Remembering January 6, 1999 and how hell was let loose on Sierra Leone

....AND HOW THE "INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS" WERE FORCED OUT INTO THE OPEN...

Oh Haiti - The number of dead still to be determined as desperate survivors riot over anything that keeps life moving on.

The Haiti disaster once more brings into focus the challenges that face humanitarian agencies. How do you get vital supplies to a desperate people without food or water, without any form of protection from the elements and nursing wounds that threaten life and limb....and to make matters even worse, where the infrastructure is not just there to receive and co-ordinate aid? It has not been easy and despite good news as the trapped are brought out still alive after days trapped in the rubble, there's no running away from the fact that figures for the dead and dying are increasing. One ray of hope though is that no further tremors have been predicted and things are beginning to settle as the aggrieved come to terms with their losses. This photo from the pages of the London Times says it all - the end of man as bodies are moved into trucks by bulldozers. Oh Haiti.....the Sierra Herald wishes you all the best.

Fri Jan 15 - As time runs out for those trapped beneath the rubble a sign of hope today as 2-year old boy is rescued. According to The Times Redjeson Hausteen Claude looked stunned and bewildered as he was pulled free but broke into a broad smile of recognition as he was reunited with his ecstatic mother, Daphnee Plaisin, and father, Reginald Claude. Meanwhile as frustration grows among survivors in desperate need of food, water and shelter, there are reports of looting wherever and whenever the opportunity arises. The challenges are enormous with bodies still unburied littering the affected areas and one report says at one stage some of the bodies were stacked to form roadblocks aimed at bringing to the attention of the international community the desperation of survivors. The BBC's Matt Frei paints this picture from Port-au-Prince, the capital

No-one is in charge. The president is sleeping at the airport with quite a few journalists and aid workers. Earlier this morning, I stood on top of the rubble of the Supreme Court, the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Senate - where a few senators had been killed when the quake hit. Their bodies have been dragged out and put in body bags. The representatives of state are literally lying on the pavement slowly rotting away. This is a citizenry left to its own extremely meagre resources. You've got ordinary people trying to administer IV drips to their family members who are slowly dying, but not a single doctor or nurse at the general hospital.

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Thur Jan14 - As the people of Haiti come to terms with the quake disaster, in the mother country another disaster waiting to happen. Still no life jackets for boat passengers.

On September 8 last year, news began to trickle in of a major disaster at sea in which up to two hundred, if not more, were reported to have lost their lives. These included school children getting ready for the new term, parents, carers, traders and a host of Sierra Leoneans trying to make the best out of wretched conditions created by uncaring governments and local administrations. In the aftermath of this disaster, His Excellency, the one and only Chief of the vultures at State House declared a day of national mourning while using the photo opportunity which this offered. In tow were members of his AFRC Mk II administration. More than 3 months after this disaster, the smoke and mirrors President has done nothing, absolutely nothing that would prevent another disaster. In Haiti, there was nothing that could be done against the quake while in Sierra Leone the authorities sit on their hands doing nothing in a matter that can be prevented. At least two outlets have raised concerns with the most recent from the AWOKO newspaper while Christopher Koker of Peep had earlier warned about the dangers of another disaster waiting to happen. It is to be noted that even the other uncaring opposition party, the SLPP, not wanting to be left out did issue a statement. Any follow-up from them? Nothing, absolutely nothing!!!

Jan 09- Togo in mourning - Oh Togo - not again. The national team withdraws from 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola as three die in machine gun ambush

The Togolese government is reported to have ordered the withdrawal of the national team from the 2010 African flagship football tournament after three people died in the aftermath of an ambush. The team's captain Emmanuel Adebayor also a striker for the English Premiership team Manchester City told the BBC's Matthew Kenyon that they had to pray for dear life as they came under sustained machine gun fire from rebels believed to be fighting for the independence of an enclave of Angola - Cabinda. Despite efforts by the organisers including representatives from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as well as from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, the Togo team is pulling out with BBC reporter Ebow Godwin reporting that the government will be sending a Presidential jet to take them home. It will be recalled that another tragedy hit the Togo team, this time involving their officials, when the helicopter in which they were travelling from Freetown to the airport at Lungi was involved in a crash after it lost its main rotor blades in 2007. 22 officials died then. AWOKO had these details.

The Ernest Bai Koroma government introduced a tax regime that became operational as from the 1st of January 2010. The Goods and Services Tax, GST was, according to the government meant to harmonise all taxes levied on the business community and to provide home-grown revenue. Whether such monies raised were for development programmes or for the ever-hungry vultures at State House remains to be seen, but what was clearly evident on the ground was that business ground to a halt for 48 hours as business houses protested against the new tax. The AFRC MK II journalists, like they did in the past under their master Johnny Paul Koroma never saw this protest move, just as they "forgot" there was ever a January 6, 1999 murderous assault on Freetown. New directives from Ibrahim Ben Kargbo or from the Pa himself at State House? The Sierra Herald got these two reports. One from AWOKO and the other from Cotton Tree News (CTN). A new era of censorship? We think not. It's laybelleh-ism being taken to new heights!!!!!

January 2010 - A tale of two messages for the new year. President Ernest Bai Koroma has delivered his New Year message to all Sierra Leoneans stopping short of expectations on everything and not even bothering with calls that he separates the Justice Minister and Attorney-General offices. His promise to fight corruption flies in the face of accusations that family members and cronies continue to wallow in the muck of corruption. Ernest Bai Koroma's speech is so disjointed, so out of focus and opaque, lacking transparency and a sense of purpose that the reader is forced to ask State House to explain, among his rambling notes, this paragraph

Sierra Leoneans have also fought wars, engaged in unjust actions against women and youths, and burnt down villages. But we have also conducted successful disarmament programs, rebuilt communities, fought corruption, made great music, and produced world renowned scientists.

What was Ernest Bail Koroma thinking about? Was he still tormented by the Emmerson music?
The Sierra Herald has been reminded that it was exactly one year ago on 1st January 2009 that this disgraceful, shameless and disrespect for the integrity of the Sierra Leonean occurred as Col Khaddafi was made an honorary citizen of our great country. Can you beat that?!!!!!

On the other hand, the leader of the opposition SLPP has in his message to party members and the people of Sierra Leone stated just what he expects from the government, never mind his bitter reflections on the violence perpetuated against his party by ruling APC operatives. He gave praise to the government where due but stressed the need for more to be done in the area of the holistic well-being of the Sierra Leonean. John Benjamin continues his call for the Anti Corruption Commission to be truly independent with a promise to hold the government to account on all issues affecting good governance and human rights in the land that we love, our Sierra Leone.

In 2010 we would like to see a truly Independent ACC at work addressing public concerns on issues like NASSIT ferries, Tax waiver for Harmony Trading Company (now defunct), the Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura’s Indian Rice saga etc without been directed from State House.

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