As a Sierra Leonean living thousands of miles away from home, I’m always on the lookout for news articles from the motherland. The yearning for a connection to what is familiar is strong and gets stronger as the years fly by. The 7+ years I’ve been in Canada is the longest stretch I’ve ever had in one country, Sierra Leone included, so I’m naturally eager to stay connected to my roots.
This desire for quality information means that I often spend hours on google looking for anything related to Sierra Leone or Sierra Leoneans. A positive development over the years is the increased number of websites dedicated to Sierra Leonean politics, music, travel etc. The unfortunate downside to this surge in online presence is the shocking lack of editorial quality in many of these websites especially those dedicated to news and current affairs.
I always like to point out the positives in most things related to my country but this is an issue that has bothered me for years. The articles are often barely understandable and given the grammar is at primary school level I often get too frustrated to read beyond a few lines. I’ve read some articles discussing legal issues, for example, which use contractual language that is incomprehensible to the average Sierra Leonean. Why would you write an article that is meant to inform the public and yet make it inaccessible by using words that barely anyone understands? Is it to justify your label as an educated man/woman?
Some journalists have chosen to act as nothing but outlets for political propaganda with no attempt at performing any analysis, their sole purpose being to smear opponents and throw degrading insults like a bunch of pre-teen, playground gangsters. Other outlets have articles that are so poorly written that if you don’t understand Krio, you would never figure out what they were talking about. The articles seem to have been literally translated from Krio to English.
I’d just like to go on a bit of a tangent here and tell you the story of Isatu “Fak Fak”, a story I heard a couple of days ago. A boy in Isatu’s class was causing some trouble at the back of the class but the teacher didn’t notice. Isatu decided to draw the teacher’s attention to the issue and so raised her hand and yelled.
“Teacher! Teacher! That boy is ‘fak, fakking’”
The story of Isatu “Fak Fak” just highlights the often blurred lines between Krio and English, what I like to refer to as the “Kringlish phenomenon”.This phenomenon has meant the average Sierra Leonean student’s grasp of English is worse than a Francophone West African’s grasp of French. The absence of a creole version of French in West Africa just proves the devastating effect of Krio on the English spoken in our country. (Note: To any non-Krio speakers, "Fak Fak" can hold several meanings in Krio. My best translation in the context of the story would be that it means to be Hyperactive)
I always laugh about this issue with my siblings, not because it’s amusing, but because it’s so sad and disappointing. You can only blame the individuals for so long before you are compelled to take a closer a look at the education system in the country. The primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions are crumbling and in desperate need of overhaul and renewal in terms of both the infrastructure and teaching methods. The rich pay for good private schools and the masses make do with the poor quality public schools. This is probably true for some western countries as well but the gap between public/private in Sierra Leone is just unacceptably large.
We are always so proud to have been referred to as the “Athens of West Africa”, a reference to our history of excellence in education but yet that just serves to show how far we’ve fallen. I’ve put together a few examples from recent articles to emphasise my point.
“Accolade must be given the late President Joseph Saidu Momoh for straight forwardly telling Sierra Leoneans that he failed his exams as he navigated the ship of state."
“It makes no disputation whatsoever that President Koroma has indeed demonstrated his willingness to issues of infrastructural concern.”
“Sierra Leoneans are reportedly fed up of lies preached them by state officials and have virtually attributed same as not having the traits of late President Momoh’s straight forward governance doctrine.”
“She furthered that she grudged no hatred and detestation for anyone including the unborn. That with unity, love and oneness it is sure Sierra Leone has a place in the next 50 years.”
“In spite of the fact that Afsatu Kabba was taken to the wells of the high courts to answer for believable corruption indictments, it is of the conviction of the electorates that the likes of Afsatu Kabba makes better in the swift and unrestraint development of Sierra Leone in the years to come.”
I must stress that I’m not raising this issue because I want to belittle Sierra Leoneans, I’m doing this because I’m fed up with being presented with mediocrity when I know we can do better. I’ve always refused to believe the current state of affairs is “good enough” just because it’s African. We cannot improve as individuals or as a society if we do not always insist on the best.
I’d like you to think of this rebuke as the cold water you splash on your face every morning to wake you up. It stings but it’s for your own good. I am not a journalist and I’m certain those at the top of the profession would have issues with my writing but is it too much to ask that our journalists use their media to inform rather than confuse us?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Pregnancy Gamble
I saw this video a few months ago and its a sobering reminder of the work that we have to do in Sierra Leone. Our work is cut out for us. Stories like these are so disturbing that it prompts some serious self-reflection. I know corruption is not the sole thing to blame for such a terrible situation but when people steal state funds they should be shown this video. After all, for every dollar these guys siphon off to a foreign bank account they are depriving vulnerable women and children. I'm sure they are aware of it, but visuals have a way of driving home the message.
