RELAXING RESTRICTIONS AS EBOLA FADES AWAY
There's a new lease of life in Sierra Leone these days, well since De Pa relaxed travel restrictions he slammed on the nation at the height of the Ebola epidemic, using emergency powers. Road transport buses have returned to Kenema for example and the mood of the nation is up again. Slightly, it must be stressed.
His last nationwide address went down very well. But there was a bit of a PR blunder. Here's what we mean: social media was boiling for hours with a small statement credited to De Pa's communication unit, serving notice the speech would be out at 8pm. So for the first time in many months, we tuned in to SLBC which has eroded in content more than at any time in its history. Then the SLBC decided they could break the embargo without consequence. The speech was broadcast at 6 PM. Why was that? We later learned that the State House communications had actually recanted their alert to say that the speech would air at 6 PM instead. What changed for the time to have been brought forward? It is called indecisiveness at the presidency. The other day the president was meant to make a statement at 8 Pm, announcing the so-called Western Area Surge or so, and it did not happen until the following morning. We know what went wrong and we will bring it to you in due course. But for now, we have a few comments to make about the issues De Pa raised in his latest speech. Please bear with us sir, in a democracy citizens are able to freely comment on statements from the biggest power in the land. Otherwise, we would be called North Korea.
SPEECH “...at the same time as we embark on the second phase of the Western Area Surge, we have decided to ease the restrictions on trading hours in the Western Area. Trading hours on Saturday will now end at 6pm. However, restrictions of trading on Sundays remain in force.”
TWITTER - We absolutely agree with De Pa on this. In fact, let's ban Sunday trading in all our cities up and down this country. Look at what Congo Market had become recently. The traders and the criminals that accompany them had crept upon Campbell Street, the main arterial link and were possibly heading for Dundas Street and beyond. So let's end that forever. There's nothing wrong with doing same for Friday. We say so to avoid any accusations of religious bias since we also have Muslims who have a right to a quiet that the noisy street traders deprive them of.
While on this business of relaxing measures, can the banks now also re-adjust opening hours? From the outset we refused to be told to believe that closing down two hours early would stop the spread of Ebola. If anything, they just created a claustrophobic condition for customers during the few hours they are open and when "the system is up". We understand some of them – like ECOBANK – have extended by an hour. But can we appeal that they all revert to the pre-Ebola banking hours.
SPEECH – “... as we move towards our target of zero cases by 31st March, hazard pay for Ebola Response Workers and health workers will be removed at the end of March. We are reviewing the needs of the sector as a whole, to ensure we are able to transition towards a stronger and more resilient healthcare system.”
TWITTER - We agree with this too. This will sure not win many votes but it's a smart move. We don't share the views of some of our people that some healthcare workers had come to depend on the hazard pay so much they wouldn't mind our war against Ebola going on throughout 2015. But it's something we've heard a lot on the streets.
We want to tell De Pa, and he probably knows that building a "strong and resilient healthcare system" would take more than his 10-year tenure that is coming to an end now. But we like this point and we will defend it as stoutly as we will oppose any attempt at extending De Pa’s tenure by a day beyond February 2018.
SPEECH – “Starting on the 1st of February, we will implement a more rigorous system of payment for hazard pay...Any persons found to have falsified lists or taken advantage of the system will be investigated. We will not let the heroic works of our burial teams, swabbers, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, surveillance officers and others be tainted by those wishing to take advantage of the situation for their own personal gain.”
TWITTER - Well, we've been waiting for strong action since the Ebola Response chief went on radio to announce that crooks had entered the system and were busy stealing big money from the people. Pallo Conteh, who has a strange way of pronouncing the word “Ebola”, threatened and threatened but we are in the same place. We endorsed his sacking of the rude and unethical Kenema burial team but now it appears he acted decisively only on that occasion. Does he have something to tell us?
SPEECH – “... we are well into putting modalities in place for the safe re-opening of schools. Our target date is the third and fourth week in March. Towards this, we have designed a Schools Re-opening Programme that will ensure the following actions.”
TWITTER - Reopening schools is a big risk to take O' De Pa. But it's worth it - many of our girls are becoming pregnant with amazing rapidity. It’s ironical, isn’t it! When we thought sex was becoming unattractive for fear of Ebola, others were on the prowl. The men causing the havoc are doing it unchallenged in many cases. So let's get the girls busy again.
However, by saying schools, does that also mean tertiary institutions? The point is, they once told the nation that if they didn't return to business by February, the academic year would be lost. De Pa now says, end of March is his target. Can De Pa please clarify this? We don't want to hear the voice of that education ministry PRO. The guy who surrendered our sovereignty to WHO.
