Awoko Newspaper » Features

The second coming of the bellwether Pt. III

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:36:49 +0000

Lecture delivered Monday Jan. 30th at the Pre. Lunching of
Transformation and development Conference at Miatta Conference hall
How do we structure all of this into our development strategy, as we march towards a transformative future?
History, as we all know, is a sequence of major events. Depending on various circumstances, there are people who make history, while there are those, mostly in the majority, who are affected by it. Invariably, conquerors tend to write history from their own point of view; we see this everywhere: one example being the British referring to what happened in Kenya in the 1950′s as the Mau Mau rebellion and calling the patriots terrorists, whereas the Kenyans saw themselves as freedom fighters. Recently, an American academic and historian at Harvard University, Caroline Elkins carried out a major research into that conflict and published a book entitled Imperial Reckoning: the British Gulag in Kenya.
In her book, she documents the thousands of Kenyans sent to concentration camps; the killings, beatings, castrations and rape of many others. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for this splendid work.
Clearly, how Sierra Leoneans see themselves, once they begin to write their own history is crucial to what other people will think of them. One thing we can all agree on is that the history of modern Sierra Leone has been a mized bag. Prior to our independence, it was, by and large, a steady and peaceful one. Although we did not have the fervent burst of nationalism that happened in Guinea, Algeria or Ghana, we did have things to be proud of: significantly, our educational system.
For a small country, the foundations of a solid educational system that began in the early nineteenth century meant that we were able to share a wealth of learning with others. We sent teachers, nurses, engineers and even doctors down the coast, as we used to refer to the old Gold Coast, Togo, and Nigeria in those days.
I remember the reaction of the distinguished professor and fine poet, Lemuel Johnson, when I told him, in 1978, that I was going to teach at the University in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri.
‘I was born there’. He said.
His father, he was proud to inform me, had been the colonial surveyor there.
Yet it might seem to me that whereas other West African nations were prepared for the great changes in their societies: the rise of a pre-independence, fervent nationalism in Ghana, the explosion of a national literature in Nigeria, or the all too embracing vigour of a dynamic cinema culture of serious merit in Burkina Faso, and other manifestations of indigenous art forms, Sierra Leone, it might be argued, was locked in a time warp. Which brings me back to the age of colonial realism: to the time when Freetown was called THE ATHENS of West Africa.
It was a glorious period: the flourishing of Western ideas in tropical Africa: we read about some of the great transitions in Western history; its people, their biases and military conquests. But we were not in that history; it was not about our ancestors. No one told us about the exploits of the great West African patriots Alpha Yaya, Samory Toure, Bai Bureh, Kailondo etc. We were ignorant of the great Nok civilization that flourished four thousand years ago in what is today the area of the Plateau State in Nigeria. We knew nothing about the Sudanic empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai, or the great Bantu migration from West to Southern Africa. Strictly speaking, our souls as Africans did not exist in that writing of history.
So, tonight, Mr. President, esteemed ladies and gentlemen, may I propose the following: that as we take Sierra Leone towards a new horizon, as we begin the march towards our modernization, we take control of not just our mining and other developmental policies, but of our history. The ATHENS OF WEST AFRICA was great; it was the gateway to another world, another perspective; but it was not in our DNA. What is in our DNA is the SPIRIT OF SANKORE. That is who we are, ladies and gentlemen.
As some of us will recall, the University of Sankore was the great center of learning that flourished between the 12th 14th centuries in the city of Timbuctoo. At the height of its fame, during the reign of the emperor Askia Mohamed, or Askia the great, as he was known, the university had a library of some seven hundred thousand books.
It was to that center that scientists, astronomers, writers, theologians and philosophers from around the world came to study and discuss great ideas not yet known in Medieval Europe.
Timbuctoo was our own Athens; our glorious heritage. So, as we rethink our development, let us redefine ourselves in that spirit; let us dream of a Sierra Leone where people could come, once again, for great ideas; to a place where law and order is respected; let us create a milieu in which we can once again be called a noble and gentle people.
There is a lot we can be proud of, and the future has never been brighter for us. Anyone taking a walk around the city of Freetown can feel the energy, drive and confidence of the majority of people. Granted, the city is very, very congested, ugly in some areas, and its facilities are stretched to the limits. But I have been told that the same sense of new found optimism is everywhere: in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Marampa, Port Loko and Moyamba. Whereas we were once written off as a basket case, we are now attracting some attention from all kinds of investors, speculators, well-wishers, and even some tricksters to our agricultural and mining sectors. Even more important, some of our young people, many of them professionals and highly-skilled, are returning home from abroad, to contribute to the next stage of our development. More and more, the country is being opened up: roads are being built; there is an improvement in our health system so that our women are no longer condemned to an unnecessary death in child birth. Increasingly, more Sierra Leoneans are to be found in businesses that were once the preserve of foreigners; and i have observed with great interest and bewilderment, that banks are everywhere, although, of course, i wonder where all the money is coming from.
And for me as a writer, always prepared to say the unsayable, the days when our Human Rights can be trampled upon seemed to be an imagination of the past, although, if recent events are anything to go by, it is quite obvious, and very troubling, that some Sierra Leoneans feel it is their right to violate the basic Human Rights of their fellow citizens.

