By Feima Sesay
Orange Sierra Leone has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Koidu New Sembehun City Council.
The MOU was to enjoy a new partnership with Sierra Leone’s leading telecoms company and premised on revenue collection for the council.
The mode of payment for licenses and property rate, under the new partnership, will be done via orange money for onward transfer to the council’s account.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Orange Money Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Mansaray and Koidu City mayor, Matthew Komba Sam.
The memorandum of understanding will be kicks off January, 2022.
In his address during the signing ceremony, CEO Mansaray said the new partnership was unique as it would ease revenue collection for the council.
“It provides convenience for the tax payers and the collectors,” he emphasized.
What is of key importance is the widening of the revenue base of the council by blocking leakages.
“If council used to collect Le1, 000, 000 (one million Leones) in a year, we hope to make it Le3, 000, 000 (three millions Leones),” Mansaray assured.
He further said that council as an institution had rendered similar services to other organizations adding that there would be no difference for Koidu City Council.
He continued that over 330 Orange Money agents, Mansaray said, would be utilized in the revenue collection drive.
Using the agents yields high returns as hard-to-reach communities which used to be left out would be covered.
“A great opportunity awaits the council,” Mansaray assured.
To bolster this new found partnership, transparency would be observed throughout the tax collection exercise.
“We are going to provide reports and reconciliation to ensure that money collected is properly accounted for,” Mansaray assured.
Joint communication, he went on, would be enhanced to raise awareness so that tax-payers would know when and how to pay.
He also promised the council of Orange Money’s deep commitment to the partnership to make it fruitful.
“We are in this together; we will do everything possible to make this relationship fruitful,” he assured.
In the council’s coming marathon event and wall-painting exercise, CEO Mansaray assured the council of his organisation’s support.
Speaking on behalf of council, chief administrator, Francis Mischeck Tiffa expressed hope for a revenue increase with the new partnership.
“Year in year out, we budget for and project what we must collect, but most times, we cannot meet our target. Under the partnership, we hope to make it up,” the CA expressed hope.
Tiffa pointed out petty corruption and hard-to-reach areas as obstacles to the tax collection drive.
Auditors, he said, often referred to as ‘cash loss’ since council could not present what they project.
“Orange Money is here to block the leakages,” he said.
The Chief Administrator said several councils in the country were already into the partnership thus making a case for Koidu City Council to go into the partnership.
He assured Orange Sierra Leone of heightening its communication services by way of road shows, radio discussions and advertisements to inform the public about the new deal.
In his address, Mayor Matthew Komba Sam said tax collection was a major challenge for the council.
He however noted that with the new partnership, the challenge would be laid to rest.
The mayor also did not lose sight of the financial leakages associated with the manual tax collection in recent times.
“Money is a liquid asset which could be taken away, but with the partnership, the money is safe,” the mayor expressed hope.
Mayor Sam called on the people to cooperate in paying their taxes as quality services would be delivered.
‘I Have Never been Associated with Corruption’ – Samura Kamara
In a passionate press release to all Sierra Leoneans, presidential candidate for the APC, Dr. Samura Kamara stated that he has worked diligently and honestly for Sierra Leone for over forty years and that he has never once been associated with corruption. Below is the full text of his release:
My Fellow Sierra Leoneans
I, Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara, APC Presidential candidate in 2018 and now a very prominent presidential aspirant for 2023, have lived and worked for over 40 years in Sierra Leone and other credible international organizations as a trustworthy public official.
Never has my name been associated with criminality. I have never been accused of any corrupt practice.
I have never been in court on any charges whatsoever.
This nation and many international organizations have been very proud of my track record and performances in the various capacities of Economist at BSL, Financial Secretary at the Ministry of
Finance, Governor at BSL, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations
I have diligently and honourably again served several international
institutions, in particular, the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, the World Bank, the IMF, the African Union at various times on numerous assignments.
That confidence you had in me afforded me the opportunity of being selected as the flag bearer of the APC in the 2018 Presidential election.
