To whom should opposition members direct their criticisms?

I don’t attend news conferences especially the weekly showcase ones organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications. However from the various news items as reported in the media I have concluded that they are well attended. (Photo: Dr. Sama Banya)

At least the minister must be credited for bringing to the attention of the public the doings of the government even if some of the achievements may be exaggerated, or claim is made on what others had initiated. In most news conferences that I have viewed or that I have heard reported elsewhere, questions are put to the presenters. But I have this impression of the Ministry of Information news conferences that the flow is a one way direction. There have never been reports of specific questions that may have been put to the presenters. On both radio and in the press it is usually the minister said this or said that etc., etc. If this is so then it must be a sad chapter in the government’s way of disseminating information. I am waiting for clarification and until it comes I shall remain with my assumption more especially as ministers make controversial statements at those conferences and there have never been any reports that they were asked for clarification. It is not so much a reflection on the government functionaries as on members of the news media who ought to ask questions.

With respect to the memory of the late young publisher Tumoe, “if I were man enough I would ask  why nobody took the Minister of Mineral Resources to task on his criticism of the SLPP flag bearer aspirant Julius Maada Bio. It has been reported in the Concord Times Newspaper that the minister declared that Maada Bio should direct his criticisms at his colleagues the other flag bearers in the opposition SLPP instead of at the APC government. Again because of the absence of any further information, I am not sure that anyone dared to ask the minister on what principle he based his statement. Here is a very senior member of the ruling party being quoted as having made what can only be a ridiculous statement. How could anyone ask that the members of the opposition or indeed of any other political party should be criticizing each other rather than the target of their activity? An opposition party,  in this case the SLPP,  IS A GOVERNMENT IN WAITING and therefore ours is to bring out the weaknesses, the shortcomings and particularly the  divisive actions and regional bias; why must Maada Bio or any member of the opposition ignore such grave errors of judgment and indulge himself in unnecessary infighting, to what purpose?

We boast that we have a surfeit of potential leaders of this country any of who is capable of being head of state. Who will take any aspirant for the leadership tussle seriously if he devoted any time to self-destruction? The people who had such tendency, whose creed was “Me or no one else!” have mercifully left the party. Thanks to God’s Grace we have stood very firm, losing only a handful of people and are now galvanizing ourselves to win the hearts and minds of our people whose eyes are now wide open, commercial propaganda and hero worship notwithstanding. But for my present assignment in the party I would have begun a series on the strength and virtues of almost every aspirant, never mind suggestions to criticize them.

Citizens are incensed that after the initial demolition in Lumley two houses whose position is so very conspicuous are still standing. It is my gut feeling that it is just a matter of time and the plan for the whole stretch of land would be fully executed. However it is a sign of the times that we should not take our people for granted any longer.

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