Politics! Politics! Politics is to blame for all the woes of Sweet Sierra Leone. Authorities must know that Chieftaincy is an integral part of good governance in our country but the greed and mean perception of politicians let them meddle into chieftaincy and reduce it to nonsense and to a point that it lost it values. Reform on chieftaincy is long overdue and should not just be focused on reforming the chiefs but also on government attitudes towards some of these local institutions. It is without doubts that some chiefs usurp their powers but equally so because government is corrupt and most times impose its wish on the people. For instance, even with the pending chieftaincy elections, the dates are imposed on the people without due consultations. Why? because the government has its own candidates in mind therefore, what matters to the people is not important. This by itself is corruption. Is this the way we reform wheneven the high qaurters of governments remain unreformed? Then what type of reform are we talking about here?. I believe that in real democracy, the approach should not be Top Buttom but rather the other way. Let it come from the governed with whom government has a social contract. A few suggestions should be, (a) Reform government apparatus that oversees these institutions with specific guidelines drawn up by Parliament, (b)Appoint a watchdog that comes from various representations to oversee these apparatus also with specific guidelines (c) Empower Chiefs to discharge their duties within their bounds with limited or no interferance from government or politicians (d) Develop detailed job description fro PCs with their limits. All these should be done in consultation with every party concerned instead of having someone sitting an a big air conditioned office in Youyi Building or Secretariat singularly deciding what he/she thinks is good for the people. This system will ensure liberty in the social contract between government and the governed and usher in peace, economic prosperity and development. I would even further suggest that all pending activities pertaining to Chieftaincy be put on hold until some of these reforms are put in place so as to have a starting point.

Politics! Politics! Politics is to blame for all the woes of Sweet Sierra Leone. Authorities must know that Chieftaincy is an integral part of good governance in our country but the greed and mean perception of politicians let them meddle into chieftaincy and reduce it to nonsense and to a point that it lost it values. Reform on chieftaincy is long overdue and should not just be focused on reforming the chiefs but also on government attitudes towards some of these local institutions. It is without doubts that some chiefs usurp their powers but equally so because government is corrupt and most times impose its wish on the people. For instance, even with the pending chieftaincy elections, the dates are imposed on the people without due consultations. Why? because the government has its own candidates in mind therefore, what matters to the people is not important. This by itself is corruption. Is this the way we reform when even the high quarters of governments remain unreformed? Then what type of reform are we talking about here?. I believe that in real democracy, the approach should not be Top Bottom but rather the other way. Let it come from the governed with whom government has a social contract. A few suggestions should be, (a) Reform government apparatus that oversees these institutions with specific guidelines drawn up by Parliament, (b)Appoint a watchdog that comes from various representations to oversee these apparatus also with specific guidelines (c) Empower Chiefs to discharge their duties within their bounds with limited or no interference from government or politicians (d) Develop detailed job description fro PCs with their limits. All these should be done in consultation with every party concerned instead of having someone sitting an a big air conditioned office in Youyi Building or Secretariat singularly deciding what he/she thinks is good for the people. This system will ensure liberty in the social contract between government and the governed and usher in peace, economic prosperity and development. I would even further suggest that all pending activities pertaining to Chieftaincy be put on hold until some of these reforms are put in place so as to have a starting point.