Only in Sierra Leone… I couldn’t make this stuff up!

Today (Feb. 18, 2011) is a national holiday – Sierra Leone Armed Forces Day. And, in typical Sierra Leonean fashion things were a bit chaotic, disorganized and just plain strange and wonderful.

The day started with a march along the famous Siaka Stevens Street in downtown Freetown. Thousands of soldiers, police, firefighters, organizations, unions, nurses, doctors and school children marched past dignitaries including President Koroma standing on the balcony of the Law Courts. The parade was to march down Siaka Stevens Street to a gathering at the National Stadium. Sounds grand, doesn’t it?

As the parade, the President, Ministers and dignitaries arrived at the Stadium compound, they were turned away by a cleaner and security guard who said, “no arrangements had been made, and therefore no one was allowed inside.” Oh my… the palaver that followed… but no one entered the Stadium. Shocking?!

The parade, including dignitaries, got back into their vehicles and drove off leaving the parade to meander, disburse and disband. Apparently, everyone assumed the parade was supposed to go to the Stadium… but no one told anyone that that was not the plan. Goodness… I couldn’t make this up!

Then, the President and a whole raft of dignitaries including foreign ambassadors, arrived at the Wilberforce Military Barracks to open a medical “store” and mortuary. These facilities were funded by African Minerals, London Mining, et al. (A suspicious lot to begin with.) The mortuary was officially named after a retired Major of the SL Armed Forces who’d died two years ago. Interestingly, the Chair of the opening ceremony cited the reasons for the official naming. He went on to describe the life of the Major who’d died… and described how the past military mortuary lost his dead body! He described past experiences at the military mortuary as “undignified, disrespectful and sometimes disgraceful.”

The ceremony Chair assured soldiers, families and dignitaries that with the help of donors the dead would be treated better – hopefully. Goodness… I couldn’t make this stuff up!

Holiday for most… not me.
S/