NASSIT AND THE PEOPLE’S MONEY
We
are carefully studying the goings-on at the National Social Security
and Insurance Trust – NASSIT. Recently, newspapers have published a
string of articles about senior officials of the Trust enjoying cash
deposited by hard working workers for reasons we all know. When
people grow old, they need to take care of themselves from whatever
savings they have in the NASSIT scheme. But the stories we are
reading suggest that NASSIT is heading in the wrong direction.
There
are reports that the chair of the Board of Trustees has been
suspended from duty under a cloud. And NASSIT as an organisation, has
not found it necessary to explain to the people just what’s going
on. In the usual Salone way, they are attempting to sweep things
under the carpet. We are here sending a signal to them that we shall
be taking up the case for the people once we receive two more
documents from our sources inside NASSIT.
Fat
cat bosses who are always on overseas travel at the expense of the
people should start looking out for Politico.
We saw their photos splashed all over Facebook the other day. Give us
a little time.
We
are taking all the time possible to expose those who think they can
betray the people and get away with it. All the showmanship,
posturing and brinkmanship in NASSIT will end soon.
GENERATOR
FOR KAMBIA HOSPITAL O YEA! BUT WHERE’S THE DOCTOR?
We
broke the story a few weeks ago about the sorry state of the main
government hospital in Kambia. At the time of our visit there was no
electricity; patients brought their own generators to the hospital to
undergo surgery, done mainly by Community Health Officers. With
respect to them, we know that surgery should be by people qualified
and experienced enough so as not to risk the lives of our people. In
other words, a trained medical officer.
The
hospital was filthy and some wards had no toilet.
Now,
we hear, Kambia hospital has a new generator put there by the
ministry of health and its partners. We applaud that but the problem
is bigger than electricity supplied by a generator. We want to be
honest: We cannot have all what is required to run a standard
hospital but there are things we need to do urgently:
a.
We must make sure that a medical doctor is within reach at all times.
This business of the doctor going away for a week or more to “attend
meetings” is not right. Let doctors see patients and let
administrators do the paperwork.
b.
Let private individuals take over the cleaning of our hospital.
Private firms will always look over their shadows for the possibility
of them losing their contract. If we depend on those doing the job
now, our health facilities will remain dirty.
c.
Finally for now, let’s make sure there’s fuel to run the
generator any time they need it. Don’t allow cold water or soft
drink sellers to locate deep freezers inside the hospital to make
money at the expense of the rest of society.
SO
SO OKADA;
SO
SO
VIOLENCE AND ROBBERY
We
have nothing personal against motorcycle taxi called OKADA and those
who operate it on our roads. In a country where the roads are bad,
some communities are completely inaccessible by any type of vehicle
and where the government’s own public transport system has either
failed to keep pace with the needs of the people or has simply
collapsed, OKADAS will definitely dominate the scene. It’s not
rocket science.
We
know that a lot of the young people operating the motorcycles are
victims of a system that failed to take their needs on board in
national planning but we are all now victims of all the problems
OKADA boys throw at us.
OKADA
boys are prone to violence. The evidence is there – from Goderich
to Calaba Town; they are very reckless on the roads as they follow no
road signs; they are rude, they think everybody is stealing money
from the government and is a legitimate target for attack.
The
owners of a good number of the OKADAS are police officers returning
home from peacekeeping duty abroad. So they turn a blind eye when
traffic rules are broken.
JAY
CEE Road Transport Corporation boss must know that unless his
corporation is able to set up a first class road transport operation,
we will continue groaning under the excesses of OKADA.
HOW
OLD IS THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE?
We
are beginning to get some details about how NEC came to extend by 24
hours, the nomination of the presidential candidate of “our noisy
neighbour” and his running mate. The Cow Party leader said on radio
that as he processed with “hundreds of thousands “of his
supporter towards that tarpaulin office called NEC, it became
impossible for him to push his way through the crowds in time for the
nomination. Well, that should sound understandable even if not
acceptable.
