Category: Other

Will Sierra Leone’s Young Cabinet Reshape Governance? Insights from “The New Face of Salone”

“The New Face of Salone” is a film that tracks Sierra Leone’s and Africa’s youngest cabinet in their first week in Office, introducing key members: the youngest being the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Technology, Salima Bah (32); the Chief Minister, David Sengeh (36); the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Jalikatu Mustapha; the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Ramatulai Wurie; the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, Timothy Kabba; the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Kpaka; and the Minister for Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah — all under 40.

The film contextualises this cabinet within the broader African landscape, highlighting the significance of the ministers’ success not only for Sierra Leone but for youth leadership continent-wide. It also humanises governance by portraying the ministers’ emotional journey as they grapple with their new responsibilities.

At the film screening on Friday evening, I recalled some questions that came to mind when the cabinet was initially announced: Are these young people being set up to fail? Will they bring a different style to governance from what we know? Will their qualifications and competencies change governance in Sierra Leone and overcome decades of political problems, corruption and stunted growth?

Well, about seven months or so have passed since the cabinet’s formation and little change is evident. Transparency and accountability are still quite lacking amongst many other things, while the basic needs of the people continue to go unmet. Political allegiance often overrides logic and honesty, hindering the ability to give and take constructive criticism, dialogue, and compromise.

Citizens’ “blind support” worsens the situation, challenging my previous belief that it was primarily the older generation who were entrenched in their ways, unwilling to transcend party lines. Having witnessed similar patterns of blind loyalty among peers, I’ve come to realise this issue transcends generational divides, levels of literacy, education, exposure, and many other societal factors.

I can acknowledge nonetheless that fanatical devotion to political parties is quite deeply ingrained in our body politic and will not change overnight. Despite their youth and vigour, I know the young cabinet cannot single-handedly overturn entrenched issues. However, they can certainly lead by example if they prioritise transparency, accountability, and integrity in their actions and decisions. By demonstrating a willingness to challenge the status quo rather than support partisan agendas, they can begin to address the systemic challenges, set a precedent for responsible leadership and work towards meaningful reforms.

“We will deliver”, Chief Minister David Sengeh’s mantra echoes persistently throughout the film. But amidst this assurance lies a shadow of public scepticism. Will this government truly fulfil the needs of the people as promised? “How can you be so confident you will deliver…?” queried a young boy from the audience, directing his question to the panel of ministers who sat on stage for a Q&A session after the screening.

In my view, if this young cabinet falls short of delivering tangible results, it should at least emphasise to us the reality that as young people, we are also accountable for the direction Sierra Leone takes. The film portrays this fact glaringly by presenting this cabinet as a profound opportunity for young people to step into the leadership roles we have longed for and shape the future of our nations. Whether serving as appointed leaders or as citizens we share a collective responsibility. Therefore, we must reflect on our actions and intentions.

As young leaders, are we genuinely serving the nation or prioritising our political ambitions? Are we placing the needs of the people above all else? How do we reconcile party loyalty with the principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity? Are we setting a positive example or perpetuating the same old political narratives? As young citizens, are we consistently advocating for transparency and accountability across the board, or only when convenient, such as when it does not involve our friends and family? Does our political allegiance cloud our judgement when prioritising Sierra Leone’s interests? How can we ensure we speak truth to power, even when it is uncomfortable or risky? What role can we play in supporting our leaders (friends & family) while also holding them accountable to their promises?

Although this film provides a compelling view of young leadership it somewhat also presents a sanitised view of governance. This is understandable, considering it only captures the first few days at the beginning of the ministers’ term in office. Additionally, I can appreciate that spotlighting the positives amidst Africa’s prevailing narratives of conflict and corruption reflect the editorial stance of The African Perspective (TAP), the film’s production company.

Overall, “The New Face of Salone” offers a fresh exploration of youth leadership, urging us to engage critically, act with integrity, and strive for a better tomorrow, together. If you are a sceptic like me, you might wonder whether the contributions in the film are indeed a genuine attempt to inspire proactive citizenship or a form of persuasion to cultivate empathy towards the government. I think whatever the intent, the fact remains: there are inherent collective responsibilities in governance, and we all have a stake. So, how can we leverage this understanding to drive meaningful change?

