STAYING ILLEGALLY IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY IS WRONG
We shouldn’t be having any big argument about this. Those who decide to use illegal means to enter a foreign country and exhaust their chances before immigration tribunals should be deported to the home country and their home governments should cooperate fully by providing the necessary papers to make that deportation possible.
We are saying this in relation to what happened in Germany the other day when some Sierra Leoneans turned up at a protest venue to register their displeasure about plans to deport failed asylum seekers and criminals from other West African countries carrying Sierra Leonean documents they picked up from God knows where. Hundreds of people are being deported daily from mainly the industrialized countries to Africa, Asia and South America. In fact recently thousands of Haitians were out on a plane and sent back to their country as they tried to enter the US from Mexico. So what is all this noise about?
As far as we are concerned, people can demonstrate as much as they want but German law must prevail in Germany. We also want to say the following to Principal and his government in this country.
1. We should never risk our relationship with a country as powerful as Germany by refusing to cooperate in the possible deportation of those Sierra Leoneans that have lost their cases against deportation in Germany. We know how Germany and possibly the European Union could react. Let’s not allow those countries to cut aid or diplomatic contacts with us because of a handful of Sierra Leoneans that will be deported anyway.
2. There are thousands of decent and law abiding Sierra Leoneans throughout the European Union area. We shouldn’t jeopardize their status by picking a fight with such powerful countries on behalf of people who entered those countries illegally and are now about to be deported after exhausting the chances through immigration courts.
3. As for those West Africa criminals who managed to get Sierra Leone papers and then committed crimes in Germany and are in prison we should simply let the Germans know we have nothing to do with them. Some of those claiming to be Sierra Leoneans in German prison don’t even know where the famous Cotton Tree in Freetown is. Are we going to make a case for such people? In fact we should be giving them a place to sleep at Pademba road for colluding with the criminals in our system that helped them lay hands on our travel documents.
4. Now we know why some have been funding and fuelling mayhem and destruction in this country. They are the same people who are all over social media telling the world Sierra Leone is burning because they want to boost their chances of staying in another man’s country. How wicked?
Those countries have a way of getting information from a country like Sierra Leone. They know what is happening and are not going to be fooled by a few guys lying daily to make this country look bad. They have embassies and other institutions here so forget it.
JOHN KEISTER AND OTHERS UNDER INVESTIGATION AT SLFA
Apology or no apology, John Keister, the coach of our national male football team, Leone Stars will finally be compelled to answer question before an SLFA panel investigating allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation of female players of our national team. Just a day before the formal announcement of that investigation was made Keister issued a statement trying to find his way out of a real mess of his own making.
We reported about a week or so ago about the way Keister tried to deal with a strike for pay and good conditions by the national under-20 female football team. His style was to threaten some of the girls in the team, telling two of them in a leaked audio that he would “fight” them and eventually get them out of the team. The audio has finally gone viral and social media outrage has forced the SLFA to announce the inquiry. Now Keister has put out a statement apologizing to the young ladies and vowing never to sin again. Let the investigation take place regardless.
First of all, Keister had no business getting involved, not to talk about all the threats he made. He has simply soiled his good boy reputation and now people are beginning to think about the goings-on in the Leone Stars camp. Here is a coach who after many years is still unable to deal with a small problem on the field of play jumping into another camp to threaten people for asking for their rights. How about finding a way of stopping Leone Stars conceding disgraceful LAST MINUTE goals all the time?
Why did Keister wait for the SLFA to announce an inquiry before issuing an apology he didn’t even sign? We want to tell Keister that we don’t find this funny at all.
We want the SLFA to release the name or names of those who will investigate the issue and their terms of reference IMMEDIATELY. We also ask the SLFA to make that inquiry open to the media. The good people of Sierra Leone should get the full details. We must end threats and bullying in our sporting disciplines.
AT LAST, STATE LANDS MORATORIUM LIFTED
The game is on again as the Ministry of Lands has lifted the moratorium on the acquisition of state lands. Following the sacking of Kung Fu Dennis, an inquiry was put in place to see how he got along during his acrimonious reign in the place. We remember his so-called Ministerial Order number one and his witchcraft hunting drive in which he totally disgraced an influential member of his own party inside the state office at Youyi building.
We also remember his unnecessary acts of calling attention to himself by stopping his vehicle on the main road out of Freetown, doing a Shaolin style photo-shoot for social media and having a big row with a former minister in front of the camera during a field exercise. The guy gave us a lot to write about but caused pains to private land owners around Freetown. We are waiting for the details of the report from that inquiry.
So the land mafia is returning to business. We have a lot of confidence in the new man in that ministry and we can only urge him to hold his ground against the mafia. It’s a very powerful group, well connected in society. They are violent, with gangs of young people who are prepared to do anything to satisfy their masters. We live in a democracy so we must NEVER allow violence to become a way of life. We are watching.
MAYOR DO SOMETHING ABOUT BEGGARS AT THE COTTON TREE
We drive by the Cotton Tree daily and we have observed that the number of beggars near the historic Tree and those spreading up State Avenue leading to State House continues to grow with every passing day. It’s one of those sights we hate to see particularly in that part of Freetown. There are many reasons why we have so many of them in that area and in such locations across our major cities.
It could well be that economic conditions have forced many people to take such desperate measures to survive or among those people are a hardcore who believe begging on the streets is easier than using their strength and talent to put food on their table.
1. We just can’t have so many Sierra Leoneans coming to that place daily to beg. It’s a shame. We have to find a way to reduce that number by some carefully designed social intervention as a first step. And the FCC should lead this effort again but they should first tell the people of this country what happened to their earlier effort.
2. We have to be honest some of those people would still go to the Cotton Tree daily even if they were given accommodation at Hill Station with hot meals and small pocket money. We should be firm with that small number and make it legally impossible for them to continue begging on the streets.
3. We urge Mayor Kemokai to please always remember to send people to that Cotton Tree area daily to clean after our beggar compatriots. Many parts of this city are in a mess but let’s keep the Cotton Tree general area very CLEAN. Thank You Mayor Kemokai.
Copyright © Politico Online 22/10/21
