17 April, 2008

Umaru Sitta Turay

Letter to the President

I am disturbed with several things that are taking place in our country sir. I have been longing to write you this letter about these issues but I have not been given the chance to do so by my friends in the media.  I have been undergoing tremendous pressure from these friends about the letters I write to you.  Some have gone to the extent of attacking me.  Some do tap me on my back as a sign of approval and appreciation.  There are those also who see this letter as a gossip (Kongosa) and therefore do not approve of it. My immediate relatives in the Media are imposing on me that the letter should be an anonymous one and therefore should not bare any name.

Well I have tried very hard to beat those pressures and have decided that I should continue writing this letter to you as long as it is for the good of our country.  I have in fact decided to directly take the responsibility of the letter.  I am ready to answer to anything that will come out here and will want you to consider the letter to be my sole responsibility.  This is because I believe that one must openly take responsibility of one's actions at all times.  There is no need to hide when I am sure of my actions are correct.  Although my media family members are arguing that the letter is exposing all the truth and it is not every truth that is supposed to be discussed in a public forum. I am not convinced.  I am sure when issues are made public or brought to the public forum; it will attract the attention of the powers that be faster than when they are swept under the carpet.

Well, as I said before, I have plenty of things in mind that I want to write you about but I am afraid the space here will not accommodate all.  The most conspicuous of all is the extent at which lawlessness has taken over the country.  I will start with street trading.  I have been informing you through this letter that since your emergence to "Power" some people have decided to become out law.  This is so especially with the street traders at Abacha Street.  I sometimes pity you in this particular issue.  I know you are between the devil and the deep blue sea.  I mean, the traders at the Abacha Street are one of your strong supporters in the past elections.  They supported you primarily because the previous government did not allow them to sell along that street and they want that to change.  They stake their neck for you during when there is a sitting government.  For that reason, you may find it very difficult to control them. In this vain, I have a suggestion to make. Please sir; there is a section of the Victoria Park that is presently being used by some so called Nigerian traders that can be allocated to these street traders at Abacha Street.  Most of the Nigerians that are using the park are there as a pretext to their real dubious activities in the country.  This part of the park can be emptied and made an open space so that more place can be enhanced for the traders to expose their wares.  It is time for you to take such action because you need to attract investors in the form of city beautification.  The first thing that attracts investors when they come to a country is the look of the country.  That should be our first concern. That will create employment for the youths.

Lawlessness is slowly engulfing you rule.  I know you do not like it but the people that are supposed to inform you are not doing so.  I am not in that ring but I will use this letter to be informing you openly.  There has been such a lawlessness that even the police that had become a very good one is watering down.  People are put in positions that are not supposed to be there.  As it is said in local Krio language, promotions are made on a "FITTI FATTA" and for that reason some so called senior police officers are misusing their positions.  That is because these newly promoted officers do not know the proper police job and for that reason will want to show that they are senior officer by power playing their positions.  As I have been saying before, the police and the judiciary are institutions that you should handle with utmost attention.  You must (sorry to impose on you sir) see to it that these two institutions serve the people properly.  Thank God I heard you talked to the judiciary very recently.  I am sure of my source that you addressed them properly.  That is how it should be.  The thing I will advise is that; these two institutions should be reporting to you on a daily basis.  There must be a reliable system also that shall be watching them and reporting to your desk directly.  It can be the ONS.  There is all need to expand the ONS and in that system you will expect information on the performance of the police and the judiciary.

I say this, Your Excellency; your people are tremendously suffering in the hands of these two institutions.  Senior citizens are being molested by these two institutions at times for no just reason.  The reason for most of the media houses not bringing these mishaps to the public forum is that they are threatened with jail.  No one is sure of his protection as far as the law is concerned.  That must change sir.  I told a colleague the other day that I am afraid of you but I am very scared of those that close to your rule.  You are the kind of gentleman, I know, that will deliver if you are given the chance.  For that reason you must take your stance and refuse to be distracted by anybody. Be yourself and do not allow close persons to influence you rule. Thank you sir.

Yours sincerely,

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