The Tyranny of Democracy

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:35:43 +0000

In a world where the great rich and powerful nations intimidate smaller and poorer ones into submission and servitude through the constant manipulation of the economic state of affairs to the latter’s advantage and even have the audacity of threatening to tie aid to a country’s passing legislations to recognise gay rights, you hardly need to be told that such small and powerless nations are in real trouble.
Sometimes I really wonder if the United Nations Organization still exists in its true and original form. Why I wonder is because some of the basic principles have long been abandoned. Take for example the issue of respecting the territorial integrity of a nation, the so-called non interference into other countries internal affairs. Don’t you see that things have greatly changed? Or are you mentally blind? First it was a socio – political slavery but now it is complete mental slavery. Yes something that the Legend Bob Marley sang about some thirty years ago. Did you hear what I heard last week? My Guy the Special court indictee and former President of our blood neighbour Liberia was a CIA Agent. Tell me what was he spying on in poor Africa? Damn it, why is the west so insensitive to Africa’s plight. Tell me is there any African Head of state that the west do not manipulate and dump in the end? Indeed they play on the greed of the African politician. Some of them are real megalomaniacs. Many of them are in the class of pass a dies like Mugabe’s, the Wade’s, Jammeh’s Nguema’s, you name them.
Now this whole issue of Aid sickens me. It seems even if we survive AIDS, we as poor Africa may not escape from Aid from the west. What a quandary we find ourselves in … always going cap in hand begging for loans and trap our children yet unborn with the yoke of having them obliged to pay for the sins of their fore fathers. Can you tell me this world is a fair place? We all appreciate and uphold Human Rights but what is the situation on the ground? You see we once went on a Poverty Tour in marking the Global Campaign Against poverty (GCAP). We had this meeting with community members of a small village up country. We wanted to hear what the people think of poverty, the causes and what should be the way forward to bail out of it. Many views were expressed but we wanted the chief to also contribute. The old man smiled and said, “You really want to know?” we said yes ad he went on. “What is causing poverty is Human Rights.” We were kind of taken aback and asked him how. Then he explained that on two occasions two of his kids have taken him to the FSU for flogging them and he spent an awful lot of money and that if this carries on, he will remain a very poor man. He said their children were no more supportive of the families even in the smallest of ways all because of Human Rights. You might say the Old man’s words are just figments of an ignorant and deranged mind kept in servitude after years of deprivation. But hello, not that fast, there is a point made their albeit simplistic. But like they say in our local parlance, Poh man word nor dae pass.
This brings me to the vexing issue of Youth unemployment. Can it be a global phenomenon. You are right. But tell me do we throw our hands up and do nothing about it? I am somebody who hardly accepts positions the west have always put us on the Human Development Index. I have always thought that the compilers were not fair with us. Sometimes we went down simply because we did not have the necessary statistics to use, thanks to Statistics Sierra Leone, one of our best professional outfits out here! Oh my God our world is a very funny place. What is democracy all about? The simplest and popular form is the one that says, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I am sure if it were an African defining democracy, it could have been different. Don’t ask me why! Now take African governments are they by the people? Yes! Are they of the people? Yes… Are they for the people? No! I will tell you why. In Africa there is so much depravity that it is very difficult to satisfy the majority of citizens of a nation. Democracy is all about letting people feel free to be and live like human begins. Their dignity and respect must be upheld at all times.
You might be wondering where the tyranny of democracy comes in? Some Nigerian movie the title of which I have forgotten says, in a democratic dispensation, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way. I really like this. And this is where the Tyranny of democracy starts. In most cases issues are settled by majority vote. Tell me are the majority always right. Through an intriguing conspiracy the right views can be drowned by the stupid majority. We see this happening all over the place. You go to a meeting and there is controversy over an issue, they say let us put it to a vote. The people in the conspiracy will win because they make sure they are in the majority. Some years ago we had an association where we found it difficult to change our executive. What happened was that some executive members made sure that some two months or so before elections they pay for people to register into the Association and they vote massively. Then of course after the elections the newly admitted members are never active. This is the situation.
Now take the case of this obnoxious rule on the 55% threshold for presidential run- offs after the first round. Tell me is it not some kind of tyranny. Take this case. Two highest candidates score 35 and 40% votes. Now they go into the run-off and you know what? The candidate with 30% at the end of the day ends up by a narrow margin! Do you see? I really believe that we do not need the hassle of a second round. You might say some candidates do score the 55%… but we all know that this happens sparingly, yes don’t tell me you do not know. If you must know for our elections in 2012, donor funds are less than 50% and the rest is to be provided by our government. We all know that with the current expensive road project in Freetown funded by our own funds, it may be an uphill task to fully fund the elections. This is not being alarmist, it is just being practical. As usual Madam Christiana Thorpe and her top performing commission like to move with the times with a lot of integrity and success. But can we have a close look at the biometric System of registration? We are told that NEC needs over 2000 machines but as at now we only have about 800 for a country that is still struggling to make some of its remote areas accessible despite so many efforts to improve the road networks. The biometric system is good but if the machines are not even half of the number needed, then sceptics will start thinking. Well we trust NEC, but we also know the intractability of some of our problems caused by some people and perhaps exacerbated by our political class.
We are told that Development is impossible in the absence of the true democracy, peace and good governance. What we however need to know is that the African situation is quite unique and therefore needs special prescriptions for its problems. When once our people begin providing for themselves, dignity and a new cycle of hope is born. Let us remember that what we want is transformational development that is community based and sustainable, focused especially on the needs of children.
By Ben Cambayma

Africa Notebook

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:35:32 +0000

Its about a week now since Africa’s newest state, South Sudan came in from the cold.With all what the country had gone through in its pre-independence years, any analyst who thought it would have been plain sailing ought to have his head examined for the shortfalls.
The hard bargaining time is now as even South Sudanese themselves are not hiding the fact that the government in the North wants to drive them into the sea.
So what it all adds up to is the government of President Omar el-Bashir wants nothing more or less than to see the South buttom out.
The shadow boxing came in the open over the wrangling of the South’s oil export using pipelines that run through the North.
It was all along a sure bet that the North would tolerate it up to a point and then draw the curtain to force the South to search for other ways.
The first trick of the North is to impose unworkable restrictions that would rattle the South. Next is to increase the taxes. So much so that the South keeps paying higher and higher taxes without any evidence as to whether it is churning out a profitable deal.
By all standards it has become an unfortunate affair as the expectation was that the North would have cooperated with the government of President Salva Kiir to make the region less security charged.
Both states were not even bedfellows. The North eyeing the mineral gains of the South like a hawk waiting for the grabs. The South aware of the hatred, keeps constantly reminding that it is constructing its own pipeline bypassing the north.
“El-Bashir’s hopes were that one day after independence (in July, 2011) the South would have had a great fall like Humpty Dumpty, never to rise again.
E-Bashir’s action mirrors the hypocrisy of most african leaders who would give the freedom of the city and then change the locks.
South Sudanese independence has had a knock-off effect mainly on the day-to-day life of the North, reducing it practically to a near pauper state.
Credible reports from Khartoum in the North speak of rampant water and electircity cuts and high rise prices of consumer goods. Many Sudanese now talk openly of another round of arab spring starting from Sudan.
The country is strangled by a 38 billion dollar debt with military spending making up to about 70 percent of the budget.
The independence of the South has plugged holes into the overall economy of the North. The North has fed on the South like a gluttonous kid. All structures in the North are taking in the strain. This further complicated by reports that the Northern government is on the slide because the military gurus in the cabinet are becoming restless.
Free trips to Europe, incentives to shop until you drop and new four-wheelers are about to be axed.
In the past, military men who complained about their oversized uniforms get replacement in less than 24 hours. Now, count yourself lucky if this is done withing three months.
The vogue in the North is to heap all these sins on the South … the bad boy of the region which opted for independence making the North appearing to eat from the beggar’s bowl.
This is why the see-saw game is on.
The South is waking up after the inter-tribal bloody fighting which claimed thousands of lives. It’s like crossing a busy street without looking both sides with the inherent risk of being run over. Perhaps it’s adjacent to the incident of the driver who did not stop at a zebra crossing in the avenue pour la paix in Bangui, in the Central African Republic.
Appearing in court for knocking down a pedestrian at a zebra-crossing, he told the startled magistrate, ”honestly, I saw no zebra crossing the road.”
But back to a Sudanese proverb: it takes two to lie…..one to lie…..and the other to listen.