19th Feb 2024
5 Things I Thought Would Change When I Stopped Relaxing My Hair

5/1/22 VS 3/11/22

I am ten (10) months post big chop today! I cut my hair on 5th January this year and I have really enjoyed getting to know and caring for my hair over this time. My first relaxer was at age 9 and before that, I did not care for my hair myself so I never really experienced it in its unaltered form. This is the first time in 18 years I am experiencing my hair’s real texture in all its glory and I am loving it. Having had relaxed hair for almost two decades I had some presumptions about the changes I would need to make once I transitioned. So here are five (5) things I thought would change when I stopped relaxing my hair:

1. I thought my hair care routine would change completely. It hasn’t.

Taken on 29/10/22

When my hair was relaxed, I washed and treated it myself 90% of the time if not more. I had assumed that once I stopped using relaxers I would struggle with getting used to the new length and texture, and would need to go to a salon for help more often. But I did not. In fact, I am very surprised to see that my wash days now are not longer nor more hectic than they were when my hair was relaxed. Maybe with more length this will change, but for now I have no trouble washing and treating my hair myself.

2. I thought I would change all products I used while relaxed. I didn’t need to.

Taken on 28/9/22

While my hair was relaxed I really had no limits for what products I used. I simply stuck with the ones I felt my hair loved; many of them were labelled “for textured hair” or some other nomenclature but that did not deter me from trying them. So in retrospect, I don’t even know why I thought I would need to change all my products. Most of what I use now are products I used while my hair was relaxed and they work just fine. I have always used whatever my hair loves regardless of labels, I still do.

3. I thought I would wear my hair out less. I don’t.

Taken on 27/8/22

While my hair was relaxed, I could style and wear it out easily. I loved a sleek bun; high, low, middle part, side part – it was just a clean and simple to achieve look. So using extensions for protective and other hairstyles were really a matter of choice. Knowing my hair was going to be shorter left me thinking I would not know how to style it therefore I’d hide it in wigs and other styles more. I was wrong. Of 303 days since I did the big chop I’ve worn my hair out on a total of 183 days. That’s over 60% of the time (yes, I did the math).

4. I thought I would spend more money. I haven’t

Taken on 15/7/22

There is an ongoing economic crisis in Sierra Leone which means everyone is spending more money on goods and commodities but that’s not what I mean. My preconception of caring for afro hair got me thinking I would visit the salon more, invest in a new set of products and tools and do more hairstyles with extensions. Social media made it worse; a special hair dryer, a unique “detangler” brush, a bonnet to protect edges. I really thought I would need to sell a toe or two to keep a full head of hair. But it turns out I didn’t need to. I have not used a hairdryer in months, my old brushes and tools work just fine and so does my old raggedy ɛnkincha (head scarf).

5. I thought my feelings towards my hair would change. I thought wrong.

Taken on 25/6/22

The main reason I cut my hair and stopped relaxing was simply to know my actual hair texture. In a moment of self reflection some time back, I realised my relaxed hair was all I knew, so transitioning became part of my self-awareness journey.
I really loved my relaxed hair and spent a lot of time caring for and nurturing it. At some point, I thought I would never even dream of finding out what my afro hair looks like. I was used to a certain look that I knew would be challenging to achieve with an afro, especially in the beginning stages. So once I decided to stop using relaxers, I was not sure I would love my hair the same way.
Fast forward to today, I can’t achieve the looks I loved while my hair was relaxed and I am learning new ways to style and nurture my afro hair but the love remains unchanged.

5th Nov 2022
ASHOBI: The Much Anticipated Album

Drizilik “Don pata back, you heard the news?”

Photo by Eminence

I am certainly not alone when I say “I have been waiting for this”.

One of Sierra Leone’s A-list artists, Drizilik is about to release another album and his fans can’t wait to hear it.

As a curtain-raiser to his second album release, the African hip-hop star gathered top fans and special guests at an exclusive listening party last weekend. Although an unexpected storm ruined plans for an outdoor event, it mattered little to the fanatically devoted where they were listening to their favourite artist, so long as they were.

