BAYUKU, PRINCE OF KOINADUGU CLIMBS THE PALM TREE
Going, going, going, gone! Frankly it was only a matter of time before Bayuku turned up as a fully paid-up patron of the ruling Green Camp. He is a really interesting politician who started out in the Red Camp as chairman of the Koinadugu District Council and then a Minister of Tourism in the Red era, before he controversially left the government. We still don’t know whether he was sacked or he resigned.
The ACC became interested in him only to issue a statement later saying they found nothing against the Prince. He was already very angry with the way he was treated.
The Prince flirted with the Green Camp as the nation prepared for elections in 2018 before joining the KKY Movement. Surely now, Bayuku is a Green Camp man. And this time he invited the world to Kabala to see him declare his love for the Palm Tree.
The point is we have seen this before in Sierra Leone. Nothing strange! But we take it as part of our duty to the good people of this country to make the following points.
1. Let nobody even try to convince us that Prince Bayuku’s political train has come to a halt. It hasn’t. The train originated from the Red Station, and then it passed through the multi-colored station of KKY and now it has arrived at the Green Station. This train could definitely be on the move when that time comes.
2. We warn that the practice of playing the national anthem on radio before making a speech is reserved for the president of the nation. It was done a lot in Kabala many years ago when the Prince was the boss there. No more of that please.
3. The political transfer window is well and truly open but the Green Camp should be careful with the new players they sign. Some are even offering their services for free. Keep your eyes wide open, guys.
4. The first major test for Prince Bayuku is coming in Bafodia. The Green Camp may not take that constituency but if their share of the vote doesn’t improve drastically, questions must be asked.
5. This move by Prince Bayuku is really about securing his place in government. That’s all.
IPAM ADMINISTRATORS PLEASE REFUND ADMISSION FEES
We really don’t know why we are still talking about the refund of monies paid by students of state Universities for admission forms when the government has dealt with this issue a long ago. We say so because even as we speak there are many students at IPAM in particular who have not received their refunds. Is it that the college administration is challenging the authority of the New Direction or are they simply overwhelmed?
The whole nation saw a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance detailing all the monies paid to the Universities as refunds of the money they generated from the sale of admission forms, so why should anybody think they will be allowed to keep the cash. IPAM may not be alone in this but we have received several complaints from their students who have no idea when they will be able to collect their cash from the college administration.
The New Direction actually wanted to put money back directly into the pockets of hardworking families who are doing everything possible to send their children to college and not to create a slush fund for some administrators to benefit from. We know that some students at IPAM have received their monies, so how are they different from those who are yet to get their own monies? The New Direction should wake up.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY AND THEIR MISERY HOME ON PADEMBA ROAD
Are the political leaders in this country telling us they’ve not seen the misery at that camp for people with disabilities near the Pademba Road prison yard? Maybe you’ve not seen the place because you are always in your nice well-air conditioned SUVs doing WhatsApp, so let’s help. Coming into the centre of town from the west end of Freetown where almost all of you live, this misery camp is located just after the walls of the prison to your right.
We urge those dealing with disability issues to visit that place and see the human misery we are talking about. When the occupants moved in there in the days of King Messi, there was public outcry because people knew what the place would become before long. An attempt to move them on was thwarted by a government minister who thought it was politically unwise to do that. He told a radio station that he had the support of King Messi. Now we call on the New Direction to do something NEW.
1. Move those people out of that misery camp and resettle them in a reasonably dignified place immediately.
2. No need to create a colony of people with disabilities. They are normal people with families like all of us. Help them reintegrate with their people and start small businesses. Where were they before they moved to that place?
3. Demolish that building which was gutted by fire in the days of the NPRC – more than TWENTY years ago – and build something decent on that land which is a property of the Ministry of Works.
4. It will not be easy to do what we are asking now because the occupants will resist having settled down all these years and some hypocrites will back them purely for political reasons. But this is where political will is required.
5. That done, all the raw sewerage flowing down to the main Pademba Road – Campbell street junction will be gone. Let’s end that disgrace.
THE QUEEN IS FAILING AGAIN – NO SALARY FOR SLFA STAFF
When the Queen walked out of the High Court a free woman the other day, her spokesman declared a new era of reform and peace in the SLFA. Since then things appear to have either stagnated or moved backwards. We are very sorry to say this but we are not even sure the national football league will resume in October as promised by PLB Chairman Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai. We are not even sure the Queen will not try to throw his committee out of office. So there are interesting times ahead, all thanks to FIFA who somehow believe Sierra Leone’s football destiny MUST be tied to the whims of the Queen.
Here is a brief outline of what has happened at the SLFA secretariat since the Queen took over:
1. So-called criminals broke into the secretariat and “stole” more than “two hundred million leones” and expensive equipment twice in as many weeks. There is no information on that case that we understand was being investigated by police at Adelaide Street.
2. In a blaze of publicity the Queen deployed a private security firm and introduced layers and layers of checks for people entering the football academy. So how did the thieves get through?
3. The hugely experienced Ag. Secretary General Abdul Rahman Swaray resigned without notice leaving a gaping hole in the secretariat.
4. Workers have not received their salaries for at least two months now. It’s either a miracle or they have nothing else to do that they are still going there and taking orders.
5. The Queen is continuing to run the SLFA on a stolen and deliberately elongated mandate and is now attempting to put herself above congress by bringing in new members. FIFA or no FIFA this Queen must face her members now and seek another mandate from them.
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