By Tony Bee, Sydney, Australia :
Brothers and sisters in the struggle against indiscipline and corruption in our beloved country, Sierra Leone, honestly speaking when I read from one of the most informative and credible Sierra Leone online newspapers “Sierra Express Media” of 6th June 2014, captioned “Minority leader blasts colleagues for not attending parliamentary sittings”, my mind rang like a school bell in refection to the days when I was in primary and secondary school in Freetown during the 70s. Therefore, I printed the newspaper and made it part of my news as a presenter of our Sierra Leone community radio two hours program in Sydney, Australia. FM 88.9 Radio Skid Row, from 7pm to 9pm, Australian time news program, for those who could reflect and refresh their minds to such behavour when they were in primary and secondary school.
ANTHONY CONTEH
It really sounds very interesting and amazing to me like any other Sierra Leoneans that have been in the habit of leaving School Company before time (2pm). The school closing hour in our days or those who left classes just after the class teacher finished calling the class row register in the morning or afternoon. We normally call such boys and girls the “kekeway or kekiers or Jacob school boys and girls” in our local language” Krio” (truancy) boys and girls. Some of the mentioned students were those that used to bribe the teachers to pass them during examination period because they did not have anything in their heads to face the exams’ papers. However, there were others who were too smart enough than the others because they used to ask some of their friends to give them their class note books to copy form their notes. And during examination time, they also usually bribe their teachers so that he or she the (teacher) can allow the particular student/s to take the class exams.
Have you seen how corruption is a chronic disease in the country? Therefore, I am not a defender of APC government in terms of corruption, because APC government has some “Kokobehs” government officials that are fighting tooth and nails to destroy the good work and intentions of our God given President, President Ernest Bai Koroma, through corruption activities. President EBK, a man who does not value the worldly material things of this planet. In view of that is main concerned is to see that the lives of his fellow Sierra Leoneans that put him into power improve by all costs, especially those of the poor and needy in the country before he will take his political back seat.
But there are corrupt elements in his government that never satisfied in acquiring ill-gotten wealth at the expense of the nation. The Satanic wealth that they will not take along with them into their graves to go and bribe for the type of punishment that they will have to receive for acquiring corrupt wealth at the expense of the poor people. When they die they will have to leave everything behind to go and give account of their wicked deeds on earth. However, truly and honestly speaking as patriotic Sierra Leonean, corruption in the country is not a matter of present President Koroma APC Government Issue as the unpatriotic fanatic partisans who are also corrupt individuals in the country labeled it to be.
In view of that anyone can support or deny this statement that many Sierra Leoneans are generally born corrupt or inherited it or learned it as a culture in the country. Therefore, regardless of any amount of salary increase that any government may give to some Sierra Leoneans they will still not be satisfied. In fact that will be the time, when they will become more of “Oliver” ask for more Sierra Leoneans. in view of that, they will still take or ask for bribe directly or indirectly and at the same time performing corrupt activities including, undervaluing of goods, aiding tax innovations, containers, land grabbing deal, under table contracts approval and self centred interest government contracts’ agreements in their offices for their egoistic purpose at the detriment of the nation. This is why the current patriotic hard working father of Sierra Leone modern and Africa politics, President Koroma led APC government is finding it a bit difficult to break or destroy all the syndicates of corrupt practices in the country, because unpatriotic corrupt Sierra Leoneans do not want to change their wicked bad attitudes and behaviours for the betterment of the ordinary poor masses and the country
The current attitudes and behaviours of some of the Members of Parliaments (MPs) alleged signing of MPs morning registers and disappeared from the well of Parliament and at the end of each month they collect their salaries is no exception from corrupt practices. It is another real form of broad day light corrupt activities. They are robbing the country’s economy and the people they are pretending to represent in Parliament.
In fact it is an act of unpatriotic attitudes. It is also an act of lawlessness and indiscipline that we are always talking about in the country. Lowliness and indiscipline in the country do not only exist amongst okadas and commercial vehicle drivers (poda-poda). But it is an overall issue/s that includes some government officials, opposition political party members, educational institutions, private officials and individual market man and woman in the Streets.
If a man or woman who makes the law cannot obey it who do you think is going to obey it? They the (MPs) that should have been the most law abiding people in the country unfortunately they are the most disobedient and indiscipline citizens of their own laws, by not attending parliamentary sittings accordingly and by also parking their vehicles any where they may want to park them. Some of them when their colleague patriotic parliamentarians are working very hard through their different parliamentary committees to help president Koroma in fighting against the infested HIV/AIDS and Ebola corruption diseases in the country, by frog-marching some of the unperforming corrupt government, parastatal and private intuitions they are making play boys and play girls games in their homes and hotels. At the end of the month they go and receive their salaries. BARBOO WOK MONKEY EAT.
Therefore, such unpatriotic and un-nationalist attitudes and behaviours by the so-called MPs raises many serious questions such as why did they opt to go to parliament for? Is it to go and enrich themselves and their families only at the expense of the poor suffering people? Why were they been fighting others in their constituencies for parliamentary seats for? Why did they tell their poor people to vote them in, to represent them, knowing that they are incompetent? Is it because of the constituencies’ allowances and the lump sum salaries that they are currently receiving or to go and discuss about the development of their constituencies and the country’s burning issues how to solve them?
The present attitude and behaviour of the shylock unpatriotic MPs “kekeway or Jacob school boys and girls” is an indicator that many Sierra Leoneans that fighting day in and day out to go into politics is no doubt that their aim is to go and make quick riches at the detriment of the nation. But not for the interest of the country’s progress and development, going in the morning only to sign register and disappeared or not attending parliamentary sessions at all like Jacob school boys and girls is a cheating to the nation. You cannot be an MP or a Minister at the same time you are a businessman or woman.
If you want to be a businessman or woman resign from your parliamentary seat or minister’s position and go to your business to avoid what we called conflict of interest. So that you can give chance to those who really have love for their people and the country to take your parliamentary seat or minister’s position. But you cannot be signing parliamentary salary vouchers without doing the job for which you are paid for, it unfair to God and man. You are some of the enemies’ of peace, progress and development in the country.
If you fail to go and make laws and contributions to other parliamentary debates, then why are you calling yourself MP? MP who cannot ask parliament or government for a very good developmental project program for his or her constituency because he or she is always absent during parliamentary sittings. In fact such MP will not even know what is going on in the House. Therefore, they only depend on asking their colleagues for briefing like the kekeway or Jacob school boys and girls who used to borrow their friends note books to copy notes from them.
However, I think it is very important for any true and honest patriotic Sierra Leoneans to say a big thank you to the SLPP Minority Parliamentary Leader, Hon Dr. Bernadette Lahai for bringing out such important issue to the notice of the general public and we should also thank the speaker, Hon. Sheku B. B. Dumbuya for buttressing Hon Dr. Lahai’s concerned for the nation. She is one of the Sierra Leonean types of leaders that we will like to hear from, listen to and see in the body politics of the country because of her patriotic and nationalistic attitude and behaviour.
However, Mr. Speaker, I think it is your responsibility to set a good precedent against such unpatriotic attitude and ungodly behaviour of the said MPs. And if possible I would like to suggest that ACC should call the corrupt MPs to go and give account of their deeds. Sierra Leone should be seen as a country of law and discipline nation in the world. Parliament is not like a school or college where students can borrow notes or bribe to get their way out, either by cash or in kind bribing to mark them present or pass them with good grades at the expense of others. Therefore, MPs should NOT depend on their colleagues briefing because they were absent from parliamentary sessions. They are suppose to be present always as required of them.
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