Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations

Charles Dickens was a successful novelist and playwright who lived in the 19^th century. He had 15 novels to his credit, none of which has been out of print. In my younger days I read a few including A Christmas Carol, the Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two cities and Great Expectations. This latter began as a weekly series which ran for about nine months before being collected and developed as a novel. A Tale of Two Cities was centred on the French Revolution which got rid of the rich and unconcerned French aristocrats and nobility. I liked the beginning which read thus, of “It was the Best of times; It was the worst of times,” with a Queen sitting on the throne of England and a King on the throne of France or some such arrangement. The “Great Expectations,” was about a young man Pip who aspired to be gentleman and win over the beautiful Estella. Attention was drawn to Social Justice and commenting on the inequalities of Victorian society. The novel is about dreaming and tells you “To reach for the moon because you might end up among the stars.”

It was indeed the best of times under the SLPP when there was impartiality and total involvement in the governance of the country. Not only did everyone and every region participate in governance, but everyone appeared to so participate. The means to production was fairly distributed countrywide, and ones advancement depended on ones suitability and ability to perform. From a war torn and ravaged economy people had the feeling and the satisfaction of belonging. The moon and not the stars was the objective and by golly, didn’t people use their potential to the full?

Three years ago we were made to believe in a coming Utopia, to expect and believe in a country that was going to be turned around, yes, completely rebranded in a matter of some thirty-six months. We were urged, nay exhorted to change our attitude and all would be well. This country was tog to be run like a business entity where the enterprising would be propelled forward because of their expertise. There would be equal opportunity for all. It was like Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations.

We were naïve enough to believe that it would be a continuation of the previous theory and practice of “Equal Opportunities” for all. Investors were going to be falling over each other, especially in a specially convened London showcase conference for Sierra Leone.

And so as the clock ticks, not slowly, but uncomfortably much too fast for the star players, the people wait. But instead of waiting with hope and confidence, they have to nurse empty stomachs, put up with massive unemployment particularly among the younger generation who account for some 40 percent or more of our population. The youth of Kono were hoping to pounce on the number Eleven Plant sand trailing with vigour, something that was promised to them if they voted APC; instead of which all they heard was a thud, reminiscent of how America’s first Satellite hit the ground a few seconds after takeoff.

Yes, the people were told to reach for the moon and not to accept anything less, not even the prospect and excitement of finding themselves among the stars. There is a lot of noise over the prospects of dividends from both Africa and London minerals respectively. But there is an interesting erratum which my friend Alpha Kanu refuses to mention, let alone admit. Were both mining companies part of the country being turned around in 36 months propaganda or are they a consequence of the declaration? Could IB who is aufait with every giant administrative strive that this administration has taken, tell us when Oil was discovered in our offshore territory and what progress had been made before September2007? (Photo: Dr. Sama Banya)

They say that youth is always in a hurry and how true. PEL Koroma is so impatient to catalogue the APC government’s achievements in 36 months that the impetuous youth would not wait to hear it from the lips of the generalissimo himself in his September 17 message, but has gone ahead and spilt it all in a whole no-space page of the Concord Times newspaper of Tuesday September 14.

Trust Puawui, I have refused to read it and prefer to wait and hear about all those fantabulous achievements from bossman himself. How naughty and cheeky of you PEL to leak those sacred secrets to the press. As for his ministers as well as the APC’s African champion newspaper, they’re spending all their time (what a waste of energy) informing a thoroughly disillusioned and skeptic population of the plans for the next 24 months following on September 17. Let us get the glasses out, but then who can afford the Champaign when one has to buy a bag of our staple food for no less than 120,000 Leones?

All the same, CHEERS IN ADVANCE!

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!