Now, I am charged with corruption and to appear in court on two counts on Tuesday, 14th December 2021.
I am very innocent of those charges though they may have tended to smear my name and hard-earned reputation, affecting my family, supporters, and admirers.
It will be a trial of the character of Samura Kamara, the professional whom you have all known for over 40 years in public service for my nation.
Like many people who have gone through such challenges, mine is a test of my stamina and resilience. But the resolve to help my people through quality and effective leadership shall never wane under such allegations.
I shall come out clean and smelling of roses and reinvigorated in the belief that State Institutions must serve the people according to the law and be devoid of partisan political sentiments and prejudices.
Once again, let me re-echo my belief in the fight against corruption and the strengthening of state institutions to work independently.
I ask my family, supporters, and admirers to chronicle the events, remain calm and patient as the proceedings progress, and not play into the hands of the trigger-happy security and government personnel.
Kagbaray Village Welcomes Support for First-Ever Ultra-modern School
By: Alusine Rehme Wilson
Following the collapse of its makeshift school building, Section Chief of Kagbaray Pa. Alimamay Sesay on Saturday 18th December, 2021 led celebrations amongst his cheering subjects as they welcomed Abdul Osaio Kamara and his family who presented on behalf of his partners the Cooper family to the community the first contingent of building materials for the construction of an ultramodern primary school in the disadvantaged village.
On the historic day for school going children, elders, youth and other residents of Kagabray village of Ngowoh chiefdom in the Bombali district, Northern region of Sierra Leone, Abdul Osaio Kamara in the watchful eyes of indigenes of the village presented to the section chief of Kagbaray and the Headmaster of the Kagbaray community school one hundred and fifty bags of cements, fifteen bundles of zinc, tons of iron rods, roofing nails and head pans added to the trips of sand and stones earlier purchased and deposited at the building site as part of his joint support from his friend Sabrina Cooper and family for the construction of a well-furnished three large classroom building that will put an end to the aging struggles pupils and teachers of the school usually undergo in the course of acquiring education their primary school education.
Presenting the assorted building materials, founder of the project Abdul Osaio Kamara recalled his days as a young boy growing up in a nearby village to Kagbaray and attending primary school at Kalangba where he said was going through hell but praised his parents for motivating him to be educated one of the reasons he says he’s been able to reach the height he’s at the moment, called on parents of Kagbaray village to encourage their children to go to school and acquire better education and to as well inspire their kids to be serious with their learning so as to help themselves become prominent examples in their village.
“Thanks to the Cooper family for their financial support and to my family for motivating me to give back to my community in such a manner, acknowledged that his family has been in similar status as the parents of children in Kagbaray village but says he has challenged himself to help cushion the educational problem in the village through this project which he revealed is a packaged to build and well furnish an ultramodern six large classroom buildings plus toilets that will accommodate well over the current school number of pupils attending the school.
Receiving the items on behalf of the community Pa. Alimamy Sesay who has been the section chief of the section for nearly three decades and Amadu F. Mansaray who has led the school for twenty years now unapproved and unsalaried as Headmaster at the village’s sole primary school both expressed their unraveled appreciations to the Cooper family and pioneer of the project Abdul Osaio Kamara for their good will to help their village with an ultramodern school building for a school that has been struggling to get a comfortable space for their education since 1986, further assured that they will endure that the materials provided for the school building project will be purely used for its intended purpose while called on government and others well-wishers to switch their attentions to their village which lacks basic amenities.
Contractor of the project Osaio Kamara in an interview disclosed that he has been contracted to build an ultra-modern six spacious classroom structure with an office space for the Headmaster, a mini hall plus an additional building with two toilets each for both boys and girls, assured that his target is to complete work within by March next year and that the building when handled with care will last for over fifty years.
Several other residents heaped praises and offered prayers for the project pioneer family as well as his partners for the school project and with open hands welcomed the development which is also providing employment to a number of youths that are making fortunes from their labor and skills they are offering at the construction site of the multimillion project.
