News Story

FREETOWN: DR. SAMA BANYA - PUAWUI: As I write this column the news from the Diamond-rich headquarter city of Kono is not good. I abhor violence, which is one reason why I constantly criticise the APC who demonstrate by their actions that violence is innate in them. Whether as a One-party government, (witness the mayhem and bloodshed throughout the Country in the general elections of 1982 under our 1978 one-party constitution.) or in the award of party symbols, to say nothing of when other opposition parties or the APC's allies like the PMDC are involved in the democratic process. This tendency to perceive violence or brute force as the solution to all problems is reflected among not only the members and supporters but even the security forces under the APC government.

Having said that, I am bound to repeat the warning that I had given to our people before the Parliamentary elections that they should not be taken in by sugar-coated or flamboyant promises which the APC were throwing all over the place for the sake of winning the hearts of our people. Among such promises were the right of petty traders to stay on the streets; that they were importing rice which would be sold to them at affordable prices, rice at the time under the SLPP was selling at no more than le70,000 per bag. In Kono the people were promised that when the APC came to power everyone would be free to collect and wash the diamond tailings left behind by the NDMC.

Today I bought a bag of rice at le120,000; a fortnight ago I bought the same quality of rice for le99,000 even though no new consignment had arrived in the interval. And today, Wednesday April 23, the residents of Kono went to collect the preelection promise made to them, that is, the right to collect the NDMC's left-over gravel. Pandemonium broke, there were scuffles with the police, shuts and tear gas were fired and I am told that the military had to step in to contain the situation because the police were overwhelmed. Last December trouble broke out in Koidu when the people went to take over or stop the activities of Koidu Holdings. Wasn't putting an end to the activities of Koidu Holdings among the APC's election promises made to the people of Kono? Well it was time to deliver.

On several occasions I have alerted this government to the realities of today, among them that the eyes of the people are now wide open and that they would refuse to be taken for joy rides or accept the failure to deliver on irresponsible and unrealistic promises. They've seen quite a few pro APC journalists collect their reward, so why not them? "THE HONEYMOON IS OVER" read an editorial in today's Peep newspaper, with similar comments in the Standard Times. Warning salvos have been fired at the Minister of Information and Communications who appears to have forgotten his own experience at the hands of Arnold Bishop Gooding and Hindolo Trye during the NPRC regime. There are always exceptions; the editorial staff of the Exclusive newspaper may still be hoping for a reward either for the editor or for David Jabaty and so the papers plods on, applauding and singing the praise of HIS excellecy Ernest Bai Koroma at every opportunity.

This government has in a matter of seven months developed a remarkable capacity to break all its other election promises for example, on "Zero Tolerance on corruption;" It has ignored all the procedures on public procurement, bathes in outright tribalism and nepotism and yet persistently broadcasts its discredited slogan of reconciling and uniting the people for the development of the country. Do all of these not sound hollow even in their own ears or in the ears of Mr. Minister of Information and communication with his oft repeated proclamations of the "The government of President Ernest Bai koroma will do this and do that?" How long, O for how long.

Look at the sheer size of the recent Presidential delegation to the Gambia and other trips before that; President Tejan-Kabbah's delegations were always and I mean always, reduced to the barest minimum even where hospitality was provided by our hosts. His excuse was always the need to use the country's meagre resources prudently and this was one reason why our finacial management always received the acclaim of our development partners.

Look at the healthy financial figures we left behind and yet officials of the APC keep lying to the people that when they took over the economy was in shambles. Who would believe such rubbish with the exception of the We Yone and perhaps the African Champion newspapers.
More anon!.