The Good, the bad & the ugly…

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:40:36 +0000

So here we are at the weekly letter, and very glad I am too; but Heavens- how the days run so slow, don’t they? When I was in London I used to count the days and long for the end of the week, so of course time flies; now a-days when one has go to through so much discomfort physically and intellectually, the whole thing goes on cruelly slow. The hours crawl, whilst the days just sit and wait for one to suffer intolerable nuisance, sycophancy and windbags, on top of unforgiveable acts of inefficiency on the part of some of those who want to govern this country.
‘Help!’ I hear you muttering. Is he going to moralize me this weekend? Cheer up; I’ll try to hold it in. But you know, it is dreadfully annoying when one has to go through some of the things even yourself complain about from time to time, but I will hold my peace, thank God it’s Friday and I look forward to my weekly Johnnie Walker and a good smoke and some quality time with my three Princesses.
I hope you are not alarmed about my topic at the top of the letter? You see, I have discovered that in the political arena of Good Ole Mother Sierra Leone, we have “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” all fighting to have a piece of the cake instead of adding to the cake or make the one on the table now more tasteful for all to enjoy.
As most of you will attest, I have been too hard on our dear President since we started this discourse. But that I have never hid the reasons for my displeasures. Indeed the other day at the office of the Conference of Transformation, I met a certain eminent Professor who was in town to support the conference. I had gone to the office to register and BINGO!!! There was I seating down for almost two hours having a conversation with the Professor. He would not give me the interview I begged for several times but can say, “the President is a good man but has too many windbags around him.” OMG!!! I HAVE SAID IT.
Well, those of you who have been engaging with me in this my humble corner would agree that I have always expressed the same sentiment about those around the President. And that I have always faulted the President because he is the one who gave these people a coat of undeserved respectability.
“I have been in town for three days and I have met nine cabinet ministers, seven of them are windbags and only two impressed me with their conceptual thinking about the way forward,” the Professor said to me and three others in the room. I jumped from where I was seating and demanded to know these ministers.
“Oh Ojukutu,” came the cry from one of the other gentlemen in the room. “Sir,” I said, as I took out my tape recorder, and a copy of AWOKO. “Just a ten minutes interview about the conference and your views about present day Sierra Leone,” I pleaded. “Sorry Mr. Ojukutu-Macaulay, but no interviews, let’s give the President more time,” he said, as I put away my tape recorder. But I don’t give up that easily. “Tell us” I demanded, “Who are the two Ministers that impressed you?” He looked at Mr. Massaly, and the two other gentlemen in the room and said, “that chap at the Labour Ministry, Hindolo Tyre, he has some brilliant ideas, I can work with him anytime.”
“Ok,” another Professor in the room said, “give us the nine names and let us sort out the good, the bad and the ugly for ourselves.” I turned to the Professor and quietly said; “Surely, a request from one Professor to another is bound to go down positively.” No chance. No more disclosure and of course no interview, but the conversation went on for another one hour before I was kicked out of the office by a dear friend.
So you see my dear brothers and sisters (Yes, No more ‘old Boy’ I got my head bashed the other day by a darling friend who happens to be a lady and almost stamped my weekly letter “Return to Sender”), but as I was saying, I am not the only one who has noticed the undeserving authority and respect some of our government officials continue to enjoy in this country. Indeed, the last straw poll I took, just after Maada Bio was elected as the flag-bearer of the SLPP, the main concern of all those who continue to support the President was the team he has appointed to work with him.
So the question that begs for an answer is this. Does the President enjoy sycophancy? This question became more troubling for me last Wednesday morning after a text from one Alpha Khan, to Radio Democracy trying to lecture the nation about the Office of the President and the Respect one should extend to it.
According to the Oxford dictionary “Sycophant is a person who flatters someone important to try to gain favour with them.” In other words, Sycophancy is the process of using flattery to win favour from an individual wielding influence. This is also known as supplicating in social psychology. Also, Sycophants are usually pretenders which may also be referred to as strategic self presentation.
By all accounts most of our leaders, even lesser ones, derive joy and satisfaction from flattery and praises, they love and worship titles like the cases of Euthyphro and Socrates, ancient characters where Euthyphro deified himself and proclaimed to be God while Socrates remains intelligent but very humble. Most often than not, people who criticize are often vilified, attacked or even sometimes lose their jobs for thinking otherwise.
Many Political leaders dead and alive, and now struggling to come to terms with their present status can attest to the evils of sycophancy. Not so long ago one of the nephews of former Egyptian President Mubarak complained bitterly to a London Newspaper that all his uncle had around him were nostrum, and that this is what is now responsible for his present condition. President Siaka Stevens died alone at Kabasa Lodge, after over 18 years of praise and worship that he was “a great man.”
I remember very well when Shamsu Mustapha was first appointed by Siaka Stevens as deputy minister of economic planning and devlopment. I was just a cub then….plying the streets of Freetown with no worry about tomorrow, except the battle with my late old man, who wanted me to be a doctor…..How could I, when I had no brain…..and now no respect for authority.
The Ministry was then based at the old UN building opposite Electricity House at Siaka Stevens Street. I took the lift up to the floor where Shamsu’s office was. On arrival I asked the security for direction, he took me to his secretary. After all the niceties, I asked her, “Is Shamsu here?” She turned and looked at me, and pretended not to have heard me. I asked again.
“Oh di Pa nor cam yet,” she said. “No” I replied. “I am not talking about Dr Kanu; I am talking about Shamsu, the deputy minister.” I told her. “Na im Na di Pa een.” she said. I looked straight into her eyes and told her, “Shamsu no to Pa,” with that I walked out of the office. But what that illustrated then was the rush to extend sycophancy in the guise of respect and say it’s our tradition. Rubbish, “row-to rata.”
The daily praises of leaders and treating them like semi-Gods in newspapers, radio, is a bad example of how sycophancy has drowned our governance. Today, the swiftest way of gaining advantage is to become a sycophant and praise our leaders, to high heaven which is inimical to our development. And this runs through in all walks of life, from leaders wives, to student leadership, traditional, music, religious (I can a few), even families, corporate institutions and many others. It is bad for democracy, it is bad for business, and it creates unhealthy relationship between families, friends and even the Gods.
Last week, I argued that few politicians ever get the chance to reshape society at a time of fracture and other palaver, especially amongst the ruling classes. And that I see no signs of imagination from the President to change this country. And I also had doubts about the Transformation Conference, simply because it is elections year.
This argument seems to have created some excitement in certain quarters, leading to foolish naivety at several kindergarten of journalism. Please note, I do not belong, and have no plans to belong as I left Kindergarten many, many, many years ago. If and when I chose to belong, please let me be the judge of that timing and place.
Still on the issue of imagination, President Koroma proved me wrong this week, whilst the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP), under the stewardship of John Benjamin and (Rtd) Brigadier Madda Bio, showed their ugly face again. Vexing over violence and kidnapping in court and trying to drag others with them.
Meanwhile, President Koroma was at Miatta presenting a picture of what Sierra Leone should look like in 20 to 50 years time. Advancement, prosperity, plenty of water, modern energy and of course better standard of living for all. And telling all of us that Sierra Leone belongs to all of us and it is only us who can change it…….Where was the SLPP…..? To challenge anything the President said. No where my dear brother and sisters. This is bad and ugly.
The message from the President at the opening of the conference was visionary and I am told the Vice President (not everybody’s favorite person these days) too was brilliant at the closing ceremony. But where was the opposition SLPP, and their “brilliant technocrats and learned gentlemen and refined ladies?” they always talked about.
I suspect they were in court talking, vexing over violence and kidnapping? I don’t know, should in case any of you found out the whereabouts of JOB or the retired Brigadier, please let me know. This is a very ugly business, for the opposition to be so weak and always complaining whilst President Koroma is showing leadership in grand style. And you tell me you don’t understand why people like him….. Have you ever watched “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”?
By Winston Ojukutu-Macaulay Jnr.