AG’s 2020 Report…
State House Nailed for Massive Corruption
The 2020 Auditor General’s Report reveals that the Office of the President did not provide appropriate retirement details for payments with regard to US$135,000, an equivalent of Le1,327,758,800, made for various overseas travels by president Bio and the First Lady Fatima Bio.
The Auditor General recommended that the State Chief of Protocol should provide the necessary retirements; otherwise, the said payments will be disallowed and surcharged. In an official response the Secretary to the President (SP) in his response said: “This Office believes that the money in question i.e. US$135,000 Provided as imprest for His Excellency the President and First Lady was utilized for that purpose.
It further noted that the Retirement details in respect of imprest paid to His Excellency the President will however henceforth be obtained, in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016.” In the auditor’s comment, it was remarked that the necessary original (as per the auditee), retirement details were made available during the audit verification process.
Following detailed verification, inspection, and other standard audit checks, including checks with third parties where applicable and possible, we concluded that: the sum of US$110,000 or should be refunded by the payees (i.e. State Chief of Protocol and the Personal Assistant to the First Lady), as the retirement receipts were marred by discrepancies, inaccuracies and inconsistencies.
The receipts provided have also been disputed by the concerned third parties.
Further investigation to be carried on the transaction on PV No. 83325 of 10th March, 2020 for an amount of $25,000 or Le247,254,500; the retirement receipt is marred by discrepancies, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies. Therefore, the auditor maintained that these issues remain unresolved.
Overseas Travelling Expenses to Lebanon
A review of payment vouchers and supporting documents relating to the President’s travel to Lebanon revealed the following:
The circumstances that led to the selection of the company (a wholesaler and general distributor of pharmaceuticals, toiletries, household goods and chemist) to provide private jet service is unclear.
Original and true copy of receipts to support total payment of US$156,113.73 for hotel accommodation and medical treatment was not submitted for audit inspection.
Travelling officers were paid excess Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA) totaling US$7,404 and US$564 was underpaid DSA. Of the funds provided to cover the cost of medical bill for the President and subsistence allowances, payments totaling US$73,416 was made to cover the cost of accommodation of eight travelling officers, even though full DSAs which amounted to US$75,852 to cover such cost had been paid to them. This is an evidence of double dipping.
We recommended that the Principal Assistant to the Secretary to the President in collaboration with the State Chief of Protocol and the Accountant should provide explanation supported by documentary
Evidence, the circumstances that led to the selection of the company to provide private jet service.
They should also ensure that originals of receipts for hotel accommodation and medical treatment are provided for audit inspection.
In addition, the excess DSAs paid should be recovered and refunded into the CF, and DSAs of US$564 be paid to the underpaid concerned; and the 70% of the entitled DSA totaling US$75,852 paid to the eight travelling officers be recovered and refunded into the CF.
In an Official’s Response the SP said: “Please be informed that the choice of the company was done through the Office of the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), after consultation with His Excellency the President.
It should be noted that the security of the President should not be compromised in making such a decision. Thus, searching for any available aircraft is not an option.
Regarding the payment of DSA above the normal rate, please see a minute in respect of an appeal for additional funds to be made available to the delegates given the expensive rates of hotel accommodation in Lebanon at that time.
The circumstances at that time also warranted the officers to be in the same hotel with the President.
The observation that has to do with a refund of US$564 to a certain officer is not clear to this office. It is difficult to understand and appreciate the fact that money spent by the President on his officers would be regarded as double dipping since the officials did not put in request for this and that the money was given voluntarily by the President.
This gesture is common with every President from time immemorial. This is also a common practice between senior officers and their juniors across all Ministries/Departments/Agencies (MDAs).” In the auditor’s comment we noted management’s response regarding the circumstances that led to the selection of the company to provide private jet services.
In the absence of a clear and detailed procurement process, we conclude that it’s reasonable to enquire why a company whose main business is wholesale of pharmaceuticals, toiletries, household goods and chemist, was selected to provide private jet hiring services. We therefore conclude that this matter remains unresolved.
