Opinion

Sierra Leoneans, are you forgetting so soon?

By  | 28 February 2010 at 02:31 | 1960 views

Sierra Leone, after a decade of brutless, senseless, ill-gotten, damning war that characterised us as inhumane and unprogressive, emerged to be an icon of hope, love, passion, and cornerstone of political dynamism of change and investment springboard within its post war recovery period. But it is becoming visible that each day of serenity leads certain ill-gotten element of the small state to plan and execute a backward plan, plant mountains on the path of development, perpetrate mayhem with impunity, shatter the good image of the state, and above all, pollute the potentials of the young and promising generation through their mischievous activities and words of hate.

Fourteen years ago, after the emergence of democracy, the dream of a free and patriotic society was envisaged. That realisation came into being when, four years ago, Mama Sierra Leone heard the voice of the people for a wind of change in the nook and cranny of every town and village that witnessed the ‘peaceful change’ of the political mantle from a ruling party to an opposition party. This was not a dream of the honoured Martin Luther King Jr. That took decades to manifest but, a dream of a whole nation that came to past between dusk and dawn.

Today, Sierra Leone, despite rising prices of food commodities and petroleum products, is propping up as a potential investment country in Iron Ore, Bauxite, Rutile, and diamonds inclusive. But in spite of these momentous grasp, events on the other side of the ‘shores of sustainable progress’ are a reminder of the ‘old school’ politics of bloodshed, calamity, unethical politicisation of voters, unpatriotic sentiments, greed and grievances, and above all there prevails an era of ‘REASONING POLLUTION’. Nobody knows what is right and what is wrong. Anarchy is prevailing in our motherland just because of these two COLONIAL political parties [APC and SLPP] of ancient thoughts and their desperado cohorts masquerading and killing peaceful citizens in cities, towns and villages of a once beloved peaceful nation.

The names of these two political parties have entered into the blood marrow of certain individuals such that they cannot judge by substance or use conscience to judge rather than sentiments. Prior to independence to date, these two parties have been fighting unprogressive battles; sometimes using the military to impose or reinstate power. No wonder post independence Sierra Leone ever had a clearly defined route.

Recent by-elections in Tongo and chieftaincy elections nationwide characterised the woeful path Sierra Leone is heading towards. I had early though that after all the odds caused by tribalism, social divisions, structured inequalities, greed and corruption, militarisation of national politics at all levels of power, Sierra Leoneans would have understood the difference between self interest and national interest; the differences between literacy and education; the severity of the iniquities of hate, envy, desperation, killings and destruction; the long impact of ill-gotten articles fuelling tribalism, partisan and regional politics.

Sierra Leoneans, do not forget that you or your elders, at one point in time, have been abused, misused, neglected in despair, despised in agony by these cantankerous politicians you are destroying your nation for. Do not allow yourself to be used against your brother or sister of the same physical stature, and under the same jurisdiction just because of POLITICS. Have looked at the man or woman you hate or kill because he or she is either from the north or south, belong to the opponent party, or he or she is from ‘another’ ethnic group? He or she looks like you. You have many in common than what varies between you. Do not forget that the shadows of the brutal civil war still hunt our beloved nation.

PLEASE, remember that there is no place like home. You will have no place to call home IF you destroy the pillars of our peaceful and prosperous nation. BE WARNED.

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