Makeni, Bike Rider, Giorgio - wie ich den Bischof vor 2 Jahren liebevoll nannte - und auch mein Busenfreund Benedict Jalloh, das ist Teil meiner Welt hier.
Korruption natürlich auch, schade nur, wenn man andere Leute der Korruption anklagt, selbst aber auch gerne mal ein Paar $$$ in die eigenen Taschen steckt.
Beni Jalloh hat bei 300 ridern je 80.000 Leones eingetrieben, doch immerhin 9000 Fr. und ein Bike rider fährt ein paar Tage für das Geld. Das Geld ist noch immer bei Beni, die Bike Rider nennen ihn crook, Solo B., unterlegener Präsikandidat und Innbegriff des Bösen hier in Makeni.
Keine Donorhilfe für Bikerider, während sonst die letzte Kackerlake von Hilfsgeldern überlebt. Apropos Kackelake, Benedict Jalloh fährt monatlich nach Liberia, bzw., fliegt, und das natürlich von Donors bezahlt, denn er macht dort workshops....
Er hat auch mal GEld für 3 Bike für seine NGO bekomnmen, ein SUV für sich schien ihm angebrachter...
Ihr seht schon, er ist nicht mein Freund, aber er hat sich auch alle Mühe gegeben dies zu werden.
Lest selber, schlect ist der Artikel nicht, nur einseitig.
GEh nächste WOche nach GUinea für meine Researche.
Später mehr.
Adios
Samstag, 29. September 2007
Bike Riding In Makeni
SIERRA LEONE: Reinstating rule of law starting with motorcycle licenses
Photo: David Hecht/IRIN
Motercylce taxi drivers known as 'okadas' in Makeni. Many are ex-combatants. August 2007
MAKENI, 12 September 2007 (IRIN) - A decade of civil war left Sierra Leone’s administration in tatters but when the Catholic diocese in the former rebel stronghold of Makeni set up its Access to Justice Law Centre it found the biggest obstacle to creating a society with rational rules and regulations was in fact the government.
“We thought it would be easy if we started with something simple but we soon had a big problem,” said the local bishop, Giorgio Biguzzi.
The problem provides insight into what Sierra Leone’s newly elected government will face in creating a functioning bureaucracy and in helping its citizens defend themselves against injustice.
When the centre opened in 2005 the brutal armed conflict had already ended. The most common instrument of death in this notoriously lawless town after the civil war has become the motorcycle.
In post-conflict Makeni, hundreds of ex-combatants and youth were eking out a living by ferrying passengers through the town’s muddied, potholed streets on the back of taxi bikes, known as ‘okadas’ here, as in much of Anglophone West Africa.
...The irony of this story is that the day the bikers obeyed the law and stopped riding illegally was the day the government and everyone else got upset
Few knew basic traffic rules let alone defensive driving techniques, and even fewer have legal drivers’ licences.
“They were injuring passengers and pedestrians but as most were unlicensed they were also uninsured so victims were unable to claim compensation,” Benedict Jalloh, who heads the law centre, told IRIN.
The ‘okada’ riders were not earning a lot of money, Jalloh said, “so fining them or taking them to court didn’t seem as though it would achieve much”.
Instead Jalloh’s legal aid group took a different tack.
Carrot over stick
The centre set up a free, five-day training course and convinced around 300 riders from three districts to attend. “We invited police and road transport officials to come and lecture the riders on traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
That is when things went wrong. “The riders then said they wanted driver’s licences,” Jalloh said. But they were only able to pay the 80,000 leones (US$27) for the licence, not the additional fees of a learner’s permit and driving test which totalled around 210,000 leone ($70).
Photo: David Hecht/IRIN
Drivers license fees posted at the office of the Road Transport Authority in Makeni, August 2007
Moreover, the riders did not see why they needed learner’s permits as they were riding already, many for several years.
The bikers had a point, said Jalloh. “They really don’t have enough money to pay all the fees. So we tried to make the case to road transport officials, noting that some road transport officials had already instructed the bikers on traffic rules and regulations.”
“We pointed out that while most Sierra Leone ex-combatants are unemployed, at least the ‘okada’ riders were engaged in economic activity - something the government was supposed to be encouraging,” said Susan Irona-Sky Toure, a legal assistant at the law centre.