The second coming of the bellwether Pt. II

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:37:44 +0000

Yet, very often, it would appear to me that while we profess to be one people, Sierra Leone as a political entity has always been on trial; she has always been the scapegoat for many of our own failings. It is a wrong attitude and it reminds me of a particular incident, recorded fifty years ago, on the then Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS).
Those of us, sixty years and older, will recall the days when John Akar was the first African Director of the then SLBS. In those days, John Akar’s flagship program was the one entitled My Guest.
I remember that the program always started with him singing: yes, indeed, yes, indeed, in that glorious tenor of his that Luciano Pavarotti would have found appealing. John had a gift for getting people to reminisce; even people who do not normally share their experiences in public.
On this particular program, John Akar’s guest was Samuel Bankole Jones, long before he became the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone and was knighted for his services on the bench. I recall that after a good deal of prodding, John finally got the learned judge to share his most interesting moment on the bench.
Sir Samuel took a deep breath. Then, with a mixture of humour and wisdom, he began to reminisce.
It was a case involving receiving stolen property. According to the judge, it was quite clear from the evidence that the accused was not aware he had received stolen goods; but the law was the law: there was this catch phrase about ignorance of the law is no excuse; sadly, the judge had to return a verdict of guilty.
As in most cases in those days, the accused did not speak English, and the services of a translator were therefore required.
One of the most celebrated translators employed by the courts in those days was a venerable old man called Pa Janneh. I recall that he lived either in the same house as the Labbi family, or in the one next to theirs; next to Gibraltar Church on Kissy, now Sani Abacha Street.
Like all good translators, Pa Janneh knew that language was a great tool: a wonderful gift in the hands of the right person. Employed by a gifted translator, an accused could be made to feel good, whether or not he was guilty. Sadly, on this occasion, things went awry.
According to Sir Samuel, the case went like, this, in English and Krio.
Sir Samuel to the translator: Tell the accused that I feel sorry for him.
Pa Jenneh to the accused: de judge say ‘e feel sorry for you’.
The accused: ‘Ohm, P; Ohm’.
Sir Samuel to the translator: ‘Tell the accused that i personally feel he is not guilty of the crime’.
Pa Janneh to the accused: ‘De judge say he believe say you nor guilty’.
The accused: ‘Walai, Pa. Med nor know say da tief ting dis man bring can gee me’.
Sir Samuel to the translator: ‘But tell the accused that, according to the law, I have to find him guilty. Tell him I feel he was used as a scapegoat’.
The translator paused for a while. Obviously he was searching for the right words. After a while, again, according to Sir Samuel’s recollection, he came up with this memorable interpretation.
The Translator to the Accused: ‘But de judge say, according to de law, he get for fen you guilty. E say e sorry for you because you nar lek goat way escape’.
Although it was almost fifty years ago, i shall never forget the reaction of the accused!
According to Sir Samuel, he lost his composure; he felt his dignity had been trampled upon by the complexities of a law he did not understand. How could he, on the one hand, not have committed a crime, according to the judge’s personal view; yet, because of the exegesis of the same law, the judge had to find him guilty?
His outburst was therefore quite understandable.
‘Ah nor understand dis,’ he said. ‘De judge say ah nor guilty; but e say e get for fen me guilty. Den e say me nar lek goat way runway!’
It was a gem of a story about one man’s destiny; how cruel fate could be. But I can still hear the ring of John Akar’s laughter, after Sir Samuel had finished reminiscing.
As you can tell from this memorable recollection about translating the meaning of scapegoat, an innocent man had been convicted of a crime he did not understand. This, I believe, is where we are today: that some of us would rather pass the blame to others instead of accepting the responsibility for our actions. Whether it is the political, legal or social platforms, I hope that, in trying to address our inadequacies, we do not use others as scapegoats.
The last time I was home I was shocked to hear how our common language had been transformed. As had happened to so many other foundation narratives about our history, it had lost some of its original meaning and phrases, but had gained some surprisingly, unexpected beauty.
The old was out, but the new as in:
I remember once using the word adakadakay to a non-Sierra Leonean who was teaching Krio to Peace Corp volunteers in this country.
He was lost for words.
‘Pa Coker,’ he said to me: watin nar adakadakay?’
Now, we have new twists to our common language, such as this masterpiece that I heard in a song:
‘If you commot oversea and meet ose nar you land, nar for balance’.
Over the years, it is quite obvious that, in addition to transforming our common language, some of our young people have transformed other aspects of our communication; they had come of age at a time when they drew their inspiration not so much from familiar cultural and historical norms, but from what was transmitted to them by the powerful forces of international communication and technology; what was transformative, as the society itself was opening up to new forms of economic and other business ventures. These young people had been exposed to a form of modernism and multi-culturism that owed more to Hollywood, the culture of rap, a passion for football and the use of the multimedia, than by anything infused into them by their parents and teachers. If we, the older generation, had not been in a hurry to change, if we had some recognition of the meaning of our relationship to the past, the youths were not so inspired. They were learning something new: tearing up the foundations of society and redefining their present; they had ventured into areas of development that their parents would not have looked at, only twenty five year ago, even if at times, part of that growth was frightening.
But there was one plus in favour of our young entreaupeneurs: they could travel and had been to various parts of the world never imagined by their parents. They had been all over Africa, Asia, the Americas, and to Europe, and had seen how others had faced the challenge of living in a global economy. In other words, they had thrown off the colonial idea that we in Sierra Leone, or anywhere else in Africa, could only develop by copying one model. But more importantly, they believed in the greatest strength known to human progress self-help, discipline, self-development and pride in what a nation can produce; and, most important of all, the dignity of labour: using their hands. Incredibly, even if they were not too well read, they had also mastered the various forms of modern technology, as far as communications was concerned.
During the past twelve months, the world has witnessed the movement for change, championed by young, highly educated people in the Middle East. Without the extraordinary tools of communications, I doubt whether that movement would have gained momentum:
As one analyst put it:
‘At the heart of it all are young people with access to social media, such as facebook, twitter, and e.g. Y frog so that they can express themselves in a variety of situations. Technology has in many ways from the contraceptive pill to the ipod, the blog and the CCTV expanded the space and power of the individual’.
I couldn’t agree more. Given its various applications, technology has been responsible for new research in crop production in much of Africa and other tropical areas; it had helped to slow down or eradicate some of the diseases plaguing us. It has changed the lives of our women and given a change to many of our children to have a decent life.
Mr. President, esteemed ladies and gentlemen, as Sierra Leone becomes increasingly urbanized, we can, with justification, be proud that we are taking a leap forward into the conservation of energy with plans to install solar lamps in our cities and towns; we will soon have the solar optic technology; but technology has also meant that we are in danger of becoming a nation of consumers, as opposed to being one of small scale manufacturers.

