Freetown — The district of Kono is the unmasked replica of the country Sierra Leone. With all its endowment, it now stands in ruins, with no hope of rising again. This is true being that history has revealed that once prominent cities like Koidu, Tombodu, Jagbweima and Njaiama are now dead cities and centers like Sefadu, Small Lebanon, Hill Station, Holly Wood and many more now lay in total ruins. The carnage the nation experienced in the hands of the devil has left us with no choice but to crumble, only to hope that divine intervention would salvage the situation. Political leaders have no iota of love and sincerity for the country. Today, scars of brutality and indecency could be spotted in all corners of the Kono land. The Konos are being exploited and have suffered looting from the fighting forces, international rogues posing as investors and finally by unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans.

With keen observation and interest in the history of the country, it would be easy for one to discern that the country Sierra Leone is never a complete nation in itself. Therefore, the celebration of independence is a façade. Where in this country have people got freedom to political, social and economic rights? What about justice? The neglect pioneered by our political messiahs since independence has played injustice to this nation. As said earlier, once one is interested in one's country, one would see that the colonial structures were the best and have been left to decay without replacement. One would wonder that the least villages in Kono district enjoyed pipe borne water but this has eroded them. The decaying sight of social amenities initiated by the colonial powers that were never propounded upon, appears irritating and brings to mind plenty questions.

As I went in and out of Kono district, it clearly signaled to me the trouble our people went through in the hands of the fighting forces. It is no gain saying but Kono district is in absolute ruins. I have wondered on end how these areas that had shown prosperity in the past but only to be destroyed to ground level could be rejuvenated. Because people wanted money to fuel the cruel wars (Liberia and Al-Qaeda), they exploited all avenues, pillaging the diamondiferous district and setting it ablaze. The pictures of atrocities are not worth printing in the interest of reconciliation but what old cities like Tombodu connote as relics of the war is frustrating, naturally forcing one to revert to obsession. In Tombodu, over hundreds lost their lives while others were burnt alive. The view of falling infrastructures in this city will stimulate tears in any peace loving Sierra Leonean. The search for diamonds in Tombodu has a story that will remain with us for

some time. Here, there was a former diamond pit that was transformed to a killing site by one Colonel Savage. The people of Tombudu are frustrated, demeaned for what has happened to their city. The cities in Kono are so disorganized and tattered.

Little did it occur to me that Njiama Nimikoro was a beautiful town until I pictured in mind the number of houses that were destroyed in this city and their quality too. Konos had beautiful homes before but lost that to the war. The number of burnt houses in Njiama and the architecture implied that life was comfortable with the people.

It is sad that the people still refer to the colonial era as the best. Many reasons can be advanced. I recently visited my colleagues' mother that was admitted for malaria in the Koidu government hospital. I was shocked with the black-out that greeted me at the hospital. What a shame but I got more frustrated when I saw a medical aid with a touch light moving up and down in the ward. In fact Kono is the darkest provincial city in the country.

What happened with the colonial tar roads that are now no more with no effort of replacing them? I happened to travel from Kono to Kailahun via Bunumbu. Surprisingly, I saw broken tars which clearly tell one that the colonial powers were more committed to developing the country compared to what our forty-eight years of self governance has brought. Before now, I was told that the road from Kono to Kailahun was a tar road but it now lies in ruins. The roads are so deplorable, which has left the villagers stranded with no vehicles to ply the broken and dangerous roads. Trip to Lei chiefdom left me traumatized for I almost saw death at all seconds until I disembarked from the vehicle. When will the roads in Kono get a face lift amidst the current 'karpu-karpu' in the land? True to say that Kono is really a forgotten land. Kono district has nothing to show today that diamonds are the most precious materials on earth and that it was discovered in the 1930s.

The diamonds have not benefitted the people in any way. Education is at its lowest ebb in Kono, with little qualified teachers wanting to spend their profession in an environment where social facilities are far-fetched. Most students in Kono are less competitive. Instead, the young have wasted their lives running after diamonds that have never created any difference in their lives. The politicians have mortgaged Kono to international rogues who prefer to be called investors - investing in what? Kono cannot even boast of good health care, quality restaurants, recreational centers and many more. The only dying internet center will serve today and go down for two or more months. At night, the city of Kono becomes completely dead.

The other frustrating aspect about Kono district is that the girl child is being misused. The number of teenage pregnancy in Kono is equal to none of the other districts in the country. It is as if UNICEF and other agencies are doing nothing, but I am sure the campaign has being going on about teenage pregnancy and the priority given to girl child education is not yielding any dividend. Sad to see young babies strapped to these malnourished teenagers. As one traversed the district, the pathetic sight will avail itself as young women struggle it out, disadvantaged because they are women, poor and uneducated. Primary school children give birth to babies and I abhor such situations.

As I sat along Gbense Gumbu Street in a popular cookery baffa (Sun Shine) few weeks ago, I heard an explosion that left me desperately trying to take cover, thinking again that another has started in the country. It sounded to me like the day ECOMOG bombed Wilberforce village in Freetown in 1997, which left the hills of Hill Station trembling, and residence shivering with fear of the dooms day. But it was never another gun totting war but war against the diamonds of Kono. As I tried to recover, I saw residents laughing at me as I was a complete stranger to their dilemma. I was told that the almighty Koidu Holdings Limited, a diamond company operating in Tankoro chiefdom uses explosives to catch up with diamonds in the rocks of Kono. The whole town of Koidu trembled from underneath, and I told myself that Koidu will sink one day if these explosions continue. But how much has the people actually benefitted from these exploiters. Jan Joubert, the former

Chief Executive Officer of Koidu Holdings told me some time in 2007 that he was only able to accrue US$87 million for that year after spending US$33 million, but said that a Lebanese man exported over US$207 million worth of diamonds that year. But what did the people get for their diamonds? Joubert was expressing his anger that he was never a fictitious business man compared to the Lebanese who evade taxes and depend on bribes. It is disheartening the number of calamity the Konos have gone through because they naturally possess diamonds.

Naturally, Konos are humble people, who depend largely on agriculture. Today, their lives are in ruins, paying heavily for an unjust war. Konos are the most unhappy group in the country, frustrated over their future. Most of them have no hope that diamonds will answer their questions of development.

If only attention would be directed to the construction of the Kono roads, the people would be okay as they will sell their agricultural products to revive their dead cities. As I write, Kono is a group that has great reverence for their traditional leaders. But one thing I have refused to accept is the blames they levy on their traditional leaders for their demise. Konos generally have little attention for the central government, believing that it is their traditional leaders who should move them. Yet the central government has been playing a safe game by alleging that royalties are paid to chiefs that should be utilized to develop their surroundings. But how much is the government doling out to these chiefs for development?

Until attention is paid to the resurrection of the Kono cities, the once powerful Sefadu will be a thing of the past.