"Ebola has called our bluff..." says, a top UN official

For years now, since the end of the war in 2002, international organizations like the UN, World Bank, European Union, DfiD, IMF, African Development Bank... and others, have supported Sierra Leone. Literally, billions of dollars have flowed into and out of this country... in the name of "aid". And, where are we now???

According to a top UN official... "Ebola has called our bluff". The UN, including Ban Ki-Moon, have praised Sierra Leone for it's "development trajectory". Well, we're now learning just how rotten the system really was!! All that money spent on development to the healthcare sector (lead by DfiD and the EU) was for what???? A broken system. All that money spent on education (lead by UNICEF and others) was for what??? A generation, or two, of illiterate, under-educated Sierra Leoneans. All that money spent on security/police (lead by DfiD and others) was for what??? A security sector that can't adequately respond to the needs of a country in a crisis.

Indeed, the sins of the past are now haunting us. Indeed, the bluff is blown and the sad truth has been revealed. Proving... what? International aid systems are flawed. International organizations lie to save face and justify their financial appeals. Local governments have to be held accountable... or NO MORE MONEY to pad their own pockets.

It's so sad... to realize the horrendous state of the country... after all those years of "development aid". What went wrong? I'm sure some smart PhD candidate will explore the downfalls and pitfalls of funding a country of 6 million... that's resource rich yet at the bottom of the human development index.

In my opinion... corruption is at the root of the problems... and the international community has themselves to blame!! In my opinion... the international community has a lot to answer for!!! And, the country governance structures have a lot to account for!!

The truth is emerging... even as Sierra Leone fights for its very survival amidst the Ebola crisis.