The Geatest Love of All – Police Officers and Poyo
This looks like marriage made in King Jimmy. The other day we passed by
that palm wine joint near King Jimmy which is only a stone’s throw
from the biggest police station in Freetown – Central Police
Station. We saw the usual large number of people drinking the local
brew and we would have passed by untroubled. But we counted about a
dozen police officers in uniform drinking palm wine during office
hours. We absolutely have no problem with people like police officers
drinking alcoholic beverages during working hours in uniform.
And just to confirm that this was not a one-off, we asked a young man
whose lips speak loudly about his love for alcohol how often police
officers visited the place. He told us they were regulars. He asked
us to wait for one hour and see how many more of our police officers
would join up.
Sometime ago, a lawyer told us how his client was seriously roughed up by
drunk police officers on night duty. This is a serious problem that
Munu must tackle very soon. We shall be compelled to be a bit more
aggressive with this kind of behaviour on behalf of our people if
Munu, as always, fails to act.
Another
Day, another Blunder – SLFA BANNED AND UNBANNED
Sierra Leone is still standing on the brink of being thrown out of the world
football assembly by FIFA because of direct interference with the
affairs of SLFA by Minister of Football, Pope John Paul. We have
complained more than loudly about the Pope’s obsession with running
football leading to confrontation after confrontation with the SLFA
and other football organisers. Now he has partially reversed his
decision to dissolve the FA under intense pressure and FIFA officials
are due in Freetown. All this in the middle of preparations for a
do-or-die encounter with Tunisia in a CAF nation’s cup qualifier.
The Minister says political tension is high in Sierra Leone so he
should stop the election of the new SLFA executive. We are no fools
bro, you don’t want Rodney Michael to take over the FA as he is
most certain to do when the votes are cast. The Pope can’t hide his
hatred for Michael.
When the Pope was released from prison on appeal, he was happy, he
proclaimed himself Sierra Leone’s Nelson Mandela. Now Rodney’s
candidature has been re-instated on appeal and the Pope can’t
accept that. Funny eh?
The Pope complains about being “insulted” by Rodney. We didn’t hear
that and we can’t accept anybody insulting another person but let’s
face reality, how many public officials has the Pope insulted in his
newspaper? The Pope says he brought democracy to Sierra Leone but how
democratic is his pronouncement about banning people from public
facilities without a court order. Come on Paul! You have embarked on
a mission that will fail.
As for Alhaji Awoko, we are not surprised at what he said on AYV. For
him, Dennis Bright and his SLPP were foolish and meddlesome while
Paul the Pope and his APC merely failed to “consult stakeholders”
before dissolving the FA. You’re only fooling yourself bra. Under
whose regime did Sierra Leone come closest to being banned by FIFA?
You should know and must tell us. When we come to write the history
of Sierra Leone football, you already know what your chapter will
look like. Awoko knows very well that the only reason the Pope is
attempting to dissolve the SLFA is because Rodney Michael looks
certain to win the coming elections. They are both against him. They
atre both playing the stupid partisan card namely APC versus SLPP.
Gosh! Awoko is now trying to provide justification for the minister’s
action. Awoko has been at this game for a long time but the end is
nigh, Alhaji. This short-term interest-seeking must stop.
RAW SEWERAGE TAKES OVER CENTRAL FREETOWN
We have complained in the past about the way central government and
municipal authorities have neglected the sewerage system in the most
important parts of our city. Even with Cholera taking the nation
hostage it keeps happening. This is not to say that it can be
overlooked in other areas. The reality is that no country allows even
an inch of its city centre to be splattered with raw sewerage through
years of neglect. It galls us that our leaders are pretending things
are normal. Politics, politics, politics while the people perish!
Let’s please once again call their attention to the situation at Rawdon
Street and Lightfoot Boston Street. Also look at the situation at
Pultney Street close to Lightfoot Boston Street –Belgium area. Look
at the situation on Wallace Johnson Street near the SLENA office.
It’s totally unacceptable in 21st
century Sierra Leone that we should be walking in raw sewerage in the
heart of our city. How can we be sure that those of our country men
and women who have died of cholera in Freetown didn’t fall because
of that rubbish?
It’s beginning to look as if we are the only people who are angry about
this. We don’t seem to hear the ordinary voices that should compel
a change. Anyway!
CHRISTIANA THORPE AND HER DISENFRANCHISEMENT THEORY
Christiana did not learn any lesson from the outcry that followed her flawed
decision to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leoneans
in 2007 thus paving the way for Koroma APC to win power. Well, Koroma
was popular but that singular act was more than a leg up for him. Now
Christiana thinks Sierra Leone politics is all about money and she
has the support of De Pa. She has a revolt on her hands now.
We expect the whole nation to rise against this relentless drive to turn
Sierra Leone into Money Democracy. We cannot accept that to be an MP
you must pay US$ 2,500 and US$ 25,000 to run for president. This is a
ruse to exclude all candidates that are likely to upset De Pa and
leave the field open for puppet parties to pretend to be credible
opposition people.
We are watching this situation keenly. Trust Politico.
F. B. C CHECKPOINT – WHAT A FARCE.
Why can’t Fourah Bay College clear what is left of that fake barrier
they are trying to set up near their Lower Faculty flats when they
know that they can’t keep it working at it should? What’s the
point of creating a so-called checkpoint when there is never anybody
around to check anything? It’s a real mockery of what organisations
that are concerned about the welfare of their people do.
We all know F.B.C is a free-for-all passage. Some of the worst vehicles
are allowed to ply that route with hundreds of students and village
people daily under the nose of the Director of the Sierra Leone Roads
Authority. Police officers are completely missing in action on that
stretch of road and it was hoped that thieves on motorbikes and
unlicensed drivers and vehicles will be thoroughly checked at that
farce called a checkpoint. If you think we are wrong drive up the
hill and observe.
(c)
Politico 14/09/12
