Courage is one of God’s greatest gifts to man or those who have it, use it. Most times, we act like ducklings that follow behind the first and go with her wherever she goes.
Many people have lost their self will; they are always just behaving like zombies. People will tell you that the only thing that is constant is change. The world is always changing and we should learn to change with it. In a flourishing democracy, people should not only do the right thing, but do it right. Generally what we cannot admit in public, we should not do in secret. On the other side, they say that every family has its own skeletons in its cupboard.
Time has shown us that jargons that used to be true and right, can no longer hold water. Take an adage like Silence means consent. It can misleadingly be used by those in authority to lord it over others, assuming that they can think better for others that do not have the necessary voice needed for their liberation. The Creole say word nar mot nor to load nar ade. You may start to know why people, especially politicians do not mean what they say and this is why their people are always left frustrated and disillusioned.
Yes, it is the politician who adjusts the facts to fit his purpose. All this happens because of the gullibility of the people they claim to represent. The politician’s deception is like people who either do not look where they are going or do not go where they are looking. Whichever way, they keep trampling on poor innocent guys, whose only crime could be that they are poor.
Well, we have sung this song for a long time now, without seeing any at all. But now it is just too much pressure on the people. We can manage being hungry but we definitely can’t go on being insecure. Now, I see guys masquerading and drinking alcohol on the streets and getting drunk and playing the nuisance on our streets, all in the name of political party. Why? If we say we are poor and starving, can drunkenness be our daily habits?
What complicates our directionlessness, is the fact that the justice system has gone kaput and it appears better not to rely on them. Just in case you visit the Family Support Units of the Salone Police, spend an hour there and listen to the types of cases.
Most of them are fighting or occasioning bodily harm. Although we need to recognize that people have to exhibit differences from us, yet there are limitations to which people can deviate from the mean.
Definitely, we cannot all be the same otherwise life will be awful dull. Don’t you feel so? Our challenges in Freetown are mounting because of the alarming population that is now clamouring for limited resources.
Since we have refused to clear the prohibited areas of street trading, then we have to contend with dirt and congestion.
Interestingly, we cannot as a nation force people to leave the city. At best what could be done is to attract people to the countryside. Since most of you take delight in being hypocritical and play the diplomatic game and in the process commit the sin of omission, you cause more harm than good. But of course these are the good guys. Really, as they say, we do not need to worry about what we cannot change. Yes change! Everybody wants some change to occur. The politician says so and the development worker also want changes in people’s lives.
At least they all agree on that score. Although the truth is always bitter, the two categories of people I have just mentioned are two different sets of people. While one relies on playing on the intelligence and gullibility of people, the other one tries to protect the dignity of people and build their capacities to be able to advocate, making things go right with them. Because we do not accept that we are different, our expectations sometimes are never met.
So much is said about our youths, everybody agrees that the youths need to be well taken care of, since the present crop of leaders will hand over to them. They say that youths live on hope and the old on remembrance. This actually cannot explain the elusiveness of our youth questions. But of cause hope is what keeps all of us going day from day.
These days, because of votes for the pending elections youths allow themselves to be used to parade the streets of Freetown in party colors getting drunk and misbehaving. Sometimes when we worry so much about the youths, do they really worry about themselves? I think we have a big problem out here. How can you keep fighting for someone who does not even know you are fighting for him? But at least we can keep the streets free of marauding youths, who are going to be leading this nation from the quagmire our generation has created or was it before it.
One problem is that the laws are hardly invoked. One lesson that we should all learn, is that every stakeholder is very important and critical, if the election results in the end have to be seen as credible. We definitely will not have a repeat of the Ivorian situation or that of Madagascar or Kenya to visit our small country.
So to forestall this, we have to accommodate varying views, just so as to have all on board. Incidentally this is what democracy is all about.
The minority, having their say, but the majority having their way. What is happening now is very unfortunate. The preponderance of masked devils parading in party colours with party inscriptions, singing and drinking on the streets of Freetown should not be allowed to continue. I think it falls within the mandates of PPRC and the Salone police to invoke the laws. It is plain and simple that campaigns have not yet been Okayed by NEC. We have not all yet, even got our Voter ID Cards. Even the exhibition is yet to start. So, why all this political boisterous and frivolous behaviour by party supporters?
For me it is no wahala, knowing NEC for their efficiency but for citizens in far away depraved communities, it could be an issue. You see in life there is always a way out. There is no difficulty that cannot be surmounted. Those who have been trained in DELTA, will tell you that if you cross the river in groups, the crocodiles won’t eat you. Our disagreements should be managed such that we all meet our common goal.
At least the politician and the Civil Society, both agree that what they fight for, is positive change in the lives of the people. Anything short of this, should be resisted, so that no harm is done. The youths are to stay conscious and not be swayed here and there like a pendulum. We need to carve out our collective responsibility to bring about transformative leadership in our dear Mama Salone, as this is the only way we can stay tough as a nation. One thing we should always keep in mind, is that people are not passive observers of political events. They should play active roles in holding state actors accountable. This way, politicians are kept on their toes.
By Ben Cambayma
ADVERTISEMENT