ThinkTank

By Umaru Fofana

The Lomé peace accord had been signed. Foday Sankoh finally decided to come to Freetown after much dithering. And it took the then US Secretary of State Madeline Albright to make that happen. Days turned to weeks and weeks into months. Then he decided to visit the President’s Lodge at Hill Station. Yes to meet President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. But, perhaps, to also take an up close and personal look at the place he hoped he would one day occupy. That was not to be. He was to die much later.

By Umaru Fofana

Like with previous cabinet reshuffles in the last five years, more often than not done on a Friday, there has been fevered speculation in the last few weeks about an imminent shakeup in government. Less than one year since the last. Well you have to believe the rumour mill, the speculation and conjecture, considering that it seems to be the pattern in recent years.

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By Umaru Fofana

By Umaru Fofana

By Umaru Fofana

“With the guns silenced, oil money and Chinese investment started to flow. New wealth granted… [the ruling party has] the means and the incentive to hold on to government and systematically entrench its members in every echelon of…life. [Their]…dominance stems from the complementary forces of ‘monopolistic politics’ and ‘monopolistic economics’…The oil revenues make it easy to buy support ...the benefits are substantial for those who adhere to and prove loyal to the party, but unavailable to those who are in opposition.”

By Umaru Fofana

There are many things we accept in Sierra Leone as right. Not necessarily because they are but because they are regarded as the norm or because they suit our convenience or are soothing to our ears. Even when such things are the law we ignore the spirit behind that law and concentrate on the letter of the law, interpreted in a way that is skewed to please especially those in authority. One such is the prerogative of the president to hire and fire, at will.