Simon Eyram Tsike-Sossah writes:
...I am writing about the feeling of entitlement from Africa, especially from the countries affected by ebola - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea'More here
The feeling that America, EU and generally the countries of the northern hemisphere MUST take the responsibility to save them is irresponsible and wicked - for the governments and people to think so.
What touched me most was the report that US government has refused funding the Lasa Research Centre based in Kenema, Sierra Leone; and the resultant backlash from Sierra Leoneans and people of colour. The decision was views as wicked and insensitive. But the question is; how much funding are we talking about? $100,000 per annum! The figure includes wages for 30 medical staff and nurses among others.
However this money pales in the face of how much money is stolen from Sierra Leone and Africa in general by their politicians and officials per day! We are talking $100,000 per year for a facility that researches the lassa fever (a close cousin of Ebola!). How much does the government value researching malaria, typhoid, cholera and many other diseases that kill people in the thousands per year.
Compare that to how much officials steal from their own people. It found that trade mispricing, or losses associated with the misrepresentation of export and import values, alongside other illicit outflows cost the continent $38.4-billion and $25-billion respectively between 2008 and 2010. Sierra Leone scored 119 our of 117 with a scone of 30 (out of 100) on the corruption perception indices. Was anyone angry in Sierra Leone? No! Was there public demonstrations? No! In the last 7years all crown lands in Freetown including protected coastal lands have been sold - also with no outcry or evident public anger at the government.
I believe the point is, $100,000 should not be a problem for the government of Sierra Leone but for corruption, policy inconsistency, lack of proper planning and policy development and implementation.
