HOW SERIOUS IS SORIOUS?

Commented By Franklin Kekura Fode-Kallay, USA.

Sorious Samura

Sir,
Please grant me space in your widely read magazine to express my views on this hot issue.
Thanks.

HOW SERIOUS IS SORIOUS?

Sounds poetic? Well, it’s even more adventurous ! Here is a man who braved the ferociously whistling bullets and hell-fire RPGs of the rebels then invading Freetown; his purported mission: To capture the culprits in the ACT. Notwithstanding, if the revelations of respectable journalists like Sylvia Blyden are anything to go by, then this man’s real and ulterior propulsion-THE JOURNALISM OF PECUNIARY DESPERATION- is out for perusal. In the USA, the likes of his now-seemingly cooked up story can be picked up in one of the Tabloids say, at GIANT or SAFEWAY food stores; it not uncommon for these tabloids to carry stories like “ Elvis Presley Was Spotted Shopping in Down Town Memphis.” “Osama Bin Laden Preparing For War Against The US From His Grave.” What’s more, these stories almost always enjoy the religious support of life-like and high definition pictorial concoctions. So the naïve and unsophisticated mind (of which Dr. Blyden’s is not one) could be easily taken in. My hope is that, a son of the soil, dear SaLone, would not by party to any act of NATIONAL SABOTAGE! Unless, however, journalist SORIOUS is really SERIOUS, things are beginning to look like that; unless SERIOUS was the operative word of SORIOUS, then he could be bordering on the fringes of libelous culpability; unless SORIOUS and SERIOUS though they rhyme, are not antithetical , then this man may soon have to brave legal bullets and legal RPGs . Adding insult to injury; gasoline to fire; is the timing of the documentary (12 months to general elections); the political fever in SaLone is over 100 degrees; political opportunistic viruses thrive and replicate in such environment; they scavenge for any and every political punch to deal on their opponents; in the face of this documentary, if the words SORIOUS and SERIOUS can stand their ground hand-in-glove, then these politicians have just discovered a fresh political “diamond pit”; if on the other hand , in the face of this documentary, the words SORIOUS and SERIOUS become uneasy bed fellows, then the deliberate tainting and doctoring of the documentary, for political gains would be inevitable. Signs of this trend are already rearing their ugly head; some political quarters are now talking about Salone being declared a Rogue State (God forbid) over a single yet-to-be-authenticated occurrence; others are talking about the role of “JUJU” in the advent of the documentary and yet others are already calling for resignation of officials brushing aside the core principle of Innocent Until Proven Guilty. Dr. Blyden and others are currently doing a good job, using the blessings of the digital world to pinpoint logistical and photographic discrepancies. The ACC and of course, the police, will also do their part. In the meantime, all that concerned Sierra Leoneans will have to do is to pray that: the documentary is SERIOUSLY SORIUOS’ or the NATIONAL SABOTAGE will be “SORIOUSLY” SERIOUS.

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About Othman Sheriff 350 Articles
Othman Sheriff is an experienced Sierra Leonean development professional, peacebuilding practitioner, professional journalist and human rights advocate with over two decades of engagement in community development, youth empowerment, education, humanitarian assistance and international development cooperation. Born and raised in Kenema District, Eastern Sierra Leone, he has dedicated much of his professional career to improving the socioeconomic conditions of vulnerable and marginalised populations, particularly disadvantaged young people, women, children and underserved rural communities. As the Founder and Programme Director of Youth in Action for Development (YAD), Sheriff has played a leading role in mobilising international development assistance and coordinating community-driven interventions aimed at poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, social inclusion and grassroots development. Over the years, he has facilitated the mobilisation and implementation of development projects worth billions of Leones, supported by international development partners, including European development institutions, humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies. A committed advocate for free and inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Sheriff spearheaded the establishment of the Youth Resource Academy (YRA) in 2018, through which he has championed access to practical, employment-oriented education for underprivileged youth, particularly young women, school dropouts, single mothers, widows, unemployed youth and individuals from economically disadvantaged households. So far, the Academy has provided vocational, technical and entrepreneurship training opportunities to more than 2,000 youth helping them acquire marketable skills, pursue self-employment and improve their economic independence. He also solicit funds to provide start up kits for the youth who graduated from the academy. In addition to his development and humanitarian work, Sheriff serves as the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Critique Echo Newspaper, using journalism as a platform to promote accountability, responsible governance, social justice and public awareness of critical socioeconomic and human rights issues. He is a dedicate member of many international peacebuilding networks including the United Religions Initiative (URI), International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), Intercultural Leaders Network of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC)`s Youth Solidarity Fund, and the alumni Association of King Hamad Youth Empowerment Awards. Through his leadership, advocacy and international partnerships, Sheriff continues to champion a vision of Sierra Leone in which disadvantaged young people have equitable access to education and economic opportunities, women and girls live free from violence and discrimination, human rights are respected, and communities are empowered to pursue peaceful, inclusive and sustainable development.

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