OPINION > One Thing & Another President Ernest Koroma’s Decision Must Be Respected Posted by on Aug 21, 2009, 01:52

The development of any nation is not the sole responsibility of any tribe, region or political party but the responsibility of its people. Race, ethnicity or affiliation, where development aspirations/ objectives are the focus, none of it should be considered as either a factor or driving force. That is why those who consider any of these elements in the development drive of a country as a criterion or criteria should be pitied and if possible be giving the right development education.

This brings to mind the usual excuse/statement made by most people that one should not ask what the country has done for him/her, but what one has done for his/her country. This is not only an unfortunate pronouncement, but one that requires the argument of Aristotle that a country has a lot to do for its citizens before the citizens can do something for their country. It is a process that both parties are required to fulfill.

If a country cannot provide for its citizens the basics, how the citizens can in turn provide for the country?. This is what should be understood by those who take up the argument on behalf of the state against its citizens. The state is an abstract entity, created to take care of its people, endowed with natural resources; which should be harnessed for the good of mankind.

In the same vein, one of the functions of the state among others is the provision of jobs for its citizens, but when the state neglects this important role, the citizens cannot contribute to the development of the state and in making this role significant, the state mandates its citizens to appoint/elect a leader to supervise the administration and micro-manage the resources provided by the state on behalf of the people. It is in line with the aspiration of the state that a leader should work and be neutral in performing the duties of the state, which he was elected for by the people to perform. In this regard the decision of the leader should be respected and carried out according to his prediction.

Political party, regional bias and favoritism should not be used as the yardstick to determine who should benefit from the resources of the state or the national duty of the leader. The reason for highlighting, or bringing forward the argument of Aristotle is not only to diffuse the argument of certain category of people who think that politics should be used to appropriate and distribute national resources, rather than the rights and responsibilities of the state to the citizens. Man by nature, according to Socrates is a political animal, which explains in the first place that man is an animal and also a political being.

This means whether man is not forced to affiliate/join a political organization, his activities are not devoid of politics because man interacts with his fellow mankind at the corridors of politics or not. It therefore sounds ridiculous to accuse mankind of belonging to a political party, when according to Socrates man is born as a political animal. The basis for the preamble, apart from the fact that it is going to be used as the spring board for this subject matter under debate, is also considered vital for people to know when and how to argue about issues or be involved in an argument.

Recently, President Koroma in his wisdom decided to recall the former Registrar of the Pharmacy Board, Mr Jack Lansana to resume duty after a protracted fifteen months leave with pay. The reason for this decision, based on news that filtered around is that after the conclusion of several investigations conducted against Mr. Lansana and he was proven clean and white as snow the President in his wisdom concluded that Mr. Lansana has been suffering innocently, and it was time for him to come onboard and contribute again to national development considering his past significant contributions to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.

But the wisdom and decision of President Koroma seemed to have been challenged by Mr. Bassie Turay, who has flatly refused to obey authority. Apart from his current health situation; he thinks that politics should take precedence over national development. Mr Turay is very troubled over the decision because of greed, self-centeredness and ill motivated ambition to continue putting the Medical Stores in the running pits. Mr. Lansana was requested to resume duty as Acting Director of Medical Stores and Drugs to allow Mr. Bassie to proceed on leave and take care of his health.

What is rather disgusting is that since Mr. Turay received his letter, he has assigned to himself a special duty, which is to go round the city of Freetown, badmouthing the President and calling him all sorts of names at the same time telling his handful sympathizers that Mr. Lansana is SLPP, while he is APC, forgetting to mention his financial contribution to the other political camps during the 2007 elections and how he used to converge with some politicians at Guy Street to strategize with the aim of defying destiny that has now turned out to be a big disappointment to him as Ernest Bai Koroma is now the politically elected President of Sierra Leone.

Badmouthing the President for selfish reason is not a solution to a decision that has already been taken. Whatever twists and turns adopted by Mr. Turay at this eleventh hour to prevent the implementation of the decision that will subject the office of the Establishment Secretary’s Office, now called Human Resources to public ridicule and degradation would not augur well for national development and unity. His claim of being an APC is not a solution to the restructuring effort designed for the Government Medical Stores.

The current dilapidated and unimproved conditions of the Establishment over the past years are an eyesore and shame to innovation, which Mr. Turay should be ashamed of as head of the Institution. Going round and undressing the President and saying unhealthy things about him are all clear indications of his true character.

What he is expected to do at this time is to respect the decision of his superiors, including the President; for those days are far gone when he would say negative things about Ernest Bai Koroma to convince his friends. It is expected that his elder brother Hon. Pastor Eddie Turay should intervene and teach him the lesson of respect for Authority.