4 March, 2008

Adeyemi Paul, USA

Why was Sylvia Blyden invited to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)?

The Proprietor and CEO of Awareness Times, Dr. Sylvia Blyden, was issued a summons today 4 March, 2008 to report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Freetown, Sierra Leone, at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, 5^th March, 2008 over an article and cartoon featured in her newspaper, “Awareness Times.”

I think we are reverting to the “old APC” regime we once knew, where one does not have the right of “Freedom of Expression.”  How can one be brought to questioning for an ordinary cartoon?  This is the most ridiculous thing that is slapping us in the face, time and time again, first Johnathan Leigh with the APC Kemoh Sesay, and now Dr. Sylvia Blyden!  Who will it be tomorrow?

Is the APC back as it was once known, where one cannot voice their views on issues?  How can a peaceful, law abiding citizen be questioned by the government on her opinion?  I thought we were practicing “democracy,” but we are not even close to it.  The Western world, which we always copy from, makes fun of their leaders, even worse than the fun Dr. Blyden poked at our current leader.

Reflecting back on the recent elections, we were encouraged by His Excellency, the President, Ernest Koroma to come out and strongly express our human rights and our political allegiance.  Why is it different today, when a citizen is trying to express their political views on important issues regarding Sierra Leone?  In this case, it is not about being SLPP, APC, nor the PMDC – but the fact of the point is about each and every Sierra Leonean being issued the same rights of “Freedom of Expression.”  Human Rights are not something we have to buy, or credit from anyone, they are our bona fide rights and no one should stop us from exercising them at any time. 

I am not bringing this to light because it is APC, Awareness Times/Dr. Sylvia Blyden, but I feel the need to be objective on the issues that are affecting us at this time when we are expecting change in our country.  I respect each and every Sierra Leonean, young or old – in that regard we all should be given the same right as a citizen.

In the article below, I see nothing offensive to anyone, but a citizen who is trying to exercise her “Freedom of Expression,” by explaining to our leader her concerns as to the advice he is listening to. 

Who is fooling Ernest Koroma into de-facing his own image?

Some people are fooling the President of Sierra Leone that his popularity is untouchable. These are the same kind of people who fooled the last Government into complete complacency.

But is the President’s popular image still intact or is it more of a lopsided, upside-down one, fast assuming an autocratic veneer? Take a look at our caricatures and the accompanying texts at the bottom of this page after this commentary.

Does the President realize how badly he is hurting his image with his silent acquiescence insofar as Musa Tarawallie’s Bo activities and Pastor David Conteh sufferings at Brookfields are concerned?

Look at the hardship in the land. Can the President really afford to antagonize and intimidate people rather than cajole them as he should be doing?

Does Koroma really believe Bo Town can be subdued or forced to submit to red? Was SLPP ever able to sway Bombali to green? Food for thought for those fooling the President that his 30,000 kamajor allegiance exists! Ha!

The 30,000 so-called kamajors are simply HUNGRY and Koroma is the new Kanka-Di-Kor (Moneybags) for them to feed upon! They are hungry… hungry… hungry! Just like the vast majority... Almost everyone is hungry right now as the price of foodstuffs has skyrocketed.

Just two days ago, unruly students actually blocked the Presidential Convoy along Siaka Stevens Street (between Wellington Street and Waterloo Street) by laying on the ground as the speeding convoy approached taking the President home thus forcing the convoy to a complete stop.

They were various students who were coming from the ongoing annual Inter-secondary School Sports Meeting. They all laid on the ground in front of the Presidential Convoy, holding their stomachs and shouting "We Want Eat!".

Eyewitnesses say it took several pleas to get the students off the tarmac they had laid down. The next day, the President avoided Siaka Stevens Street and instead used Pademba Road to head for home.

The President should surely realize that it is normally students who start exhibiting the signs of frustration with a Government long before their parents do. Therefore it is left to him to properly interpret the action of the students who blocked his convoy.

Similarly, at Lumley in the West End, the cheers that used to greet the President as he headed for his Goderich home have now been replaced by "We Want Eat" back-talk from even the market women.

There is no need to highlight the hardship in the land. People are suffering from a socio-economic malaise that is at an all-time high. In the midst of all this hardship prevailing, if the President believes he is adding laurels to his cap by quietly endorsing Musa Tarawallie or apparently suppressing a police investigation into an act of terrorism, he is surely allowing himself to be fooled.

To make matters worse, his friends in the media who should be telling him about how badly he is going wrong, are all too busy walking on eggshells around him because they do not want to hurt their chances to finally head off to those diplomatic assignments or chair those Commissions they have been promised. The question is, in all this sycophancy, who amongst his media friends will be brave enough to tell Mr. President that the buck stops at his desk and so no-one but himself is currently guilty of de-facing his public image?

Our President’s Men are busy turning his respectable image as a cultured gentleman upside down. Koroma’s years of cultivating his public image as a strong believer in the values of democracy and respect for human rights might all get to be in vain as Terrorists seemingly sporting the President’s support are roaming freely in black jeeps assaulting elected Mayors and Men of God. Very sad!

Musa Tarawallie’s actions in Bo paint Koroma as a two-horned dictatorial devil. It now seems that Ernest Koroma is our own Mobutu Sese Seko whose picture should not be defaced. Where in the law books is it such a "very serious crime" to de-face the President’s photo like Bo Police Chief F.U.K. Dabo is now saying? Democracy and our Freedom have gone to the dogs so soon?

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