Living under a sad illusion
I read with some amusement a headline story in the African Champion newspaper of Wednesday April 7; the paper has gained notoriety for fabrication and as a pro APC and currently leading propaganda organ of the government. The story had to do with the impending resignation of five former ministers of the former SLPP government of former President Tejan-Kabbah and to join the ruling APC party. (Photo: Dr. Sama Banya)
A characteristic of the African Champion is that it has become the self-proclaimed repository for anti SLPP grouses. The interesting thing is that the newspaper publishes its so called scoops without any qualm.
On the wall of my standard five classroom in Bo School during the second world war hung a photograph of the British navy’s flagship, the famous HMS Ark Royal. The caption read, “Although repeated sunk by enemy propaganda, HMS Ark Royal is still afloat undamaged.†So it is with most stories in the African Champion.
The odd thing about the newspaper story is that some of those named are reported front runners for the SLPP leadership contest. Some were very active in the recent national convention in Bo to amend the new Party constitution. But then the African Champion is not interested in logic; its desire is to wage a psychological campaign with the vain hope of demoralizing the general membership of our party. If the poor fellow would only stop for a moment and reflect on the enthusiasm and resilience of the general membership against all odds and the strides that are being taken to regain lost ground, he would advise himself to steer clear of such unproductive exercise. But then the editor simply can’t help himself; it is a habit that he inherited from his owner and former boss who is now the deputy minister of health and sanitation in President Koroma’s government.
Lawyer Sulaiman Banja Tejan-sie dealt adequately with the article itself in yesterday’s SLBC’s early morning programme ‘People and Politics.’ When Victor Sheriff wanted to resign from the SLPP he saw absolutely no need to go to the African Champion. He wrote directly to the Secretary-General and copied other relevant officials. But will the African Champion ever learn or change as a result of its repeated embarrassments?
I have at last read the report of the Secretary-General on Sierra Leone to the UN Security Council as prepared by his Executive representative Michael Schulenburg. I liked this man initially but then I soon realized that he was not really different from his predecessor the Portuguese Victor Angelo who instead of being shown the red card after Sierra Leone, was promoted by being posted to the Central Africa Republic where he does not appear to have achieved much. Readers may recall that this was the main architect of the west led regime change group in the 2007 elections. And now Schulenburg is laying the foundation for an APC victory come 2012. But 2012 will be different from 2007; we shall monitor every movement of the international community even before the whistle goes.
As for Christiana Thorpe who has now been joined by a new ally Stephen Mattia we shall ensure that we play strictly by the laid down rules and not how she perceives things LONTA!
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