WARNING: The contents of this video are extremely disturbing.
WARNING: The contents of this video are extremely disturbing.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Return of Goderich Boy
So i started this blog experience with the aim of giving my opinions on a consistent basis but i fell off the wagon somewhat. The end of my undergraduate journey and the inevitable post-exam celebrations meant that i lost my way for weeks. For that i apologize to those who were starting to enjoy my regular postings.
A lot has happened since i last posted. Ivory Coast was on fire and Gbagbo was still defying the will of his people and indeed all logic. He has since been deposed, although it must be said Ivory Coast is in a very delicate phase. A president that is struggling to establish legitimacy, evidence of atrocities being unearthed on a regular basis and a significant portion of Gbagbo's supporters lying dormant. A process of reconciliation is vital to ensure long term stability. Good to luck to Ouattara, his success is important to Ivorians and the whole sub-region.
Since my last post, Bin Laden has been assassinated, Ghaddafi is getting stronger and stronger, Gas prices are criminally high, the Palestinians are moving towards another large scale uprising, Pakistan is wobbling and it all seems like the World is still going to shit...Same old same old. There is a malaise that is still gripping the world but we must not despair, each generation has its challenges. We must accept the burden that is being passed to us from our parents and re-shape our future before it's too late. We still have time!
A lot has happened since i last posted. Ivory Coast was on fire and Gbagbo was still defying the will of his people and indeed all logic. He has since been deposed, although it must be said Ivory Coast is in a very delicate phase. A president that is struggling to establish legitimacy, evidence of atrocities being unearthed on a regular basis and a significant portion of Gbagbo's supporters lying dormant. A process of reconciliation is vital to ensure long term stability. Good to luck to Ouattara, his success is important to Ivorians and the whole sub-region.
Since my last post, Bin Laden has been assassinated, Ghaddafi is getting stronger and stronger, Gas prices are criminally high, the Palestinians are moving towards another large scale uprising, Pakistan is wobbling and it all seems like the World is still going to shit...Same old same old. There is a malaise that is still gripping the world but we must not despair, each generation has its challenges. We must accept the burden that is being passed to us from our parents and re-shape our future before it's too late. We still have time!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Cote D'Ivoire's greatest export
Ivory Coast is now in a state of undeclared civil war, there was shelling today by Gbagbo's troops that killed many people in a opposition dominated neighbourhood of Abidjan(according to the BBC). Ouattara's forces have taken over parts of the city. My great fear is that not only that hundreds, if not thousands will lose their lives but also that Gbagbo will seek to destabilise Liberia, the same thing Charles Taylor did to Sierra Leone in the early 90s. The U.N has finally agreed to impose a no-fly zone in Libya, when are they going to get tough with Gbagbo? The region might suffer badly if he stays.
Listen to the words of this song. Alpha Blondy's beautiful commentary on leadership in Africa. My best part is when he sings about "Certain Chef d'etat se prennent pour des rois.." ..."Some heads of state think they are kings"...couldn't agree more...In my opinion he is that country's greatest export...
Listen to the words of this song. Alpha Blondy's beautiful commentary on leadership in Africa. My best part is when he sings about "Certain Chef d'etat se prennent pour des rois.." ..."Some heads of state think they are kings"...couldn't agree more...In my opinion he is that country's greatest export...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Nelson Mandela: The Terrorist
The following article was written by Gwynne Dyer of the North County Times back in 2006. It gives us a sobering reminder of why the term "terrorist" is not clearly defined and why we need to be probing in our discussion of terrorism. It was a good read, i just thought i'd share
"The oddest bit of news this week has been the tale of the hunt for Nelson Mandela's pistol, buried on a farm near Johannesburg 43 years ago.
It was a Soviet-made Makarov automatic pistol, given to Mandela when he was undergoing military training in Ethiopia. (He also went to Algeria, to learn from the revolutionaries who had just fought a savage eight-year war of independence to drive out their French colonial rulers.) A week after he buried the gun, he was arrested by the apartheid regime's police as a terrorist and jailed for life.
It's very hard now to imagine Nelson Mandela as a terrorist. He is the most universally admired living human being, almost a secular saint, and the idea that he had a gun and was prepared to shoot people with it just doesn't fit our picture of him. But that just shows how naive and conflicted our attitudes towards terrorism are.