The second coming of the bellwether

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:17:28 +0000

Contemporary Sierra Leone and its march towards modernization in the age of twitter instant banking and other transactions.
The Sierra Leonean writer Syl Cheney-Coker reflects on his country’s past, present and future, as we seek to transform ourselves, and the direction of our development.
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:
On occasions like this one, it is customary for the speaker to use an arbitrary distinction in rank when addressing the assembled guests! Because some people hold high offices, or have achieved some esteem in their profession, they are considered ‘distinguished’. Others, mainly because of an inherited tradition, are referred to as lords and ladyships of a certain conclave. Then, there are those, thanks to an archaic but somewhat blatantly abused privilege, who are supposedly honourable. The rest, as though they straddle the bottom rung of the human ladder, are simply addressed as ‘ladies and gentlemen’.
I believe that when Homo sapiens took the first steps from our apelike ancestors towards an erect posture in Kenya or Tanzania, they were united in one purpose: to honour the dignity and indomitable spirit of the human race.
Consequently, I assume there was no distinction amongst them. Today, I wish to honour everyone other than the office of the President, with the same respect and courtesy, in the oneness of our humanity. Allow me, therefore, to dispense with all artificial divisions and to address you as esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen.
What I want to address is the relationship between the state of Sierra Leone and its people: what it has given to them; what they, in turn, have given to, or taken from the state, fifty years after we embarked on a journey of post-colonial development. We had a celebration, and I leave it to the historians to write about it. Now that the state is middle age, it is time to rethink our development strategy, as we move towards transforming ourselves from an underdeveloped nation to a developing one
As a writer, I have spent forty years writing about this country: its unique history, its sometimes unnecessary and painful explosions; but I have also tried to capture its hopes, dreams and potentials. Not a day has gone by when I have not thought about this country, no matter where I have been. So today, I speak to the collective: to Sierra Leone as a continuous entity; to the past that we have experienced; but, more essentially, to its future. I speak about the road not yet taken: especially its political, cultural and moral integrity, in memory of the nameless man, woman and child, whose blood, sweat and tears were the building blocks of our democracy. Without those qualities of morality and fairness, it is my belief that our development strategy will be hampered, and that we are likely to make some of the same mistakes in the future: mistakes that will be very, very costly.
Fifty years ago, our first Prime Minister, Dr. Milton Margai uttered these memorable words: ‘Independence means hard work’.
I remember those words as though they were said yesterday. In their ringing clamour, they were a challenge to all of us to take this country to great heights; it was an appeal to our nobility; the belief that we could, as a nation, swim in the same blood river together. We were one people; collectively, we could do good things. I was deeply moved by the idea of that oneness of being. It was a glorious time to dream, to hope, and to build.
But first, let us recall where we had come from, prior to that magical moment of being an independent nation. Long before British colonialists invaded these shores, other Europeans had been coming here. According to historians, Hanno the Carthaginian was said to have watered his ships, around AD500, in one of the bays surrounding Freetown.
Very little activity is recorded afterwards, until we come to the fifteenth century, when a certain Portuguese bandit named Pedro da Cinta arrived in 1462. Because he had drunk too much wine, or could not tell the difference between the pulsating Atlantic and a roaring lion, especially when he was looking at the beautiful women, he named this country Sierra Leona.
It is my belief, and I may be wrong, that it was from that date that the word Orporto entered our consciousness. Today, its many colourfull variants white person, black-white person, Europeanized African, etc., etc are now part of our vocabulary. In so many ways, because of the melting pot of our cultures, we are all Orportos; or, as the great Senegalese poet and president once described himself and others, cultural mulattoes.
During the first half century of its independence, Sierra Leone, like many other newly-minted nations, had to contend with numerous challenges. Some were natural outcomes of our response to the departing colonial class; others were of our own making, once we began to jockey for power amongst ourselves. Thus began the conflict between moral probity and political dispensations not always played out on ideological platforms. Using the most toxic human tools sectarianism, regionalism, ethnicity we allowed our ambitions to cloud our sense of judgment; eventually, the center did not hold: things fell apart; we had a senseless war with its horrific lessons. And we don’t have to remind ourselves about how terrible those lessons were for all of us.
In the past twelve years, it is quite obvious that we have made some significant progress towards transforming ourselves; building new identities. Yet, in some areas, the wounds are still there; and as though we have reverted to a deep sense of nihilism, it would appear that we have rejected all forms of order and discipline. Sadly, most of our energies are geared towards a single purpose these days: making money at all costs.
But let me remind you about what the great Spanish-born American philosopher, George Santana, once said:
‘Civilization is not measured by the tallness of our buildings or the size of our grain crops; it is about the quality of the men and women that a nation produces’.
It was not too long ago, when we used to bandy the phrase Athens of West Africa, that there was a group of men and women of whom this country could be very proud. Granted, some of them had anarchronistic ideas; others were scions of what could best be described as a pseudo-aristocracy not really prepared, by training or inclination, for the great sweep of African nationalism taking place across the continent. Some others, mainly because of how the post-independence governments had treated them, became disillusioned and disengaged from the society. But there is no doubt in my mind that they rose to the challenge of giving this nation their best, when called upon to do so.
I speak of men and women as heterogeneous but distinct as Raymond Sarif Easmon; Madam Honoria Bailor-Caulker, Aaron Cole, Sanisi Moustapha, Ali Ganda, Olayinka Burney-Nicol; Harry Sawyerr; Wadi Williams; Lettie Stuart, and, finally, John Joseph Akar. Born at the right time, endowed with basic principles, they lived in what might be called a golden age.
But time does not, and should not, cancel out the basic values that those fine Sierra Leoneans lived and died for: the values of decency, respect for others and oneself, and pride in what we can do. They expected most Sierra Leoneans to put the welfare of Sierra Leone above every other concern. If anything, i believe that as we begin to chart our transformative years, we should do so with some of those basic principles: things to do with how we treat ourselves, how we treat our environment, the values we pass on to our children, the emphasis we place on our health; and about reforming our educational and deeply unsatisfying legal institutions.
We can do these things whether we use Face book, twitter, texting, or, in my case, the now almost ancient emailing system; and not knives, machetes and stones.
Part of our inherited blessing is how, in spite of our multiple ethnicities, we have evolved a language common to all of us. Our common language is like our plasas; it is our wan pot; for better or for worse, we communicate in it.
Willy-nilly, in its many stylistic and structural forms, our common language of communication is Krio; and I make bold to say that it was a long time ago when any one group could claim it as its own. And that, esteemed ladies and gentlemen, is one of our pillars of strength; one of our enduring songs: we all nar wan; notto so?