From the title of the album Ashobi, one could easily conclude Drizilik chose to stick with representing Sierra Leone through his art. Well that is partially correct, because the rapper says he wanted this album to capture and represent not just Sierra Leone, but the West African sub-region. And certainly so, the more I think about it the more I see what he means by this.

First, the name “Ashobi” resonates in most West African countries though pronounced differently in some (Aso Ebi/Ashoebi in Nigeria and Ghana). The word is said to have origins in Nigeria’s Yoruba language – aso meaning cloth and ebi denoting family.

So basically, Ashobi describes an outfit, usually of the same fabric and/or style, worn by family members during grand occasions – weddings, funerals, birthdays or anniversary celebrations etc. However, in contemporary West Africa the Ashobi is not just for family members. Friends and acquaintances of a celebrant can choose to buy and put on the Ashobi.

What better way is there to merge unique cultures if not by capitalising on similar ones? That’s exactly what Drizilik has done and not just through the album title.
With strategic collaborations and features, the Sierra Leonean star has comfortably captured representation of three other West African countries – Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. The song Said & Done for example, features Nigerian guitarist Fiokee and is produced by Altra Nova a Ghanaian who has produced for Sarkodie and Joey B to name a few. The song even has a high life feel to it and is actually the only song in the album which talks about a romantic involvement, similar to Just in case in Drizilik’s previous album Shukubly.

Drizilik also features Cameroonian star Mic Monsta in a new version of Tell, a song previously released as a single in April last year. In the pre-chorus he spits “Kongosa na osusu”, comparing gossip (also called kongosa in Cameroon, konkonsa in Ghana) to a form of microfinance capital accumulation found in parts of Africa in which everyone contributes an equal amount.

DJ Rampage at the album listening party – Photo by Eminence

Although many of the tracks on this album are produced by Nigerian and Ghanaians, Drizilik did not stray too far from his longtime ally DJ Rampage who not only co-produced some tracks, but also himself produced the title track and a few others. In fact, DJ Rampage produced what is in my opinion one of the potential hits in this album, Fana Makit; which talks about today’s youth living beyond their means, wanting the lavish life but not willing to make the sacrifice or be patient.

“ Broke girls stay broke cuz they wanna act rich to impress broke boys
Same way so
Broke boys stay broke cuz they wanna act rich to impress broke girls
Kapu sense…
…Do the math wit you 5 make e multiply
Do am 7, 7, tem make e turn 35
Before you quit give another try
Memba say na patience de make caterpillar turn to butterfly “
Lines from Fana Makit

“Fana makit” translates to petty trading, a common form of small business enterprise in Sierra Leone. The song has a catchy refrain – “Fana makit, fana makit, nor look am bad yai wae na een fit you pokit”, meaning don’t spend more than you can afford or live a pretentious lifestyle. This song, carrying a similar theme to Dig Hole on the album, addresses the perceived eagerness of young people to own the latest of everything – smartphones, cars, fashion; when in reality they simply cannot afford it.

One could easily describe Drizilik as an afropop artist but in Big Artist he truly defines himself as a rapper and shows he has undoubtedly come into his own. The self praising tune flows in that real hip-hop style matched by a laid-back yet cocky delivery of the most ingenious expressions of who he is and his status in the entertainment industry. If you are a lover of the classic rap/hip-hop style, straight-up rhymes and beats, then this is the track you’ll have on repeat.

Drizilik & Idris Elba – Photo by Eminence

It’s not hard to figure that Drizilik is channelling real life experiences with people he knew, the life he had before becoming a star and the difference between then and now. Behind the catchy melodies and choruses are depictions of today’s Sierra Leone camouflaged in witty utterances and punchlines. Tracks like Bad Padi, Empty Bag (featuring MIC) and Opin Yu Yai (featuring Mimi Wood), deal with the struggles of ordinary people, some hard-working youths and the bitterness and anger they feel when life doesn’t go their way.

This album will leave you in no doubt of Drizlik’s unique and extraordinary talent and that he remains at the top of his game, constantly in competition with himself. He has maintained his formulaic style of speaking in Krio parables and idioms, telling fundamental stories about not just himself but us as a people and the society we find ourselves in.

A critique Drizilik may never get is “lacking variation”. There’s enough diversity and creativity within his writing and choice of beats/instrumentals to make the same subjects remain entertaining. This time he’s introduced to his fans a somewhat obvious but unexpected side – faith.