“Original” receipts all with dates in September 2020, to support total payment of US$352,481.77 for hotel accommodation and medical treatment was presented during the audit verification exercise. We however concluded that one of the retirement receipts of US$156,113.73 for hotel accommodation dated 18th September 2021 was marred by discrepancies, inaccuracies and inconsistencies. It was also disputed by the concerned third party, whose record show that the bill remains outstanding.
In view of such discrepancies and dispute, the matter still stands and the amount of US$156,113.73 should be refunded by the payee, the State Chief of Protocol.
We noted that hospital bills to the value of US$170,489.04 were settled in cash at the hospital in question. The audit concludes that although the amounts had been paid and supporting documents
Provided, in the interest of transparency, good public financial management practice, and exemplary anti-money laundry reasons, we are of the opinion that such a settlement should have been done through a bank transfer. Given the level of cash involved, the matter is being highlighted as a reference for future transactions.
Regarding the overpayment of US$7,404 as per diem to officers, management’s response is noted; however, it fails to clear the matter considering the fact that the cost of accommodation for these officers was covered by the impress.
The audit concludes that until there is evidence of refund into the CF, the issue remains unresolved.
With regard to per diem of US$564 payable to the concerned officer, no evidence of payments was made available for verification, therefore the matter remains unresolved.
With regards to the payment for accommodation for officers in receipt of full per diem (which is usually meant to cover the cost of accommodation and sustenance) for traveling officers, the accommodation element of 70% of the per diem is refundable, as the state cannot pay twice for the same transaction.
The audit concludes that the sum of US$73,416 should be recovered from the affected officers and paid back into the CF, and unless and until full recovery of these funds is made, the issue remains unresolved.
Updated Asset Register not Maintained
We observed that items worth Le675,087,000 in respect of furniture and equipment may not have been recorded in an assets register, as an updated register was not presented for inspection. Assets could go missing without trace.
We recommend that the Director of Estate in collaboration with the storekeeper at the Office of the President should provide an up-to-date assets register. An Official’s Response said: “Please take note that action has been taken on your recommendation and there is evidence for inspection.” In the auditor’s comment an updated assets register was made available during the audit verification exercise.
Upon inspection of the asset register, we observed that date of acquisition and unique identification numbers (codes) are yet to be updated in the register, therefore the issue remains partly resolved.
3.60.4. Funds utilized for Ineligible Activities Total payments of Le15,688,500 made from the operational and administrative cost for the office of the first lady was made towards activities not related to the operation and administration of the office, and
such are therefore deemed contestable.
We recommend that the head of Administration and Finance should ensure that evidence of refunds of those contestable payments into the CF is also presented for audit inspection. In an Official’s Response the SP said: “Documents are now available for inspection.”
In the Auditor’s Comment until evidence of refunds into the CF of those constable payments totaling Le15,688,500 is presented, this issue is considered unresolved.
Unutilized Funds not remitted into the Consolidated Fund.
The closing balance as at 31st December 2020 in the account of the First Lady stood at Le7,467,340,013.13 which was unused by the Office, was not returned into the Consolidated Fund as required by Section
124(1) of the Public Financial Management Regulations of 2018.
We therefore recommend that the head of Administration and Finance in the Office of the First Lady should provide an explanation supported by documentary evidence why closing balance was not returned into the CF.
In an Official’s Response the SP said “The reason being that the Office would have starved for funds as allocation for a new financial year is almost always delayed, and this would have hampered the operations of the Office, which has flagship programmes for the vulnerable population, especially girls.” In the Auditor’s Comment, management’s comment on this matter was noted. Therefore, it was concluded that not only did the Office of the First Lady fail to comply with Section 124(1) of the Public Financial Management Regulations of 2018, it also may not have implemented activities for which these funds were provided; therefore, this matter is unresolved.
Auditor General Report Reveals…
Pavi Fort to Account for over Le7Billion
According to the recently-released 2020 Auditor General’s Report, a loan of Le8.3 billion was issued to customer (Pavi Fort). The customer was seriously indebted to the banking industry of Sierra Leone to the sum of Le40 billion from four other commercial banks.