Another important point the centre tried to make to the government was that it would gain a lot of revenue if thousands of `okada’ riders in Makeni and elsewhere in the country each paid 80,000 leone for a licence.
“Twice we wrote official letters to the federal government requesting a waiver for the additional fees, with copies sent to all the local authorities in Makeni,” she said.
“The request was ignored at all levels of government,” she said. “We never heard a thing.”
The corruption factor
IRIN went to talk to some of the ‘okada’ riders. Of the more than 34 riders IRIN met only one could produce his license.
“Local officials don’t want us to be able to get our licenses,” said Mike Konte who has been riding `okadas’ for three years. “They want us to be illegal so they can demand bribes”
The other bikers agreed, saying they get stopped on average two or three times a week. “And if we don’t pay the bribe we are arrested,” Konte said.
The bike riders, as well as staff at the legal aid centre, also said they suspected that local officials were pocketing the money from the additional fees. Irona-Sky Toure said she tested the system by applying for her own bike licence. “I paid the road transport authority a total of 245,000 leones but only got a receipt for 80,000 leones,” she said.
IRIN met officials at the local Road Transport Office in Makeni to get their side of the story. Patrick Mousa, who said he was in charge of issuing licenses in the Makeni area, insisted that receipts were issued for all payments made in his office.
“The problem in this country is that no one wants to pay their taxes,” he said. “The ‘okada’ riders think they should get special treatment just because they have been illegal up till now. That is not fair to the others.”
Asked if he thought the ‘okada’ riders could afford the additional fees he said that was not for him to decide. Asked why the government had not spent any revenue from licences on grading or tarring Makeni’s potholed streets, he said that that too was not his affair.
“People think that as the road transport authority takes the money we should therefore fix the road. But we are just civil servants collecting fees that go to the central government. Then the officials there decide how to allocate the money.”
IRIN also went to Freetown and talked with the director of the Sierra Leone Road Transports Cooperation Joseph Keifala. He too said, “No special concession will be accorded to ‘okada’ riders. All motorists will be treated according to the Road Transport Act.”
Bikers’ strike
On 18 June the ‘okada’ riders made a peaceful protest by staying at home that day. Suddenly the government took notice.
“Everyone started complaining,” said Maurice Ellie who also works in the legal aid centre. “People were angry they couldn’t get around town any more. Moreover suddenly our centre was accused of fomenting the strike which local officials claimed was illegal.”
But Ellie pointed out that `okada’ riders were not technically on strike. “They are self-employed and as such they have no contractual agreement that obliges them to work,” he said.
Moreover, most of the riders are illegal. “The irony of this story is that the day the bikers obeyed the law and stopped riding illegally was the day the government and everyone else got upset,” Ellie said.
Local authorities summoned the staff of the legal aid centre to tell them to stop the strike immediately. “They weren’t interested when we explained that we had no right to tell the bikers what to do. They certainly weren’t amused when we pointed out that they were asking the bikers to go back to riding illegally,” Ellie said.
He said the staff at the centre started to become concerned that they could be arrested if the `okada’ riders didn’t go back to work. “The authorities might have charged us with contravening the public order act,” Ellie said.
And all this was happening just a few months ahead of the elections, Ellie said. “So what we were doing started to be construed as having political motivations.”
Jalloh talked with the riders and everyone agreed that it was not worth the fight.
Defeat
The `okada’ riders decided they were better off paying little bribes twice a week than the prohibitively high sum demanded by the state.
“It doesn’t matter to us whether the money goes into the pockets of police or to the government,” said Mike Konte. “Either way nobody fixes the roads or provides us with services so what do we care?” he asked.
Some local non-governmental organisations tried to come up with a novel solution to the problem, said Susan Irona-Sky Toure. “They suggested that we make a project proposal to donors asking them to front the additional fees for the licences.”
“We said ‘no way’,” Irona-Sky Toure insisted.
“We have passed the days of emergency assistance in Sierra Leone. This is a case in which the government and its people should be able to find a solution all by themselves.”
dh/cb
Photo: David Hecht/IRIN
Motercylce taxi drivers known as 'okadas' in Makeni. Many are ex-combatants. August 2007
MAKENI, 12 September 2007 (IRIN) - A decade of civil war left Sierra Leone’s administration in tatters but when the Catholic diocese in the former rebel stronghold of Makeni set up its Access to Justice Law Centre it found the biggest obstacle to creating a society with rational rules and regulations was in fact the government.
