you will get. Peace does not come with a price tag or conditions. Not in football.
Politico - These are very good lines for newspapers but given our experience with New Year Resolutions, we have no reason to be enthusiastic. How can you proclaim a REBIRTH only for Sierra Leoneans to wake up to an announcement from your own members that they would organise their own football league. Isn't that your CORE FUNCTION?
You see, when Johansen talks about "Change, Good Governance, Integrity and confidence into football administration will be restored back into our football", we can’t help but ask about the situation of those football stakeholders you jointly accused of corrupting the game and causing their suspension from football. You promised an inquiry but more than a year later, the people are still suffering reputational damage, no inquiries. You have suspended others only recently. Do you understand why we say there can be no REBIRTH without justice?
Happy New Year anyway.
(C) Politico 13/01/16
