Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2021

The landmark ruling of Adrian Fisher: the beginning of the end of the APC dynasty

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy) All Peoples' Congress (APC) party has a political history replete with internal shambles and rigid leadership almost to the point of mass exclusion in major and critical decision making processes.  Fashioned along communist tradition, APC over concentrate Power and authority in a small class of political elites with the towering figure of the overall leader and chairman.  In his days, Siaka Stevens was founder, chairman, leader and secretary general of the party. So the breathing space for popular participation in the process of party governance and by extension state governance narrowed and conspicuously restrained.  After the heavy military blow of the NPRC takeover of the reins of power and in the wake of multi party democracy that ushered an era of political pluralism, APC plunged into protracted fragmentation. At a defining moment in its political history, APC had three national offices in Freetown superintended by supposed political giants of th...

Sierra Leone at 60: the heightened sense of polarization, the fading space of statesmanship

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy) Tuesday April 27, 2021 marks 60 years of self rule for the republic and people of Sierra Leone. Today, 60 years ago, on April 27, 1961, Sierra Leone attained independence from Great Britain, the Conial and colonizing power. The moment was hectic with unclassified exuberance. It was the birth of a country and the collective aspirations of Sierra Leoneans were all heaped in a cluster of rejuvenation, fecundity and hope. It was the beginning of an era of self rule, self determination and the symbolic carriage of the destiny of the young nation. The British overlords were less in regret as they knew they were handing over a country with a crisis character ahead of her. Our brothers and sisters occupied all spheres of influence. We became the master and servant of all sectors of state. The real journey started! Successive political leadership structures were implanted and in place. Sir Milton Margai opened the corridors of self rule, stayed on and succumbed to...

The unpardonable war in cleansing the 2015 Census outcomes

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy) Census is deliberate, intentional and purposeful. The institution of state charged with the responsibility to plan, conduct and report on Census is Statistics Sierra Leone. This responsibility is provided for by the Constitution of Sierra Leone. Census is periodic and the Constitution of the land say census should be conducted every ten years but, for the expediences of the processes of state governance, the same Constitution makes provision for the conduct of a Mid Term Census, the application of which today is throwing our small West African state into legislative chaos and anarchy. The previous census was conducted in 2015 under the watch of retired president Ernest Bai Koroma. It was massively funded and monitored by many of our international development partners. The outcomes of that census were contestable and rancourous, to be moderate and to say the least. SLPP was in opposition and they raised the red flag, raised the political dust and their cri...

Sierra Leone- Ease Spectators Ban to allow 30% attendance at Stadiums

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson After engagements with the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Center, the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry of Sports in Sierra Leone have jointly confirmed lifting of the ban on sports activities behind closed doors now allowing 30% Spectators to return to Stadiums during football matches including venues nationwide where the nation’s maiden 18-teams championship will be played in the 2020/2021 men’s top flight. NSA and MOS thanked fans and spectators for adhering to the government and WHO Health protocols in the time of the outbreak but cautioned them to strictly adhere to all COVID-19 regulations as prescribed by NaCOVERC during matches at all sports venue noting that anyone may be charged for non-compliance. However, there is much excitements from the football family in Sierra Leone on the eased spectators ban as various fan clubs are all set to cheer up their teams, players are hoping to impress while Coaches of all 18 top-tier clubs conti...

Sierra Leone - Men’s Top-tiers in high gears for 34th Premier League Season

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson With records set to emerge in the Sierra Leone’s 2020/2021 men’s elite league commencing tomorrow (Friday, 23rd April, 2021) CAFOnline takes a tour on all 18-team League openers ahead of the commencement of the 34th season of the Sierra Leone Premier League.  Newly promoted side, Sierra Leone Police are already showing readiness to enter into the maiden 18-team championship as they’ve announced former East End Tigers trainer Victoria Conteh as their Head coach. Conteh was announced on Monday as the club's new coach after patting ways with her former club following her appointment Head coach of Sierra Leone’s National U-20 Female side. She remained the first and only female in Sierra Leone to lead a Men’s elite club and will have no pity in their Friday Opener against her former club East End Tigers. East End Tigers , the Yellow Submarines as nicked will play without out their prolific striker Baimba Sesay whom they’ve released to FC Kallon but will be banki...

The Haunting Political Truth

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy) Civic Educator, Political Analyst and Development Consultant The political debates have lost the essence and relevance. The unbridled and mostly disjointed and fragmented discourse have lost bearing with the democratic spirit of freedom of speech. By our acts of commission and omission, we have constrained, if not defiled the governance space. It is all and all about acquisition of power and to govern. The urge to serve and service is compromised and diminished. We want elections and now! The sole objective is to implant another generation of leadership predators. Few talk about governance and civic engagement with governance. Most talk about political occupation of state House and enjoy the "Our Turn" political gimmick. A vital ingredient of democratic governance is in disarray and decay: the opposition! We loathe the callous disengagement from state governance, the vicious resistance to democratic change and the unsavory search for political c...

The crushing phobia of dissent and the alternative voice: the new strategic dilemma of the APC leadership cauldron

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy) Civic Educator, Political Analyst and Development Consultant For a considerable number of years to come, the exchange of the batton of national leadership will be an exchange between the ruling SLPP and the roaring opposition APC. To flavour the soup of democracy, generational emergence of a Third Political Force will happen from time to time but the enduring spirit of political sustainability has always been thin and waned. Demonstratively, PDP Sorbeh sprouted and dramatically fragmented; PMDC formed, stormed the political waves but in the end, all is a mute phenomenon; finally, NGC emerged, unsettled presumptive leaders but ended a stillbirth! Historic political errors have always been in the centre of the demise of the giant political parties.  SLPP and APC share few things in common but differ a lot on many many things. One poignant variance is that SLPP ingrained her leadership in the corridors of intellectualism; on the flip side, APC celebrates an...