Trafficking of Illicit Drugs risks reversing progress in West Africa

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:42:26 +0000

Over the last decade, West Africa has made encouraging progress. Violent conflicts which had blighted the region for many years have been ended. There have been real advances in development, health and education. Economic growth is accelerating. Democratic practice, although still not the norm everywhere in the region, is taking root.
But this progress is increasingly at risk from the threat posed by international drug trafficking and the criminal networks behind the trade. The smuggling of illegal drugs through West Africa, notably cocaine and heroin, has increased dramatically.
A decade ago the total seizures of cocaine in the region were less than 100 kilos. By 2009, this had increased to nearly 6,500 kilos. The World Bank estimated that cocaine with a street value of $6.8 billion was trafficked through the region the previous year.
This is not, of course, a problem restricted to West Africa. Across the globe, drug trafficking and the international organized crime behind it are placing increasing pressures on all legal and democratic systems. But countries emerging from conflict or violence are particularly susceptible to organised crime. Law enforcement can be weak while widespread poverty makes it easier for international criminal networks to penetrate and pervert the often fragile institutions of democratic states.
West Africa and other regions in Africa are not immune from these pressures. Indeed, they face three inter-related dangers from illegal drug trafficking. First, there is the threat from drug-funded corruption, which can corrode fledgling state institutions and undermine good governance and the rule of law. Second, there is the risk that drug traffickers link up with other criminal elements or, even worse, terrorist groups that may be trying to infiltrate and destabilize the region.
Finally, there is the harmful impact on the health and social cohesion of local communities caused by growing drug consumption by people within the region. Evidence of this disturbing trend is already apparent. According to a recent report from the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2009 around a third of the South American cocaine destined for Europe and shipped via West Africa was consumed locally.
Organizations such as the United Nations and the Economic Community of West Africa have already sounded the alarm about the growing scale of the threat and the dangers it poses to governance, security and democracy. Governments in the region are taking action to stem and disrupt the flow of drugs. But there remains an urgent need to accelerate and ensure a coherent response at the national, regional and international levels.
We need to take action now before the grip of the criminal networks linked to the trafficking of illicit drugs tightens into a stranglehold on West African political and economic development.
That can only be achieved through a strong, well- coordinated and integrated effort led by West African states with the strong backing of the international community. In particular, the region needs more help from those countries that are producing and consuming these drugs.
To help provide new impetus and solutions to this threat, a meeting of independent experts from within the region and the wider international community will be convened later this year.
The aim is to assess the dangers that drug trafficking poses to governance, security and democracy in West Africa and to propose concrete measures to combat this insidious menace.
We have already seen, in other parts of the world, the devastation that the trade in drugs can cause. It would be a terrible tragedy if drugs were again to plunge West Africa into conflict and destroy the progress and hard won democratic gains of recent years.
We must all come together to prevent such a disaster.
Kofi A. Annan, United Nations Secretary-General (1997-2006), Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation

‘Too Moss Wam Aht Nar Salone’