The sum of Le3.7 billion, according to the report had been written off according to review of the credit reference report obtained from the Bank of Sierra Leone.
The Auditor stated in the report that “We recommended that the management should ensure proper credit evaluation of potential borrowers, and lending funds should be allocated to prime (credit-worthy) customers and must comply with provisions of the New Banking Act of 2019 and the prudential guidelines.
The Auditor furthers commented that: “There was neither a response from management, nor an action taken to implement the recommendation. The issue therefore remains unresolved.”
GREENLOVE Dream; COP-26; and Preventing More Mass Murder of Africans!!
In the photos here are the photocopy cover of GREENLOVE magazine published in Liberia in 1989. 32 years ago, GREENLOVE
magazine was launched on Liberian television on December 24, 1989, with Oswald Hanciles, the brain, Rev. Father Robert Tikpor, the Chairman of the Board of SAMFU, Ronnie Siakor, the Liberian cartoon genius who had coined the word “GREENLOVE”, and Clifford Flemister, the American-born Liberian who catalyzed the institutionalization of SAMFU…being present.
There is a story in it relevant for today, December, 2021
GREENLOVE magazine was published by the SAVE MY FUTURE CONSERVATION SOCIETY (SAMFU) of Liberia in December, 1989. I am the brain, and was the CEO, of SAMFU, which was registered as a NGO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia in 1987.
GREENLOVE magazine was sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-
International and German Forestry Mission to Liberia in 1989. It was done in collaboration with the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) of Liberia.
60% of GREENLOVE magazine is story-like cartoons. All the cartoons were drawn by the Liberian cartoon genius, Ronnie Siakor, who was 24 years of age in 1989. I had taught Ronnie Siakor at the St. Martin’s High School in Gbarnga, Bong County in 1981/1982.
I wrote all the cartoon stories in GREENLOVE magazine – stories which linked indigenous creation myth, politics, love story, religion… to the imperative of preventing the rapid destruction of the tropical rainforests. Indeed, everything we think and talk and do is linked ultimately to the man-made Climate Change
The cover of GREENLOVE magazine has the son of Sando Moore (a mega star in photography in Liberia in the 1980s; whose father was an icon for culture of Liberia; and a former culture minister); amidst the rich fauna and flora of Liberia that made Liberia in the 1980s to be described by eminent environmentalists as among the top ten bological hotspots of the world. Because of its rich biological diversity, the cover promotes Liberia as “One of the Richest in the World”.
The cover of GREENLOVE magazine also has George Oppong Weah, then playing professional football for A.S. Monaco of France. (The current President of Liberia, George Weah). There was a pullout calendar with George Weah on it; and an article on a transcontinental migratory bird written by then British Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Michael Gore, who was also Vice Chairman of the Society for the Conservation of
Nature of Liberia.
The cover also has Michael Jackson, who had sang the song “Liberian Girl” in his “BAD” album in 1987. (In April, 1990, SAMFU produced and aired on Liberian television a video documentary titled “Liberian Girl” – with a Liberian Girl calling on Michael Jackson to save the tropical rainforests of Liberia. The Liberian civil war was already raging. Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia [NPFL] were already halfway through Liberia. The video was implicitly calling on Michael Jackson to help stop the vulgar vomit-inducing brutality of the Liberian tribal war).
The ‘story of GREENLOVE magazine’ which started in 1981 in Liberia was one of stoicism; vision; determination… to overcome the iron-clad mindset of inferiority complex of the African; the African’s hostility to new ideas spawned by other Africans within Africa.
The struggle to get Africans to overcome one of their principal mind-diseases – tribalism and inferiority complex – continues today.
All too often when you see Africans complain “Oswald u rite boku too muss’; or, viciously denounce my person without substantiation, but would never do nitpicking of my published ideas… it is that lurking inferiority complex in the subconscious mind of Africans rising to the conscious mind.