But
we have to tell “our noisy neighbour” that we live in Freetown
and we saw the people with him on that day. We think he should make
his narrative available only to those people who were not in the
centre of Freetown on that day. It makes no sense to advance
outlandish claims on radio in the belief that the people will be
hoodwinked. A nasty surprise is on the way for “our noisy
neighbour.”
Now
here’s the real reason why the nomination didn’t take place: We
hear that the presidential candidate was only 39 years some months
and some days old and that he needed another twenty-four hours to
clock 40, the age at which people are allowed to run for that high
office. Somehow, we suspect he didn’t read the electoral laws act
well. It’s not for us to tell him.
So
NEC, with all the sanctimonious hypocrisy and Catholic piety of its
boss was part of this huge scam? In 2007 she had the power to
disqualify, in 2012, she bends backward to accommodate and be part of
a real political fix. We know why Chris. Truth will reveal.
EIGHT
PETROL BILLS IN 30 MINUTES ARE EQUAL TO NO F.O.I. BILL IN FIVE YEARS
Our
last parliament’s parting gift to the nation was the approval of a
package of eight petroleum bills in thirty minutes. Obviously it was
totally impossible to consult with their people, especially those who
will be directly affected by those decisions in their small and
marginalised communities. They didn’t even have enough time to read
the bills over. We didn’t hear of any pre-legislative meeting. Is
that what we call rubber-stamping or not?
As
ordinary people, we know where the government’s priorities are. The
Freedom of Information bill has been in parliament for years and like
all other instruments meant to deepen democracy, it was abandoned to
gather dust on the shelves. Even a so-called former president of
SLAJ, now sitting in that House didn’t say a word. In fact he once
accused Journalists of over-dramatising the FOI issue.
This
was the worst parliament in decades: bogus pre-legislative meetings,
the Finance Committee chairman and his clerk were caught in naked
corruption, but they refused to resign; Oversight Committees became
avenues for dregging;
Cross-Carpeting
was commonplace; some MPs were sitting on opposition benches but
their contributions and votes were always with De Pa and our dear MPs
were only concerned about their welfare. Good Luck to them.
“SELECTION
OR ELECTION” – WHICH ONE IN ROKUPR?
The
ruling APC has landed itself into a fine mess at Rokupr in the Kambia
district. In fact, not just in that district but many other places
around the country because, according to many people, the party big
men at MARINE HOUSE in Freetown and possibly De Pa’s Lodge have
manipulated the process of selecting candidates for local councils
and parliament for the coming elections.
In
Rokupr, we know that the town was brought to a standstill for three
days by young people, angry because Marine House changed the name of
the candidate that clearly won the Electoral College vote.
It
was De Pa himself who called for a mechanism to be put in place to
allow his people to select their candidates. Now they can’t allow
that system to operate fully.
From
what we hear, the ruling party is digging its own grave in its own
backyard. The stakes are high in the APC because they are in power.
They will massage, bully, threaten and bribe now. But things could
change on the day of voting and counting. We are watching.
“POLITICAL
STRONGHOLD IN THE BARRACKS” – SAYS PLP LEADER
We
are waiting for the GUARDIANS of Sierra Leone’s democracy to
comment on the statement by the leader of the People’s Liberation
Party (PLP) that his party’s strongholds are in the military
barracks of Sierra Leone. Kandeh Babah Conteh, PhD - Political
Strategy
from the former Soviet Union – created the link between today’s
democratic soldiers and the Johnny Paul Koroma ones of this world for
very good reasons. Let’s not allow him to bring the military into
direct politics like De Pa has done with the police.
We
thought Kandeh Babah Conteh and the few others in the PLP had moved
on from the warped thinking of their former boss, an indicted war
criminal, probably dead now. But this interview on radio yesterday
shattered whatever hopes we had about our country moving beyond
rebels and Sobels.
Kandeh
Babah Conteh is a strange man. As soon as elections are over, the
political doctor will withdraw to Panguma in the east, to deforest
the country. He returns after every five years to put his name
forward for another election and collects all the pennies parties
receive from the many international organisations. Let the PLP and
their look-alike, the RUFP, close down their doors and go home.
Please.
