RALLIES AND RALLYING, BUT HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY REGISTERED IN FREETOWN?
Freetown has just come through another day of dancing and singing as the REDS came out to rally in support of De Pa. The event had all the characteristics of a rally organised by the REDS. And as usual, De Pa should be very pleased with the turnout of people for the march. Last weekend the
GREENS did theirs too. They were also pleased with theirs. So who is not pleased then? Anyway...
We think now is the right time to ask this question: Why have we allowed the love for carnivals to over-shadow the delicate and substantial discussion that people in democracies like Sierra Leone get at a time like this?
The Ghanaians have just had one of three presidential debates, an opportunity for the potential leaders to speak on the issues. We have just cancelled ours
on the strength of clay-legged arguments that every Sierra Leone knows are just a smokescreen for the hidden reason for De Pa not wanting to come face-to-face with his own people when political accountability is the main agenda item.
The two big parties must simply call off all further rallies and make their way into some of the most wretched communities in this country and spend
time with their people. We are hoping that while they are in places like Kroo Bay, Dwazark, Mo-Wharf and so on – too many to list – they will drink the same water they people drink, use their toilets and travel in and out on public transport.
At every opportunity, thousands of people are encouraged to join rallies called by both GREEN and RED. How many of these people are registered
voters. When we looked at the NEC figures and the fact that thousands of voter identity Cards are still not collected, we were truly disappointed that both parties are trying to create such false impression of support.
Impressionist politics is all they are after. There is no substance in all they are saying. The people’s verdict is coming.
ALPHA KHAN SAYS DE PA IS RECEIVING DONATIONS FROM ORDINARY PEOPLE
Every time we find ourselves listening to Alpha Kanu, we come away feeling we’ve wasted precious time and we have been treated as fools. He always
misses great opportunities to be honest with his countrymen and write his name in their hearts. Last weekend, Kanu went for prayers at Wusum stadium in Makeni. When he was offered an opportunity to address the worshippers, he launched a political tirade against Osuofia of the GREENS. With that act, he set the tone for the next three speakers who gave the main opposition leader an unbelievable beating and turned a Pray Field into a campaign rally.
Kanu was once booed in his homeland of Port Loko in the same circumstances. But in Makeni, he had a smooth ride. May be they do nt know him as well as the Port Lokans do.
Back in Freetown, Kanu appeared on TV and told the world that all the cash being spent to buy T-shirts, pay for music sets, cook nice meals, provide drinks and organise transportation particularly on rally days, was coming from the ordinary people who love De Pa. Does Kanu really think we
believe that?
So even those T-shirts brought in from Ghana by that foreign currency trader who also heads a Government Commission who refused to pay tax duty at the airport, arguing that the consignment belonged to De Pa, were paid for by ordinary people?
Kanu, how are those small donations collected and accounted for? Kanu, You can fool only yourself.
Every time this man appears in public, he murders truth. Kanu must know this: When the real people get their chance to question him, it probably will be
at a well intentioned Commission of Inquiry, not the one for which the Gambian judge was paid huge money and five years on, we have seen no report.
By the way, did the ordinary people also pay that huge NEC fee? Come on, common sense!
AFTER THE ELECTION, AFTER THE ELECTION AFTER THE ELECTION
Apart from rallies and other political party meetings we don’t think there is any serious work taking place in this country right now. Ministers have
abandoned their offices to Permanent Secretaries and De Pa himself is on the road fighting for the last vote. Not bad. He just realised he may have scored a few but significant own goals in five years that could hurt his chances of getting a new five-year deal with FC Salone.
We can’t even talk about him being “World Best”. Sierra Leoneans living inside Sierra Leone are familiar with this: Ask for anything and you will be told “AFTER DE ELECTION”.