Generally, Africans are in a mental prison of the tribe. They can cooperate mainly with their own tribesman. They automatically see the other tribe – sometimes across the river from their villages – as an enemy; and would view each other with suspicion, and hostility. Political parties are formed and sustained not as group of people with similar worldview or ideas or goals, but, as a grouping of a tribe/or linguistic group AGAINST the ‘enemy tribe’.
That’s why when one tribe grabs the presidency through democratic means; or, through military coups, the victorious tribe thinks it has won a civil war against the enemy tribe. In olden days – from traditional Africa to ancient Rome – when you win a war over your enemy you take as much as their gold and silver and valuables as war booty; you enslave some of the men you would not kill in war. The victorious tribe returns home with this war booty and as the gold and silver and slaves of the enemy tribe are paraded on the main streets, they are hailed by their own people. This is what is happening in most African countries today.
When the Mende-speaking-dominated SLPP or Temne-speaking-
dominated APC wins a presidential election, they think they have won a tribal war against the enemy tribe. What the white man calls “corruption” is seen by Africans as “legitimate war booty”.
hen a man from the tribe victorious in this tribal war the white man calls “election” is made minister or director in government, he openly STEALS money in government, and openly builds huge houses – he would be hailed by his tribesmen as being successful, like a warrior who returns home from a tribal war with the chopped-off heads of five of the enemies at the end of his spear. The man who does not steal huge sums of money when in government is seen as a failure by his tribesmen – like a man who ran away from a tribal war during battle.
Corruption has been almost intractable in poverty-stricken African countries like Sierra Leone largely because the majority of people support the few government officials who steal public funds; for they think that they steal from the enemy tribe.
The principal thrust in the fight against corruption is to intensely and relentlessly and imaginatively educate the ordinary people, especially the majority children and youth… that the about 1% elite who steal huge sums of money in government do not steal on behalf of their tribe, rather, they steal from them – steal from their wives and husbands; steal from their babies and sons and daughters; steal from their teachers that would teach their children to get educated and become professionals that would escape poverty; steal clean drinking water and quality medicines from them; they torturers and a murderers.
Back to GREENLOVE magazine. In 2009, Chernor Alpha M. Bah (the same famous name of the United States-based Africanist Press), facilitated my being invited to a conference in the United States, when I was head of the Public Affairs and Tax Education unit in the National Revenue Authority (NRA) of Sierra Leone. I got the United States visa to travel. Through the quirk of fate, I didn’t travel. In another chance encounter, one Engineer Chernor Davies (a former engineer at Sierra Rutile in Moyamba District; a close friend of my late uncle, Engineer Milton Momoh, who had worked at Sierra Rutile with famous Engineer Andrew Keili) mistakenly took the only original copies I had of GREENLOVE magazine (published in Liberia in 1989); SEE magazine (published by GREENLOVE in Nigeria in 1992); and PANGOLIN magazine (produced and published in Nigeria by GREENLOVE/Nigeria for the Cross River National Park Project [CRNPP], the main tropical rainforests conservation and preservation park of Nigeria); and some of my choice articles in THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN. My late uncle Milton Momoh told me on over TEN DIFFERENT OCCASIONS that Chernor Davies sent my magazines to one of his relatives in the United States to have them sent back to Sierra Leone to me; but this relative took my magazines and articles to her compound, poured petrol on them, and watched them burn. Again and again I would tell my late Uncle Milton: ” I wonder what was going on in her mind as she was burning my magazines, and articles with THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN boldly written on them” . It was very symbolic: she was burning me alive because I am a nonconformist. The Tyrants of Conformity in Sierra Leone, in Africa, hate African nonconformists with bold ideas!! They would ignore you. They would be hostile to you. They may only support your ideas if your ideas would be endorsed by the white man or institutions in the West. But, you can’t burn “GREEN” which has “LOVE”. You can’t kill GREENLOVE! For almost 40 years I have been warning about the consequences of global warming and man-made Climate Change. Africans have not listened. Instead of listening to me, they would ignore me to go through deprivation; homelessness; and in Nigeria in 1994/1995, they nearly murdered me. I am lucky to be alive to keep the GREENLOVE Dream alive.