Did WHO have anything to do with De Pa's statement, Mr. PRO? We don't even know how this PRO of a man was recruited. Well…like with many other recruitments these days, we know the criterion that is used. LODDA MERCY, SALONE!
DE PA STRIKES A HUGE HAMMER ON OBALEH KINGDOM
It will take about two weeks of hard work by our very competent investigative journalists to unravel the true story behind the surprise sacking of the NATCOM board, headed by King Obaleh. Yes indeed, De Pa struck at NATCOM like a thunderbolt, clearing out commissioners who were only a year into a five-year mandate and second timers who looked very secure in that lucrative position. What's going on?
What we can say right now is that De Pa took this decision because he thought, like in the case of the Ebola war, extraordinary problems required extraordinary solutions.
We know, without a doubt, that NATCOM had become a kind of Tower of Babel. A section of the professionals were clearly unhappy about the approach of some on the new oversight board and small camps were forming, clearly harming institutional goals. King Obaleh hasn't spoken since his board was sacked but some people are talking to us.
We have reason to believe that those Friday sackings that were so popular in the early days of De Pa's rule are back. Many big guys are beginning to hate Fridays again.
Nenneh Umu of the house of justice is also now gone. We recently pleaded with our lady not to hold on till the bitter end. It turned out she was determined to do so. Now we've seen the fire behind the smoke released by Josie Kay of ACC.
THE BIG GUYS ARE GATHERING IN OIL-RICH SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia has always been a magnet, pulling the most powerful countries in the world - Kings, Queens, Prime Ministers, President, they are all pouring into the place to, on the face of it mourn with the people of that country for the loss of their King. How about that?
Ok, it's great display of support to the country at this time but many of the big guys are also going in personally to keep the oil pipeline open and to have a word in the ears of the new king about those big contracts in defence and construction and for Saudi money to continue backing up some economies – government bonds, yes.
Fighting Ebola or not, if this country was so tied up with the oil kingdom, we would have urged De Pa to fly away to the land of oil. When the president of Zambia died recently, we saw a lot of diplomatic condolence messages. Even in Africa, only a handful turned up to say hello.
Somehow, many Sierra Leoneans believe that in the not-too-distant future we shall announce a big oil find. When that day comes, Ebola or no Ebola, the airlines will continue operating here, PR companies and lobbyists will help clean the dirt some of them have deliberately smeared our name with and like the rich kid in the playground, we would have many friends.
Let all Sierra Leoneans shout Amen!
THE SALONE COMMERCIAL BANK QUESTION
We mentioned something about the problems besetting our only two state-owned banks – wholly or partially. SLCB and Rokel Bank reported millions of dollars of losses and we are still investigating what led to their boards being dissolved or going somehow.
Meanwhile while we postulated on it last week, came the following reaction from the Chairman of one of the Boards:
“To: [Twitter]
From: W R Bankole Johnson
21st January, 2015
"POLITICO NEWSPAPER" - Re: "TWITTER" ON SLCB BOARD DISSOLUTION - DATED 21-01-15
Bank of Sierra Leone statement broadcasting the recent dissolutuion of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank Ltd Board, was craftily couched so as not to connote culpability and or a neglect of our strategic responsibilities as a Board, or to impute and or impunge, on the hard won reputation and character of either myself as the substantive Board Chairman for 12 months, or any of the other members of the recently dissolved Board. At least, that much was agreed between myself and my other former Board colleagues WITH THE BANK GOVERNOR, and any attempt to indirectly renege on that tacit "gentleman's agreement", whether indirectly or vicariously as the case may be so open to public misinterpretation, OUGHT to be speedily corrected in our mutual interest. And this is what I now seek.
Accordingly unless you have tangible documentary evidence to the contrary, and in the interest of further edifying your esteemed global readership, you may wish to publish an immediate CLARIFICATION, that the inferences and or insinuations in your "TWITTER" Page of Wednesday 21st January to wit:
"......THE TWO INSTITUTIONS HAVE MESSED UP, LOSING BIG CASH IN THE PROCESS........CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE IS ROCK BOTTOM AND SACKING BOARD MEMBERS WHO TOOK THEIR EYES OFF THE BALL AT CRUCIAL TIMES IN THEIR OVERSIGHT DUTIES, REPLACING THEM WITH FRESH BROOMS.........",
does apply to me Winstanley. R Bankole Johnson personally as the former substantive Board Chairman of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank Ltd in particular, or any of the Board Directors in general, as was constituted prior to the recent dissolution of that Board.
Thanking you very much for your anticipated co-operation.
W.R.Bankole Johnson
Former Chairman
Cc: All Former SLCB Board Director
© Politico 27/01/15