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:39:47 +0000

If you visit the Family Support Units of the Sierra Leone Police, spend an hour there and listen to the types of cases. Most of them are fighting and occasioning bodily harm. The bulk of the causes are simply what we call in Krio “Wam Aht”. We all agree that we were all born in the image of God but then we also know that people are diverse in so many ways. Some people will tell you that variety is the spice of life. They also say that it is a stupid mouse that knows only one hole. People should have alternatives in life, what other people call plan B. The other day M.B. Atilla was on the night line being interviewed by DJ Base. The program was very lively mainly because of the controversy that he generates. Quite a lot of callers were upset with him perhaps not very much for what he said but how he said what he said. But that is Atilla, ever fearless and ever nakedly blunt. That is all part of rights and democracy. You see we need to recognize that people have to exhibit differences from us. Definitely we cannot all be the same otherwise life will be awfully dull. Don’t you feel so? Just get all the controversial guys and send them to their own country and you see how drab life really is. Do not just try to be holier than the Pope.
When people take delight in been hypocritical and play the diplomatic game and in the process commit the sin of omission, they cause more harm than good. But of course these are the good guys. Really as they say we do not need to worry about what we cannot change. Yes change! Everybody wants some change to occur. The politician says so and the development workers also want changes in people’s lives. At least they all agree on that score.
Although the truth is always bitter, the two categories of people I have just mentioned are two different sets of people. While one relies on playing on the intelligence and gullibility of people. The other one tries to protect the dignity of people and build their capacities to be able to advocate making things go right with them. Because we do not accept that we are different, our expectations sometimes clash with each other.
Last Saturday, Universal Radio had Political Party representatives and other elections stakeholders and now, this thing about stakeholders. I was at a workshop sometime ago and told my colleagues that there are those who are stakeholders and there are those who hold the stakes. They never really asked me what I meant because they thought I was simply playing with words. No what I really meant was that those who hold the stakes are the stakeholders who manipulate the other stakeholders and have the power to actually stifle and grossly minimize the importance of the others. Just in case you do not know what we mean by stakeholders, these amongst us who either affect the issues or are affected by the issues. Aha now you are there.
Take the issue of interpreting the laws that we have. Normally lawyers, who often refer to themselves as learned give the final interpretations especially in the court of law. The stakeholders’ discussion on Universal Radio was trying to see whether the political parties have a right to do parallel registration or was it rather note taking, as others preferred to call their action.
You see this is what I have been saying in my articles on the electioneering process. There are so many ambiguities in our laws that we are left wondering what is what. Of course we do not expect to have all of the political parties to agree on the interpretations. But one lesson that we should all learn, including NEC is that every stakeholder is very important and critical if the election results in the final analysis is to be accepted by all. The worst that could happen is for losing parties to refuse to accept the results. Such a situation has in many countries been sure recipe for chaos. We definitely will not have the repeat of the Ivorian situation or that of Madagascar or Kenya to visit our small country. So to forestall this we have to accommodate varying views just so as to have all on board. Incidentally this is what democracy is all about-the minority having their say, but the majority having their way.
Granted that there have been problems with the gadgets for the registration but it is moving on in many places. I registered on Sunday, January 29 in Constituency 103, neighboring the recently notorious Constituency 104. There were not really so many people around and the first stage of the processinformation taking, snapshot and thumb print. I have a duplicate of what was recorded. I was not told the next step. I was only told that I will be told in due course. Well for me it is no wahala, but for citizens in far away depraved communities, it could be an issue. Never mind somehow we have to help with the process no matter how slow or flawed. Do we really have an alternative especially as we know now that not even half of the machines needed were procured because of short falls in the funding? One thing I observed while registering. It was that the registration team was not very courteous in the sense that some of them talked to people in very uncouth manners especially the unlettered that did not have documents like National ID, Passport or driving License. You see why the issue of National ID should have been decentralized and de-concentrated. No matter what, those other people who do not have National ID cards are still Sierra Leoneans. Some of them toil day and night to make their daily bread.
Oh my God! Why is it that it is always the poor and illiterate people who are targeted for harassment and rights abuse? Just try it. Go to any of the registration centers and pretend to be stark illiterate and you will have the curse of your life. What is painful is that some of the guys engaged in the process are mere half bakes who cannot even pronounce and spell people’s names properly. Yes this is part of the awful state of education we have come to find ourselves as a nation. No doubt, the registration gives our young people job opportunities but they have to be courteous to the voting population. Some of them demonstrate ample intelligence and courtesy.
Like I started this piece, there will always be diversity in our approaches to life. This is a fact of life and perhaps we need to tolerate and live with it and be more understanding as long as people do not go overboard.
You see in life, there is always a way out. There is no difficulty that cannot be surmounted. Those who have been trained in delta will tell you that if you cross the river in groups, the crocodiles won’t eat you. Our disagreements should be managed such that we all meet our common goal. At least politicians and civil society should both agree to fight for a positive change in the interest of the people. Anything short of this should be collectively challenged and eliminated in order to forestall any harm. We need to carve out our collective responsibility to bring about transformative leadership in our dear Mama Salone.
By Ben Cambayma

African Notebook

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:37:24 +0000

In about seven month’s time, Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will end his term of no return to State.
Going is not the issue but what legacy he will leave behind that would be value-added to possible settling down of Somalia from the rot of several years.
About that time too, the country’s parliament will end its mandate and new crops of legislators are expected to hotly contest the election whenever and if ever they are held.
In Somalia, everything, even eating times are sometimes on hold with many folks jokingly saying it all begins and ends in ”inshala.” (God willing).
But if current development is of any guide, President Ahmed is being seen partly as a man who tried unsuccessfully to keep the country on the move against all ends but was defeated by the odds.
He would be credited for keeping a firm stance against the dreaded Islamist Al-shabaab organization gaining a toe hold on Mogadishu, the capital, after dozens of tries-thanks to his cooperation with AMISOM, the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia.
But whether sides will be shifted was a guessing game and it was such imbalance that threw backers of Somalia into frenzy as to what would come up next.
Though President Ahmed’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) on many occasions had to sing for its supper, it was able to map out a solidarity leaning with AMISOM which stood by it to breast feed it.
But the Mission has had and keeps having its own shortfalls. There is the need for additional funding to keep it from tottering.
“It is to ensure that the force doesn’t run out of bullets,” explained one of its fighting members.
AMISOM is being bailed out by the UN but moves for it to be put under the UN umbrella remain a slow tortoise-like pace.
In a fit of laughter, a Somalian joker countered, “it is slowly turning out to be like inviting a centipede to dinner and after waiting several hours to check why the delay, you are told by the centipede, ‘I am putting on my shoes’.”
In New York’s diplomatic language, UN bureaucrats say privately, “it’s a damn hard to sell commodity.”
So while the train is on slow coach, the glance is cast on African states, some of which are on the economic limp, keeping their heads barely above the water line.
Never give up, seemed to be the AU’s hopes. Still undersized, the force is kicking hard to move to battle strength of 12,000 and some say to 17,000.
Perhaps, it can reach the figure in the long run but it will be the issue of constant supply of logistics and regular monthly salaries for the hard-pressed men and women that will bring the Somali problem to a quick end.
Looking at the present legislative structure, the often disputed office of Prime Minister is often touted as nuisance-value.
“Not so”, say self-confessed democrats in the parliamentary structure who do more talking than listening-“So much wrangling has gone on over the post that various holders have had nightmares.”
Current holder, Abdeweli Mohamed Ali was no sworn in despite initial boycott by dozens of Members of Parliament who opposed his nomination.
Considered by many as a new kid on the block, some jeered at him as “Johnny come lately” he has been able to hold the ground so far despite being occasionally overshadowed; others say, bullied by veteran politicians who claimed to have the blueprint for a better country.
But perhaps the greatest worrying factor remains Kenya’s military excursion into Somalia to tame the beyond the border excesses of the dreaded Al-shabaab.
You can say Al-shabaab fighters brought it on themselves but how long will the Kenyan military stay put.
Expected backing from nearby states has been slow in coming and support is mainly being said behind closed doors than in public. What was touted as a quick fix is slowly turning out to be a long haul.
Militarists will tell you, the longer the mission, the chances of it becoming a turn-off to even those who supported it in the beginning.
“Its got to be a surgical operation, swift and nose-bleeding,” growled a local warfare expert.
Would Kenyan soldiers stay put longer to drive home the message that the incursion is winnable? That’s a question the government of Mwai Kibaki needs to answer without delay. Would a solution be proffered in the midst of mind bugging activities as general elections in December and the recent International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of four top Kenyan officials?
Would there be space for them to be fitted as “matters pending?”
If what is seeping out is true, some insiders say, Al-shabaab is riddled by internal wrangling and leadership rivalry.
Its current unpopularity no doubt is linked to the group’s amateur handling of the famine episode which gripped the desert-stricken country late last year.
The fall outs are still there, people going to bed hungry, suckling mothers burying their fingers like rabbits do, to see what feeble crops are beneath the soil.
Al-shabaab’s undoing was to block food distribution from international humanitarian organizations to the million hungry.
The group is also suffering from recruitment crunch. One of its fighters complained, “Years back we were turning away several Somalis who were eager to join the movement. We had money coming in like rain. Now the tide has turned. We are lucky to get one email in weeks. Now we are slowly becoming yesterday’s people.