The GREENLOVE Dream has grown into this vision:
” $2trillion annually for man-made Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation measures in Africa from the richest nations of the world. (And Reparations for the Protracted Holocaust of the Atlantic Slave Trade and Trans-Saharan Slave Trade)” – Oswald Hanciles.
Extinction Rebellion’s Jerome Hallam has aptly called Climate Change ” mass murder of billions of humanity… the Annihilation Project”. Africa and the developing world must get the $2 trillion ANNUALLY I advocate for to prevent this mass murders – which would help induce the West, China, and India from keeping global temperatures rising to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, through dramatic changes in the lifestyles of their citizenry, and immediate use of green-technology. If global temperatures rise to 2.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as scientists are now predicting if humanity does not radically change, the consequences would be catastrophic scenarios of starvation, dehydration; floodings; droughts… excruciatingly slow deaths for millions. Are Africans aware of this looming tragedy? Apparently not. But, Africa’s leadership know what is going on. Why aren’t they in preventative war mode? Africa’s leadership are too busy fighting their tribal wars masquerading as democratic politics to enrich only themselves – like APC versus SLPP tribal wars in Sierra Leone. This COLLECTIVE MADNESS must stop!
As Sir David Attenborough said at COP-26 in November, 2021, humanity is putting “carbon into the atmosphere at an unprecedented pace and scale”.
The globally-famous naturalist, Attenborough,
educated the world that the civilizations of the past 10,000 years have been made possible because “we find ourselves in an unusually benign period….of predictable seasons and reliable weather”. (There have been dramatic climate changes in human history; five mass extinctions of species before). But, Attenborough warned humanity: “This stability we all depend on is breaking”. Who are the culprits? The richest countries of the world are the culprits – with the United States emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at 15% today, but historically, about 25%; with China’s carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere at 28%.
Who are the victims of global warming and man-made Climate Change? ” The story is one of inequality as well as instability… Today, those who have done the least to cause the problem are being the hardest hit”, Attenborough moaned at COP-26. Indeed, all the 1.2 billion people in Africa are responsible for LESS than 4% of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere – juxtapose that with the about 320 million people of the United States being responsible for 15% of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
At COP-26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, November, 2021, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said the situation of Climate Change is like a Doomsday Clock at one minute to midnight before detonation, saying: ” 2 degrees more and we jeopardize the food supply of hundreds of millions… crops will wither and locusts swarm. 3 degrees more and more wildfires and cyclones.. 5 times as many droughts and 36 times as many heatwaves… 4 degrees and we say goodbye to whole cities – Miami, Alexandria, Shanghai (Lagos, Monrovia, Banjul) all will be lost beneath the waves…The longer we fail to act, the worst it gets…”
Why aren’t our leaders putting the appropriate intensity to this Climate Change Emergency? The President, Retired Brigadier Maada Bio, the finance minister, J.J. Siaffa, the environment minister, Moriba Jaward, and some 14 other senior government officials attended COP-26 at Glasgow in November, 2021 They heard all what I have quoted here. I now publicly call on the President, the governing SLPP, and all the political parties…to stop the tribal war they are engaged in that is disguised as APC versus SLPP competitive democratic politics; stop the likely Grand Corruption; reach out to experts and thinkers and media professionals from all ethnic groups in the country, and confront the common enemy of Climate Change. To try to forge a pan-African front on Climate Change.
Sir David Attenborough at COP-26 expressed hope that humanity would “turn this tragedy into triumph”. I echo his optimism for Africa; for Sierra Leone… for humanity”.
Rise! Don’t just read this and revert back to business-as-usual.
I pause,
Oswald Hanciles, The Guru
Founder and CEO of the SLAVE SHIP-FREEDOM SHIP Movement
CEO of GREENLOVE/Sierra Leone
