Interesting perspective on Sierra Leone Supplementary Budget.. What do you think? Awoko: Sierra Leone News: Cooper’s Eyes CooperIt’s been said that money makes the world go ’round, and regardless of the validity of that claim, it at least is the main lubricant in the engine of governance. It was a hot day outside, but inside the Sierra Leonean Parliament building the air was cool. Dozens had filed into the main chamber to watch as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Kaifala Marah, read aloud the proposed Supplementary Appropriation Act of 2014, which if enacted into law would provide revisions to the existing 2014 governmental budget. The chamber was filling up quick, and I struggled to find a seat. As a simple intern, I felt honoured (if not a little unworthy) to be sitting in on the discussion that would decide how the country is run for the rest of the year. The amount of insight one can gain from knowing how their government spends its money is immense. That is why when particular aspects of the proposed budget amendment were disclosed, I was taken aback, if not utterly shocked. The total estimated revenues for the year were being projected at higher levels than initially thought. As such, a reallocation of certain funds was in order since the government now has the additional funding to further pursue certain projects. But it was how those funds were decided to be distributed that sent a shiver down my spine. For instance, I was pleased to hear that Le2.2 billion were to be allocated to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs to help combat the problem of teenage pregnancy. Together with the Le1 billion being distributed for the better management of groundwater facilities, I was impressed. It’s hard to argue that the health of children and the condition of our groundwater are anything but important issues. Teen pregnancy ruins childhoods and ill-managed groundwater sources can fuel the spread of diseases like cholera. In my opinion, these funds were definitely well deserved. That’s why my jaw nearly plummeted to the floor when I learned that Le10 billion was being put aside for military officers’ uniforms alone. And that’s not all. Le8.7 billion were being given to the Sierra Leone Police for “new security cameras and other security devices;” and to top it all off, the new law was allocating over Le20 billion for the procurement of new military vehicles. Did the Sierra Leonean Parliament decide to declare war and I’d just missed the memo? Last time I checked, the war was over. That’s why it broke my heart to find out that only Le7billion was to be allocated to the education of Salone’s people. That’s less than 18 per cent of what is to be spent on military and security. Actions speaks louder than words, and if the actions of Parliament reflect their actual opinions, that means that the Sierra Leonean government cares about the education of its people less than one fifth as much as it cares about its military and police. And that’s not even including the additional Le10 billion given to the Ministry of Defence. Of course, the act was passed and this new budget was enacted into law. This is to be the fate of Sierra Leone for the rest of the year. As I walked down Tower Hill in the afternoon sunlight, I felt the events I had just witnessed begged one question: is this what the Sierra Leonean people would have wanted? Parliament is made up of elected officials after all people who are supposed to be acting representatives of those who elected them. So shouldn’t their actions reflect the will or at least the general interest of the greater population? I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who believes clean drinking water to only be one tenth as important as military officers’ uniforms; and if this kind of spending is truly in the best interest of the people, any explanation as to how was nothing short of invisible. So what do we do now? How do we make sure that this incredible country continues on the right path rather than succumbing to military obsession like so many other nations? Development cannot be won with guns and bullets. A nation cannot be sculpted out of firepower. A great hero of mine once said, “Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.” True freedom comes from good health and a powerful mind. Once Sierra Leone has both, there’s nothing any country in the world could do to stand in the way of its success. Our destinies do not lie in the hulls of tanks. They are waiting for us on the infinite fields of knowledge and prosperity. Reach out and grab yours. Friday July 11, 2014
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:44:31 +0000
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