Letter from Freetown

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:33:30 +0000

I am much divided in my mind as to whether I should keep to my promise of last week or devote this week’s letter to the voter’s registration exercise that started on Monday 23rd January.
That fact that the long knife of the President was used this week should have encouraged me to keep my promise but I pray you will understand and put me in your debt about my view on this issue – we will definitely talk about it next week. The Presidential knife did not cut as deep as was expected by the public. Either the knife is dull or it was a nervous hand that cut the energy cake on Tuesday afternoon.
I don’t know quite what I feel about the failings of the registration process so far, my darling wife thinks I am being very unfair. However, I know what I felt when I heard one of the commissioners speaking on Radio Democracy Wednesday morning; a former colleague at Channel 4 in London would have called it extempore.
I will stop short of naming the commissioner, suffice to say, from what I have gathered since Monday, any of the commissioners could have extempore, when confronted with the failings of the National Electoral Commission. After all this is Sierra Leone, government ministers, officials and even party officials are free to do what they like, say what they like and dare you to challenge or question their action or statement.
We the ordinary, suffering and neglected citizens of Mother Sierra Leone are not “patriotic” enough, or know what is best for the country.
The registration has started, the computers and other equipments have been provided, shut up, read the newspapers or use your mobile phone, (even if you can’t read or have a mobile phone), to find out your registration centre, and GO AND REGISTER!!! Do you have a problem with that? After all, the National Electoral Commission is not the only institution in Sierra Leone that is not efficient.
Considering the time and money people spend especially in churches, I am tempted to question whether the God that Sierra Leoneans pray and worship so much with noise is the same God that created the average European, who spend less time praying, work more, save more, challenge their governments and other public institutions and are even generous to us, who pray every minute of our lives, asking God for forgiveness of our sinful ways, for money, for “a good husband,” (without asking yourself if you are good enough for a good husband) and for prosperity, without hard work and sacrifice on your part.
Please forgive me; and don’t pray for me. I have a very personal relationship with my God. I asked the question because we are so different; not for the better. Travelling around Kaffu Bullom this week, and listening to politicians and their supporters talking this week led me into the temptation of asking whether there is a different God to the one the White man prays to.
Imagine you are living somewhere in Europe and the biometric process is being introduced for the first time for voters to vote in the national elections that will determine who will be governing the country for the next five years, and there are reports of problems with the data machines or computers, and that people were unable to register.
The Press would go hay-wire and not on party lines; parliamentarians would have demanded explanations and answers and the Electoral Commissioners would be lucky if they keep their jobs. Yet, in Sierra Leone, we found ourselves listening to an Electoral Commissioner defending inefficiency in a process for elections that in my view are just as crucial as the one we had in 1996.
What we are practicing now in Sierra Leone is “Transitional politics” from war to peace and in 2007 a trouble-free transfer of power to another political party without any serious conflict. The future of Mother Sierra Leone and the relationship between the All Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) is of vital importance to every Sierra Leonean.
Each of us would be affected if the transitional period is allowed to take the wrong road. I firmly believe that it is in everyone’s best interest that the National Electoral Commission design, construct and manage a well- defined election process that will not bring their work into disrepute and more importantly, maintain a peaceful transition whether within the APC or within the SLPP or from APC to SLPP, as President Tejan Kabbah did in 2007, when he handed over power to Ernest Bai Koroma, against the wishes of many.
For now Mr. President, President Kabbah has the moral high ground. He presided over a fairly violence free elections which brought you to power.
It is no secret that the people of this country still loves President Koroma, but that they are not very fond of most of his government ministers and others either working in the government or for the APC. So don’t fool yourself that the APC will govern Sierra Leone forever, it is not possible. Yes, not possible any more. Indeed, if anything, history has taught us that there is always an end.
The APC family and their friends and supporters, seems to have forgotten that the SLPP were like that not too long ago. Arrogance, and a government with a face of denial about the state of affairs in the country and political bigotry. The APC road constructions, patchy electricity and foreign investors were the SLPP peace process, disarmaments, rehabilitation and reconciliation and the large UN security force has been replaced with the foreign investors.
On the other side of the coin was the quiet battle between President Kabbah and the International community. Does Michael Schulemberg come to mind …The suspicions, the doubts and of course the Press attacks. A BO UNA FORGET QUICK OH!!!
Mr. President take note; the APC rule will come to an end one day, and it is possible that by that time you would have long retired from politics. Today many of your supporters are fooling themselves about how long the APC can govern Mother Sierra Leone. Yes, you have been brilliant about the infrastructural development, the health care (and I hope more can be done), and of course your panache when it comes to attracting foreign investments.
But while all of these could be a bright light at the end of the tunnel for Mother Sierra Leone’s well-being that same light could just be the train with more goodies coming but this time, to crush the APC whilst delivering the goodies. It happened recently in Zambia …
Few politicians ever get the chance to reshape societies at a time of fracture. Oh yes, everyone can’t love you; you are not in politics to be loved, you are in politics to change the lives of people for the better. The SLPP found out the hard way, and as I sit here this morning, with no light, and no water, like thousands of my fellow country men and women, I know you are battling to reshape Mother Sierra Leone, with half empty coffers, mostly half-hearted and uncommitted but greedy people, pushing your “Agenda for Change” policy.
I see no signs that you have the imagination to reshape Sierra Leone.
Rebuilding Sierra Leone is one thing, but the peoples’ thoughts or way of thinking, their approach to work, and those around them, respect for the rule of law, the services the State provides, the products and services from the private sector, the conduct of government ministers, civil servants, police, the courts, the schools and of course the hospitals all need to be reshaped for a better Mother Sierra Leone. Any better imagination Mr. President before the train gets to the station?
By Winston Ojukutu-Macaulay Jnr.