The release of Emmerson’s album “9 lives” added a brand new angle to a speedily splitting nation that is yet to realize how development and peace work hand in hand. Well true to his character our foremost Artiste yet again hit hard the government on issues that are yet to be improved upon. He talks about our youths being “brutal for survival.” Can you really blame Emmerson for his rather harsh protest music? He just mirrors the flaws and excesses of our political class. He is not inventing anything except the new expressions to make his music poetic.
For over 50 rugged years our God-endowed nation has continuously been raped left right and centre! Look like Former President Obama once said, if you have done something for 50 years, it did not work, it’s time to change. But No, we have continued to vote the same two parties in turn and yet we are not satisfied with their performance. Why don’t we try something new?
You might have your own opinion about Emmerson but he remains perhaps one of those artists who have not been corrupted in the practice of his profession: this makes him fearless in his caustic criticism of each government since the Late Pa Kabbah’s administration. He gave our former Late President at least two doses of his protest vibes namely “Bobor Belleh” and “Two Foot arata”. He also overdosed former President Koroma with “Yesterday betteh Pas Tiday?” “Muku Boss Pa Machis,” and “Good Do”. He made very scathing swipes in all these songs.
So if you have not been following up Emmerson and thinks he is the problem, then with due respect you have the “Kokonat Ade’ he sings about. Those of you who blandly and blindly support politicians and political parties because your parents belong to that party or hail from the same part of the country and not because those you support are performers, then you have the kokonut Ade which has been sapped dry.
Surely Emmerson has no faith in our political class. “Any wan wae kam go ton ton we lek kokonat Ade”. He also does not spare the technocrats that flood our political space, he tells them don’t tell us about your degrees, show us your capability. What is so sad is that the people who suffer most from the ineptitude of our political class are the poor who cannot afford to buy apps and phones.
The track’s strongest creativity is the replay of the issue around the purchase of logistics for COVID 19. It is so shameful that four state authorities all give different contradicting information on the number and type of vehicles they bought. This happened at a time frontline workers of Covid 19 had not been paid for close to three months. Emmerson lambasts the current rancour between the two main political parties … calls it a stupid fight. Don’t you think Emmerson is right?
Apart from Presidential candidates most Sierra Leoneans do not know the candidates they voted for, they voted for colour. Those who fall in this category are indeed Kokonat Ades. Why not, look at the magnitude of rancour, hate, diatribes and calumnies currently polluting our national environment which seems very ominous for a country that should be in a hurry to catch up with others. When foreigners visit Sierra Leone and praise us for our hospitality, one smells some surreptitious irony there. I say so because we, as Sierra Leoneans need per force to love ourselves first; definitely you cannot give what you do not have. We can actualy live that for another day.
For some 59 odd years we have not succeeded in meeting our political objectives. Even when the current government is determined to push the country to higher heights, there are scores of Sierra Leoneans who want them to fail woefully. Emmerson says when things get bad, we all suffer together.
Don’t tell me this country cannot move forward, yes it can. When the Government put its weight behind the ACC, you have seen the unprecedented strides that Commission is making. Who ever thought we can reach the threshold for the MCC juicy cash. Yes we are almost there. Our Constitution says, in order to meet our motto as a nation, we need to promote national integration and unity and discourage discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, sex, religion, ethnic or linguistic association. Why are we so cosmetic and satisfied with mere mediocrity? We will never grow as a nation if we do not start acting outside the box. For us to get what we have never had, we need to do what we have never done before. This is why the current war against corruption is most welcome.
Also the constitution talks about the state’s obligation to protect and defend the liberty of the individual, enforce the rule of Law and ensure the efficient functioning of government services. Here you would not want to feel good about the recklessness with which some state functionaries misuse resources and abuse their powers with outlandish impunity. This is evident in the revelations of the ongoing Commissions of Enquiry. Even the foot citizen thinks properties belonging to the state should be misused as if the state was an isolated human being.
Another state obligation is to take all steps to eradicate all corrupt practices. It is always easy to blame corruption on poverty, but again how about those affluent compatriots who indulge in it. Do you want to call it greed or what? Well by the Grace of God, this government is trying hard to make corruption so so unattractive. The deeply entrenched practice of accepting tips before certain functions are performed and other corrupt acts by the Grace of God will with time remain part of our bad history. Infact some offices have given it some kind of legitimacy and actually refer to if as facilitation fee, for which no receipt is given. This slows down government business so much so that people are left frustrated. To turn to the legal system for justice also sometimes is like being between the rock and the hard place. Now who do you turn to? The Magistrate courts are there, the Lawyers are there… but tell me where is justice? Ponder on this!
When we instil discipline in all spheres of life, poverty and other vices will quickly recede and our pride and dignity as a nation will return. Like Mandela once said, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Come to think of it I think Emmerson is right.
By Beny SAM.