Nelson Mandela never did kill anybody personally. He spent the next 27 years in jail, and only emerged as an old man to negotiate South Africa's transition to democracy with the very regime that had jailed him.
But he was a founder and commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the African National Congress, and MK, as it was known, was a terrorist outfit. Well, a revolutionary movement that was willing to use terrorist tactics, to be precise, but that kind of fine distinction is not permissible in polite company today.
As terrorist outfits go, MK was at the more responsible end of the spectrum. For a long time, it only attacked symbols and servants of the apartheid state, shunning random attacks on white civilians even though they were the main beneficiaries of that regime. By the time it did start bombing bars and the like in the 1980s, Mandela had been in prison for 20 years and bore no direct responsibility for the MK's acts -- but neither he nor the ANC ever disowned the organization. Indeed, after the transition to majority rule in 1994, MK's cadres were integrated into the new South African Defense Force alongside the former regime's troops.
There's nothing unusual about all this. Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya, Archbishop Makarios in Cyprus, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and a dozen other national leaders emerged from prison to negotiate independence after "terrorist" organisations loyal to them had worn down the imperial forces that occupied their countries. In the era of decolonisation, terrorism was a widely accepted technique for driving the occupiers out. South Africa was lucky to see so little of it, but terrorism was part of the struggle there too.
Terrorism is a tool, not an ideology. Its great attraction is that it offers small or weak groups a means of imposing great changes on their societies. Some of those changes you might support, even if you don't like the chosen means; others you would detest. But the technique itself is just one more way of effecting political change by violence -- a nasty but relatively cheap way to force a society to change course, and not intrinsically a more wicked technique than dropping bombs on civilians from warplanes to make them change their behavior.
Neither terrorism nor military force has a very high success rate these days: Most people will not let themselves be bullied into changing their fundamental views by a few bombs. Even in South Africa's case, MK's bombs had far less influence on the outcome than the economic and moral pressures that were brought to bear on the apartheid regime. But that is not to say that all right-thinking people everywhere reject terrorist methods. They don't.
What determines most people's views about the legitimacy of terrorist violence is how they feel about the specific political context in which force is being used. Most Irish Catholics felt at least a sneaking sympathy for the IRA's attacks in Northern Ireland. Most non-white South Africans approved of MK's attacks, even if they ran some slight risk of being hurt in them themselves. Most Tamils both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere support the cause of the Tamil Tigers, and many accept its methods as necessary. Americans understandably see all terrorist attacks on the United States and its forces overseas as irredeemably wicked, but most Arabs and many other Muslims are ambivalent about them, or even approve of them.
We may deplore these brutal truths, but we would be foolish to deny them. Yet in much of the world at the moment it is regarded as heretical or even obscene to say these things out loud, mainly because the United States, having been suffered a major attack by Arab terrorists in 2001, has declared a "global war on terror." Rational discussion of why so many Arabs are willing to die in order to hurt the United States is suppressed by treating it as support for terrorism, and so the whole phenomenon comes to be seen by most people as irrational and inexplicable.
And meanwhile, on a former farm near Johannesburg that was long ago subdivided for suburban housing, they have torn down all the new houses and are systematically digging up the ground with a back-hoe in search of the pistol that Saint Nelson Mandela, would-be terrorist leader, buried there in 1963. If they find it, it will be treated with as much reverence as the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. The passage of time changes many things."
"The oddest bit of news this week has been the tale of the hunt for Nelson Mandela's pistol, buried on a farm near Johannesburg 43 years ago.
It was a Soviet-made Makarov automatic pistol, given to Mandela when he was undergoing military training in Ethiopia. (He also went to Algeria, to learn from the revolutionaries who had just fought a savage eight-year war of independence to drive out their French colonial rulers.) A week after he buried the gun, he was arrested by the apartheid regime's police as a terrorist and jailed for life.
It's very hard now to imagine Nelson Mandela as a terrorist. He is the most universally admired living human being, almost a secular saint, and the idea that he had a gun and was prepared to shoot people with it just doesn't fit our picture of him. But that just shows how naive and conflicted our attitudes towards terrorism are.
Nelson Mandela never did kill anybody personally. He spent the next 27 years in jail, and only emerged as an old man to negotiate South Africa's transition to democracy with the very regime that had jailed him.
But he was a founder and commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the African National Congress, and MK, as it was known, was a terrorist outfit. Well, a revolutionary movement that was willing to use terrorist tactics, to be precise, but that kind of fine distinction is not permissible in polite company today.