In songs like Exodus and Decide Drizilik alludes to his faith as a Christian and how much of a role that has played in his life journey. Exodus, produced by Nigerian legend Masterkraft has the first video from the album and already has over 50,000 views.

“ To December thirty, from the first of the first
Getting money is the cause of the cause
Ah tell dem my God is the source of the sauce
So r nor go stress, because…
Dem go only love you wae you high at the peak
Dem nor know say you build from the ground up
If you know you worked too hard to be treated like shit
Act like you’ve got som’n to be proud of ”
Lines from Exodus

The two faith inspired songs and two others on the album; Popular featuring Ramoni and Hype which was produced by Sierra Leonean Bonx, have a subtle grimy feel, very “modern hip-hop” sounding tunes. You may know Bonx from his previous work with one time music star Rhage on Undecided and Closing the Distance, and Shadow Boxxer, D’banj and Idris Elba on the song Confidential. He describes Hype as carrying afro hip-hop drums laced with Sierra Leonean samples.

Ashobi track list

Ashobi is bookended by two strong tracks: Ashobi the title track featuring the multi-talented Idris Elba and Awujor featuring Blessing, an up and coming artist signed to Eminence Africa and the legendary Emmerson Bockarie who Drizilik confesses has served as an inspiration for his art. The two are all-round “enjoyment” tunes apt for any awujo; a feast or social gathering, and are seemingly influenced by Sierra Leone music pioneers Dr Oloh and Ebenezer Calendar, carrying a fusion of the Gumbe, Maringa and Palm Wine music – all authentic Sierra Leonean genres.

I think of the album as a full circle, because one place you may definitely see the Ashobi (title track) is at an Awujo (the closing track). Suffice it to say from Shukubly to Ashobi, Drizilik is nothing short of greatness and he has proven that time and time again.

10th Nov 2021
Feminism?!?!

A brother sent me the photo above and said these are misconceptions of feminism.

I do agree that people have different ideas about what feminism is and the term can mean very different things to different people – to which one might agree or disagree depending on their individual beliefs and values.

However I would not go as far as to call those ideas/meanings misconceptions and here is why – with specific reference to the points in the photo above

What is Feminism and what is not?

To put it simply I would say feminism is a movement to establish equal economic, social, political rights for women as there are for men. There is a variety of definitions – equality of the sexes, equal opportunities for women, etc. All of them highlighting EQUAL. So what does this mean – in reference to the “misconceptions” in the photo?

“Misconception” 1: Women want to be equal to men

This begs the question, “Are women unequal to men?” I believe – as stated before, feminism at its core is about equality of men and women. Many people perceive it to be about “sameness”, a completely different argument altogether. But because of this, many people argue that women are not the “same” as men so there cannot be equality. In other words, because their bodies are different (women are deemed “weaker” and smaller), and because they have different physical capabilities, equality is not possible. It’s critical to understand that “sameness” in this case does not mean “equal.”

The issue here is about equal rights and equal access to opportunities. Men and women do not have to be the “same” in physicality in order to be seen as equals. And here’s an example of why: If two young boys were in the same class – one weaker and smaller than the other, would we believe it is right to deprive the weaker, smaller boy equal access – to the teacher, to learning, to computers, to the books and class resources, just because he didn’t have the same physical strength as the other boy?

The fact is there are many women who are physically stronger and larger than men so sometimes gender has nothing to do with. When given the same opportunities women can be equally great and in some cases greater than men, the same way some men are greater in certain things and not so great in others. So perhaps the misconception lies not with women wanting to be EQUAL to men, rather it is with people in general considering equality to mean SAMENESS in physicality.

“Misconception” 2: We don’t need men

Do men NEED women? If so, what for? And should those reasons be any different from why women should NEED men? And if not, then why must women NEED men?
This idea as I understand it comes from the level of dependence women have been forced to exhibit when deprived of equal opportunity.

In Saudi Arabia for instance, all women must have a male guardian – a father, brother, husband or uncle. Girls and women are forbidden from travelling, conducting official business, or undergoing certain medical procedures without permission from their male guardians (after intense activism, the law has partially amended to exclude women over 21 years old from having a male guardian etc). Although women are now able to drive, women are still required to have men swear for them in a court of law. To buy or sell property, women must bring two men as witnesses to testify to her identity, and four male witnesses to testify that the first two are credible witnesses. So that’s six men. I hope you see where I am going with this.

