WHEN THE NATION STANDS STILL We have barely emerged from the most crippling fuel shortage for 20 years and for about a week, the nation practically stood still. We are used to shortages in fuel supply but this was the most devastating. And for about two days we were missing IB Kargbo already because at least he would have asked his friends in the greedy and erratic mobile phone companies to send out text messages blaming “unscrupulous individuals for hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity”. To us it appeared as if a number of variables conspired to make the whole week a nightmare for the people – The president, we were told traveled to Germany for medical reasons (well he needed it after a very grueling election campaign across very difficult terrain), his new ministers were still not approved by parliament, the old ones had withdrawn to their little corners after being sacked (and those include the Kissi tribalist – TM Borbor Sawyer), corrupt and greedy oil marketers refused to answer their calls, especially the manager at NP. And while we kept asking ourselves who was really in charge, Richard Konteh came on BBC and said something that Mama Salone and her long-suffering children are still waiting to realize in full. Here’s the result of this confusion: ordinary people have been ripped-off by Jebu-fuel agents working for the oil companies, justice has been denied some people on remand who couldn’t be brought to court, we saw MPs and at least one minister jumping the queue to get fuel – undignified indeed! Funerals and weddings have been postponed and Operation WID is losing steam. When a nation is about to take off on a flight to the land of prosperity, this sort of preparation would cause a crash. Sorry! OBAMA APPOINTS MINISTERS, DE PA APPOINTS MINISTERS – ANY LESSONS FROM AMERICA? During the last elections we were told that De Pa is Obama’s best friend in West Africa. Indeed, those who organized that photo-op for De Pa and De Mami with Barack and Michelle Obama produced and distributed that masterstroke. At one point we were told Obama “invited De Pa to sit close to him at a UN meeting”. Well on the face of it that looks trivial. But Obama being the most powerful man in the world by virtue of him being president of the most powerful country on this planet, this must be big deal. What do you think? Those who spun that story didn’t tell us what the two men discussed. That opens the way for speculation and it could go either way. So because De Pa is so close to Obama, we expect him to behave a bit like him. For example every time he nominates a minister, he should talk a bit about their qualities and then urge parliament to approve them like Obama did for John Kerry and Chuck Hagel who are his latest nominees for foreign and defence secretaries respectively. We are not asking for all what obtains in America to happen here. And we know that in Sierra Leone, De Pa is not obliged to do so. But this is just about style and confidence. So let’s look through the cabinet and help De Pa with what he could have said about the qualities of some of his guys. Allieu Pat-Sowe – A good guy who loves mask devil. He has that Tower of Babel he calls a house near Saint John. Nobody is clear about what he achieved at both the Transport and Lands Ministries. (What caused the deaths by sea of over two hundred Sierra Leoneans between Shenge and Tombo on his watch?) And we are not sure he has any idea how to run the Marine ministry. His greatest quality is that he is very loyal to the APC. Kaifala Marah – An articulate servant of the Commonwealth with experience working in small Caribbean Island nations and churning out reports after reports that the Secretary General never reads anyway. We have no evidence of his corruptibility or is it because he has not been tempted enough? In any case there’s a difference between writing policies at State House and signing cheques for contractors at Secretariat building. He is a glorified son of Koinadugu, the district with a climate like that of Western Europe. Miatta Kargbo – Well she is the Attorney General’s niece and that makes it easy reaching consensus at cabinet meetings. She will be disinclined to take positions that conflict with those of her powerful uncle. Also as head of the Task Force for Operation WEED or WID, she already knows how to head a team of twenty or so people. The only downside is that the ministry of health is very big. But she may cope. She is an intelligent woman with that American east coast accent. Or is ehe forcing it out to impress? She will not end in ACC net like the other Diasporan in that same ministry. Minkailu Bah - Not much to say –stand by for more of the same – he chases ghosts all over the country, hates journalists and opposition – real or perceived – and will not speak to his colleague lecturers, very brusque in dealing with his staff and the education system will at best stagnate. But as a party, we don’t mind it. Great guy! So please ratify him before the SSS IV kids come after him. Ibrahim Mansaray – I don’t know him but politically, his youthfulness could be good PR for my much talked-about youth engagement even if the details are yet to be put together. But why is it that even his chums think he is too much of a bloke? I can assure you that he now knows his dissertation topic. So please approve him before his supervisor starts visiting media houses. Mustapha Atilla – A radio DJ, gospel musician, Washington night club karaoke band master and the inventor of the expression Wonshi Wor Wor – an irreverent name for ladies using skin-lightening creams. Parliament should find no problem approving him. Io assure you the fact that he is visually impaired is not an inhibiting factor. Remember David Blunkett who was arguably Blair’s most effective minister? Mayor BABA BODE Gibson At Work…? Next Step… We notice that the scrapyard near Youyi Building has been removed. The last time we drove past the building, the rotten cars were gone but that mound of rubbish was also largely gone. However, we saw a caravan-like vehicle on that same street, near to the Old Railway Line end. It’s definitely a scrap. We wonder why it’s still there. We are told the new Mayor gave the order from his transition office at the former PMDC place on Hannah Benka Coker Street before he was sworn in. We are not sure about this but it’s good that the scrap yard has been removed – it was a big disgrace. The rubbish bin must also be removed immediately because now we see fire smoldering all day. The FSSG wall is being undermined as dirty smoke fills the air nightly. Please find another place for people to deposit household rubbish. That street in particular is too important to be treated like that. We can’t understand why the authorities continue to rob that street of its dignity by refusing to give it a name. Why oh Why? The last time, we suggested that it be called Youyi Building Street but if the people can’t find a name for it. We probably should now think seriously about calling it Baba Bode Gibson Road. What do you think sir? What is the situation with the marijuana-smoking Benghazi Boys inside Youyi Building compound? Throw them out too. We don’t want “Itals” chasing us for cash every time we park our cars inside that compound. OPERATION WID IN FULL SWING BUT ehhhh ehhhh ehhhhh… No denying the fact that Operation WID has resulted in some wonders on the roads in central Freetown and we applaud De Pa and Mayor Bababode. But we have a few concerns about the way things are going and we think we should put them on the table.
- There are just too many police officers on the streets and for a good part of the day they are idle – some even sleeping. We will call Ariogbo newspaper’s attenmtion to some of their pictures for their Sleepers’ Diary column. This is a waste of police time. Let’s put them on the beat to fight crime. The other day we saw two of them smoking weed near Charlotte Street and they are exploiting the traders in a big way. No details for now.
- Towing cars parked by people dashing to pick up things from a supermarket is wrong. Bababode says “abandoned vehicles” and we know what that means.
- The traders near the Mercury International office at Siaka Steven Street and a few other places violate the law every evening. They are always there at 7pm. Is there no law in the evenings?
- 4. SLRTA must declare its earnings from towing of vehicles since the start of Operation Weed or WID.