As terrorist outfits go, MK was at the more responsible end of the spectrum. For a long time, it only attacked symbols and servants of the apartheid state, shunning random attacks on white civilians even though they were the main beneficiaries of that regime. By the time it did start bombing bars and the like in the 1980s, Mandela had been in prison for 20 years and bore no direct responsibility for the MK's acts -- but neither he nor the ANC ever disowned the organization. Indeed, after the transition to majority rule in 1994, MK's cadres were integrated into the new South African Defense Force alongside the former regime's troops.
There's nothing unusual about all this. Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya, Archbishop Makarios in Cyprus, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and a dozen other national leaders emerged from prison to negotiate independence after "terrorist" organisations loyal to them had worn down the imperial forces that occupied their countries. In the era of decolonisation, terrorism was a widely accepted technique for driving the occupiers out. South Africa was lucky to see so little of it, but terrorism was part of the struggle there too.
Terrorism is a tool, not an ideology. Its great attraction is that it offers small or weak groups a means of imposing great changes on their societies. Some of those changes you might support, even if you don't like the chosen means; others you would detest. But the technique itself is just one more way of effecting political change by violence -- a nasty but relatively cheap way to force a society to change course, and not intrinsically a more wicked technique than dropping bombs on civilians from warplanes to make them change their behavior.
Neither terrorism nor military force has a very high success rate these days: Most people will not let themselves be bullied into changing their fundamental views by a few bombs. Even in South Africa's case, MK's bombs had far less influence on the outcome than the economic and moral pressures that were brought to bear on the apartheid regime. But that is not to say that all right-thinking people everywhere reject terrorist methods. They don't.
What determines most people's views about the legitimacy of terrorist violence is how they feel about the specific political context in which force is being used. Most Irish Catholics felt at least a sneaking sympathy for the IRA's attacks in Northern Ireland. Most non-white South Africans approved of MK's attacks, even if they ran some slight risk of being hurt in them themselves. Most Tamils both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere support the cause of the Tamil Tigers, and many accept its methods as necessary. Americans understandably see all terrorist attacks on the United States and its forces overseas as irredeemably wicked, but most Arabs and many other Muslims are ambivalent about them, or even approve of them.
We may deplore these brutal truths, but we would be foolish to deny them. Yet in much of the world at the moment it is regarded as heretical or even obscene to say these things out loud, mainly because the United States, having been suffered a major attack by Arab terrorists in 2001, has declared a "global war on terror." Rational discussion of why so many Arabs are willing to die in order to hurt the United States is suppressed by treating it as support for terrorism, and so the whole phenomenon comes to be seen by most people as irrational and inexplicable.
And meanwhile, on a former farm near Johannesburg that was long ago subdivided for suburban housing, they have torn down all the new houses and are systematically digging up the ground with a back-hoe in search of the pistol that Saint Nelson Mandela, would-be terrorist leader, buried there in 1963. If they find it, it will be treated with as much reverence as the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. The passage of time changes many things."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
How long will the world ignore Cote D'Ivoire?
This video shows you to what extent our "leaders" will go to cling on to power. True statesmen are non-existent on our continent. We are being ruled by animals.
You can see the majority in the crowd are unarmed women. What is the justification for opening fire with live rounds? No attempt at tear gas, water cannons, nothing but LIVE ROUNDS. They are murdering them in cold blood. The international community is standing by as people are being murdered and only lame attempts are being made to stop this. The U.N needs to grow teeth and actually start protecting civilians.
Civil War is brewing in Cote D'Ivoire, its much easier to stop now than when the killings intensify...Wake up people and bring attention to this tragedy!
WARNING: The video below contains graphic imagery
You can see the majority in the crowd are unarmed women. What is the justification for opening fire with live rounds? No attempt at tear gas, water cannons, nothing but LIVE ROUNDS. They are murdering them in cold blood. The international community is standing by as people are being murdered and only lame attempts are being made to stop this. The U.N needs to grow teeth and actually start protecting civilians.
Civil War is brewing in Cote D'Ivoire, its much easier to stop now than when the killings intensify...Wake up people and bring attention to this tragedy!
WARNING: The video below contains graphic imagery
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ivory Coast Crisis Deepens
As Laurent Gbagbo clings on to power, his security forces are resorting to extreme violence to silence legitimate dissent. This has to stop. The uprisings in North Africa have overshadowed a conflict that may be more bloody and prolonged than anything we've seen this year. In the midst of all this violence, there are reports that Gbagbo has been disrupting power supply to regions where opposition to his rule is strongest. This tyrant must be stopped!
WARNING: THE VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS IMAGES OF THE DECEASED.
WARNING: THE VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS IMAGES OF THE DECEASED.
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