In some other cultures women are not allowed to move out of their parents’ house until they are married, they cannot rent an apartment or a house simply because they are single women. So these societies have created no other option for women but to be dependent on men to survive, to thrive – socially, financially, etc. And that is where the “We don’t need men” idea comes from – a way to say if women were given equal opportunities as men – allowed to work and earn their own, given the same social respect and access to professional status, women would not “NEED” men.

I lay an emphasis on need because that word alone indicates the sentiments behind the opinion. The word “need” implies “requirement – an essential – a necessity” like plants NEED sunlight and water or they have no chance of survival, humans NEED oxygen or we die – an obligation rather than a desire/preference/a choice made on one’s own volition. I doubt that is the case for women and men. Safe to say, indeed, we don’t NEED men to survive.

“Misconception” 3: We are men

I have very little to say about this one as I believe feminism has very little to do with it. It is more biological than ideological. A woman who refers to herself as a man is maybe more than just a feminst that is if in fact she is a feminist at all – because this claim is contrary to the idea of feminism, which advocates FOR women’s rights – not men’s. So is this person advocating for men’s rights? I could say maybe this person is a misandrist but if she hates men why would she want to be a man?? In any case, “man” is a general term for both sexes so if that is what is meant by “we are men”, I understand. But maybe someone can explain this one further because I don’t quite see the feminism in it.

11th Aug 2020
It’s really not about the money.

I am not one to go on a public rant but I think this needs to be heard.

A designer reached out to me about two weeks ago asking me to model some dresses.
Am I a model? No
Did she know that? Certainly so.
Has she seen me on tv before? Absolutely.
Is that why she asked me to model for her? Possibly.
But I didn’t care about any of that. I told her I rarely have time to do other things besides work so it was better for her to give me the date and time of the shoot so I will let her know if I am available.

She agreed to do that and asked me to come in to fit the dresses. I gave her a time that I will be available for fitting and I was there, bang on time – Didn’t waste her time, didn’t push her around. She asked, I was there. We fitted 5 dresses

We agreed the shoot will happen the following Saturday at 10 a.m. Unfortunately it was raining that morning so we moved to 11. Again, I was there bang on time. In fact I arrived a few minutes early: not because I love photo shoots; not because I love wearing dresses; not because I wanted my makeup done or was excited to have my pictures taken “for the gram”. No, nothing like that.

Anyone who truly knows me knows:
a. That I am not a fan of photos – story for another day
b. I am not a fan of social media – also a story for another day.
Even the designer in question mentioned in our conversation that my friend had told her I don’t like photos.
But I was doing this shoot as a favour – yes, a favour, because my friend was part of it too and she is acquainted with the designer.

Despite this being a favour and me having the understanding that there will be no financial or any other form of gain for me for that matter, it was a matter of principle for me to show up on time as I had given her my word.

So I sat there in her office for over an hour waiting for the makeup artist to arrive.
Did I have other things to do? Absolutely.
But did I put up an attitude? No.
Did I complain? Not even a sigh.

Rather, I sat there together with the designer and we had a friendly conversation about tardiness and other bad habits people tend to have. We had a laugh.

The makeup artist finally arrived. She used my brushes because one has to be corona conscious, she used my foundation because I prefer mine, she used my lash glue because she did not have hers and we finished some minutes to 2pm. I boarded the designer and her assistant in my vehicle with a suitcase full of the dresses my friend and I were to put on.

You might be wondering why I’m nit-picking but you’ll understand soon.

The venue had to close at 6pm so by 5.30 we were rounding up and it had started pouring anyway. The designer said we didn’t do all the dresses she planned to shoot and she would need me again which left me confused because I fitted 5 dresses the other day and I had graciously shot way more than 5. Nonetheless, I told her everything would be up to what day/time she decides to do the next shoot. Again because it was pouring, I boarded the entire team of 4 (designer inclusive) and drove them to their various drop off points.