1. I want to marry a new wife? – After the election
2. When are my containers coming in? – After the election
3. When will Leone Stars win anything? After the election
4. When will you settle my debt? – After the election
5. When will the road to Youyi Building be paved? – After the election
6. When will rubbish be cleared from the streets? – After the election
7. When will the lifts in Youyi Building work again? – After the election
8. When will lawlessness end on our streets? – After the election
9. When will the police stop taking Kitu Kidogo – After the election
10. When will “the possibility of a run-off be clear?” After the election
ROBIN THE SON OF FALLAY HAS GONE QUIET. WATIN DAE APIN?
And it came to pass that Robin the son of Fallay has been missing in action for the last few weeks. We read in some newspaper that he is now in London,
to avoid any problems in the event of Frank Kargbo changing his mind about the nolli-prosequi thing.
For us, we feel very bad that our Attorney General appears to have acted in a manner that causes us some concern. Here’s the problem: Robin Fallay was arrested for “coordinating a campaign” to get under-aged girls in Segbwema to register for the coming elections. Our Attorney General travelled across the country to prosecute the man ON OUR BEHALF.
Fallay remembers the two nights he spent in the Kenema prison. It was in that prison that the angel appeared to him and asked that he join the REDS without delay and all would be well. He did just that and quickly our Attorney General found his way to Kenema to drop all charges ON OUR BEHALF.
Let’s not hide it; we are disappointed with the way this whole situation was handled.
Yesterday, Fallay was with the SLPP, he was an alleged criminal fit only to be kept in prison. Next day he became an APC member, and the case was withdrawn and he became an APC parliamentary candidate. Who did the minister serve, the people of Sierra Leone or the APC?
As for the tragic character, ROBIN FALLAY, we sum up his life in one week. Take a look:
Monday – Fallay returns to Freetown from abroad and joins Solo B’s SLPP
Tuesday – Fallay is elected MP for Segbwema, a rock solid SLPP seat
Wednesday – Fallay begins to question his own loyalty to his party
Thursday – Fallay starts proximity talks with De Pa's agents
Friday – De Pa is now convinced that this new convert is real. This is no water melon
Saturday – Fallay joins the REDS and the state’s case against him is dropped
Sunday – Fallay has his doubts about this new friend. He will be very careful from now on
We believe the Attorney General could have accepted a plea bargain and as part of the memorandum, Fallay ought to have been thrown out of this
particular race. From the look of things, the ruling party was prioritised over THE PEOPLE.
DIANA KONOMANYI’S HOUSE ATTACKED AGAIN
We are fed up with this story of Diana Konomanyi’s house being pelted with stones every week. How many times will this house be attacked before
November 17? What is it about this house that people find it a good/necessary target?
There are all sorts of stories making the rounds in Freetown about Diana and her party, the APC - very interesting stories indeed. She is a powerful
member of the APC so what is really happening?
Diana recently had some problems with Chief Sidiki but that should be over now with the Chief firmly in place again. A very cynical journalist told us
recently that he believes Diana is organising the attacks on her property to gain sympathy from the boys in Freetown. Please understand why we described the guy as cynical.
When we get to Kono in the next few days, we shall check out what is left of this house that has been attacked as many times as RUF rebels attacked
Koribondo. Our investigation will be totally independent of that which the police are supposed to be doing now. Police investigation...HAHAHA. By the way what happened to their investigation of the Fourah Bay killing of an opposition supporter?
OKADARISATION OF THE YOUTH – SALONE BE CAREFUL
We ride on Okadas all the time but we find it strange that all we see in the young people who take us to those little corners is that they are Okada men. Let’s take a look at the many young men in their 20s who are riding Okada all over the country, instead of getting an education.
The immediate need to go places is what even our leaders are concerned about. They tell us that only ex-combatants from Sierra Leone’s civil war are trying to raise money to take care of themselves and their families.
If we are not careful, our country will be put in the hands of former Okada boys who would suddenly find themselves in positions of leadership,
totally unprepared. Things are getting hard in Sierra Leone and the problem of our youths cannot be solved on the back of an Okada. More than half of them should go back to school.