Monkey off their back!
The attitude of our country’s politicians and leaders for neglecting key issues and affairs of Sierra Leone, only to intervene and jump in after a disaster and deaths of citizens is outrageous epithets to say the least. These neglects have, on countless occasions, caused atrocious, egregious, fiendish and nefarious suffering for the people.
The total execrable condition of our city to include years of deplorable housing conditions in the inner city, unbelievable filth and garbage all over the city, houses with poor states of toilet facilities and drainage and the lack of clean drinking water contributed to our current cholera outbreak. Why do you have to wait till after the deaths of about 250 citizens to come up with a Presidential Task Force to clean the city and provide clean drinking water for your subjects? Why do you have to wait for the death of your people you governed to declare a state of emergency?
Sierra Leone has been a State of Emergency since President Kabba’s era when it came a filthy, garbage ridden the lack of pure and clean drinking water for the people. H. E President Koroma should have declared a state of emergency the day he was inaugurated in 2007 to create a task force to clean the city, put system in place to collect garbage, inspect housing codes to include toilets facilities and develop ways to improve our water system.
That notwithstanding, the current cholera outbreak is a big blow to our image as a nation and tourism for our beloved country. Personally, I voiced all these concerns on numerous occasions on national television and radio programs to include STAR radio, Universal Radio, Mouth Ariel radio to name a few in December 2011 and in March 2012 when I went to Sierra Leone to register to vote for our upcoming elections. All those cries went on deaf ears to our leaders in Freetown. During one of my visits at State House in December 2011, I pointed a pile of garbage by the fence of State House off on Pademba Road to the authorities at State House.
What really disturbed me is the mere fact that President Koroma and all the leaders to include Government Ministers drive on these filthy streets, walk on these filthy streets. Why can’t they see these pathetic ills and find ways to cure them way before it becomes a catastrophe, deaths and sufferings for the people? After-all, this is why they were elected in the first place to serve the people. Change of attitude starts from the top. When leaders are bent on monkey business and not give a monkey’s for our country needs, the people suffers and the nation bleeds.
One of the death statistics is my dear Aunty Haja Marie Dainkeh. She died four hours after suffering from the cholera last month. Our family is still mourning her death and all Patriotic Citizens are mourning the death of the all the people affected and killed by the cholera outbreak.
Don’t get me wrong, Present Koroma has done tremendously well when it comes to infrastructural developments, increase investment and business tolerance in his five years as President. However, the lack of sustainable existing structural maintenance is awful and repugnant.
Look at Youyi Building for example. This building housed about nine (9) top Ministries to include the Presidential office, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Local Government, ABC Secretariat to name a few. Youyi building is out of an elevator or lift for months now. Only recently I read that the lift has been purchased and it’s on its way from China and it will take about two to three more months for delivery and replaced. Many of us have been crying for the deplorable condition of the building since last year.
Another example is the main Sierra Leone Post Office. This building is an eye sore to the public and a shame as a nation. Failure to upkeep existing structural developments in our country can be seen as selfish and blind leadership. It’s all fine and dandy to build new roads, but what about the pot holes all over the country on the existing roads? We have seen how developed nations all over the world are focusing on repairs and maintenance of their landmark buildings and historic buildings and structures. Only in Sierra Leone you will hear people naming roads as Old roads and New roads. Don’t try to drive or walk on old roads.
I will go on and on but will leave that for another time as I intend to focus on the destructive and poor judgement of the cholera issue in Sierra Leone. I am hoping the current President Task Force will not only be a warming seat for members, but a concerted and inclusive effort to be more proactive in the future. Let’s don’t wait till a major disaster and deaths for our people to do something or formed a Task Force. That is wrong and destructive thinking. We can do better than that.
Finally, why wait for anticipated and serious disaster to kill a whole neighborhood or household in the slumps or household and call the press and TV personnel for photo ops and merger monetary donations like you care?
Leadership that truly cares must be proactive in solving problems and anticipates foreseeing disasters to prevent them. A sustainable mechanism must be in place to collect garbags on a daily basis.
I am only a patriot that is making the loudest noise for progressive change for our nation.
May God bless our country Sierra Leone.
By Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, President, Patriotic Sierra Leoneans-PSL
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