Now,
Did I expect to wait for the makeup artist for over an hour? No.
Did I expect to shoot more than 5 dresses? No.
Did I expect that the shoot will take up the whole of my day? No.

If the makeup artist had been there on time we could have started the shoot by 12.30 latest. And if we had stuck with the 5 dresses as originally agreed, we would have finished earlier.

Anyway that’s done.
But here’s where the story changes.

The designer reached out to me again saying she wants me to model some other items and wants my measurement.
I asked “are you paying this time?”. I told her I didn’t mind doing the first one free of charge but if you’re asking again then we have to discuss money. I’m using resources too – I used my shoes for the shoot, jewellery, fuel – which she benefited from, I picked and dropped her off. In fact everything I did was to her credit.

Her response shocked me. “Are you a professional model?” she asked.

I answered no, doubtfully, as in what is she driving at? She knows I am not a model, why is she asking me this?

And she says “then I don’t understand why you’re asking me to pay you.”
She went on to explain about how many people she has running after her to do photoshoots in her designs and how she doesn’t pay people to model for her.

I said “but madame you know I am not a model and you knew this before you asked me to pose in your dresses.”

It’s not like I’m being greedy. I literally just did a shoot for you, FREE. A shoot for which I had to wait over an hour for a makeup artist, a shoot for which I used my own shoes, a shoot to which I carried you and your crew to and fro, a shoot for which you said 5 dresses but I did more than 5.
Did I complain when your makeup artist wasted time? No.
Did I frown my face in your photos after the 5 dresses? No.
Did I ask for money when we got to dress number 6 because you had said 5? No.

I had been top notch professional and courteous since day 1. And despite her demeaning remarks, that wasn’t going to change. I told her again, I too am using resources to make this happen so it’s only fair that I get some kind of compensation this time. I said I am really not getting anything out of this, it is all in your favour.
And she says to me “are you sure you’re not getting anything out of this?”
I paused to think and the honest answer is NO I AM NOT!

I am really not one to gloat but sometimes certain things need to be said.

If this is about publicity, I work for the most popular media company in Sierra Leone. My face appears on tv every other day, not to talk of their various social media platforms with hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers altogether. I freelance for one of the biggest global media cooperations, the biggest in the UK and possibly Europe. My face has appeared on screens across the globe. What exactly am I achieving with 10 or so photos on your instagram page that I am not already getting publicity wise?

If it is for career building, I AM NOT A MODEL — You said it yourself! — and I don’t plan on being one. So I am not going to have a portfolio of photos of me in your designs that will build my career in modelling or “take me to the next level”. So again, this adds no value to my career.

If it is about the experience, miss, yours is not the first photo shoot I have done.

So someone please tell me what I’m getting out of this, maybe I’m missing something.

Sure it would be good to have nice professional photos. But I can do that any day I please, in any of my own clothes and with any of the many talented photographers we have in this city. So again, am I missing something?

Anyway, I concluded that perhaps she doesn’t understand how to do business or maybe she was just plain selfish. She might not know it but she came off to me as disrespectful, unprofessional and ungrateful.

Now let’s talk about that word – ungrateful. See, it’s not like she didn’t say “thank you” after the shoot on Saturday. She did and said we should have lunch one day. But her actions following that show that she is unappreciative of the sacrifices I had to make that day for which I received nothing. I say she is ungrateful because she seems to lack the ability to resonate with the sacrifices others make on her behalf.
I am a known personality and she did not hesitate to question my worth, I can only imagine what she says to others who are not in a public career but would have made equal or more sacrifices for her and dare to ask for pay.

I was tempted to ask her to forget using the photos taken on Saturday but I made the decision to do that photoshoot for free out of good faith and I didn’t want to go back on it. I also wasn’t going to let her demeaning remarks make me act out of character. So I let her be.

But this goes out to young designers and anyone doing business – DON’T BE A USER!
Yes, you might not be able to pay your models but a kind gesture might suffice – a blouse, a belt, % off on an item, anything. It is okay to say you cannot afford to pay or maybe you can afford it but don’t want to pay because that’s money which could be spent elsewhere. That’s absolutely fine. Just don’t act like it is out of place for people to ask you to pay especially when they’ve worked hard and to your benefit. Recognise others’ sacrifices and show gratitude.

11th Aug 2020