“We thought it would be easy if we started with something simple but we soon had a big problem,” said the local bishop, Giorgio Biguzzi.
The problem provides insight into what Sierra Leone’s newly elected government will face in creating a functioning bureaucracy and in helping its citizens defend themselves against injustice.
When the centre opened in 2005 the brutal armed conflict had already ended. The most common instrument of death in this notoriously lawless town after the civil war has become the motorcycle.
In post-conflict Makeni, hundreds of ex-combatants and youth were eking out a living by ferrying passengers through the town’s muddied, potholed streets on the back of taxi bikes, known as ‘okadas’ here, as in much of Anglophone West Africa.
...The irony of this story is that the day the bikers obeyed the law and stopped riding illegally was the day the government and everyone else got upset
Few knew basic traffic rules let alone defensive driving techniques, and even fewer have legal drivers’ licences.
“They were injuring passengers and pedestrians but as most were unlicensed they were also uninsured so victims were unable to claim compensation,” Benedict Jalloh, who heads the law centre, told IRIN.
The ‘okada’ riders were not earning a lot of money, Jalloh said, “so fining them or taking them to court didn’t seem as though it would achieve much”.
Instead Jalloh’s legal aid group took a different tack.
Carrot over stick
The centre set up a free, five-day training course and convinced around 300 riders from three districts to attend. “We invited police and road transport officials to come and lecture the riders on traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
That is when things went wrong. “The riders then said they wanted driver’s licences,” Jalloh said. But they were only able to pay the 80,000 leones (US$27) for the licence, not the additional fees of a learner’s permit and driving test which totalled around 210,000 leone ($70).
Photo: David Hecht/IRIN
Drivers license fees posted at the office of the Road Transport Authority in Makeni, August 2007
Moreover, the riders did not see why they needed learner’s permits as they were riding already, many for several years.
The bikers had a point, said Jalloh. “They really don’t have enough money to pay all the fees. So we tried to make the case to road transport officials, noting that some road transport officials had already instructed the bikers on traffic rules and regulations.”
“We pointed out that while most Sierra Leone ex-combatants are unemployed, at least the ‘okada’ riders were engaged in economic activity - something the government was supposed to be encouraging,” said Susan Irona-Sky Toure, a legal assistant at the law centre.
Another important point the centre tried to make to the government was that it would gain a lot of revenue if thousands of `okada’ riders in Makeni and elsewhere in the country each paid 80,000 leone for a licence.
“Twice we wrote official letters to the federal government requesting a waiver for the additional fees, with copies sent to all the local authorities in Makeni,” she said.
“The request was ignored at all levels of government,” she said. “We never heard a thing.”
The corruption factor
IRIN went to talk to some of the ‘okada’ riders. Of the more than 34 riders IRIN met only one could produce his license.
“Local officials don’t want us to be able to get our licenses,” said Mike Konte who has been riding `okadas’ for three years. “They want us to be illegal so they can demand bribes”
The other bikers agreed, saying they get stopped on average two or three times a week. “And if we don’t pay the bribe we are arrested,” Konte said.
The bike riders, as well as staff at the legal aid centre, also said they suspected that local officials were pocketing the money from the additional fees. Irona-Sky Toure said she tested the system by applying for her own bike licence. “I paid the road transport authority a total of 245,000 leones but only got a receipt for 80,000 leones,” she said.
IRIN met officials at the local Road Transport Office in Makeni to get their side of the story. Patrick Mousa, who said he was in charge of issuing licenses in the Makeni area, insisted that receipts were issued for all payments made in his office.
“The problem in this country is that no one wants to pay their taxes,” he said. “The ‘okada’ riders think they should get special treatment just because they have been illegal up till now. That is not fair to the others.”
Asked if he thought the ‘okada’ riders could afford the additional fees he said that was not for him to decide. Asked why the government had not spent any revenue from licences on grading or tarring Makeni’s potholed streets, he said that that too was not his affair.
“People think that as the road transport authority takes the money we should therefore fix the road. But we are just civil servants collecting fees that go to the central government. Then the officials there decide how to allocate the money.”
IRIN also went to Freetown and talked with the director of the Sierra Leone Road Transports Cooperation Joseph Keifala. He too said, “No special concession will be accorded to ‘okada’ riders. All motorists will be treated according to the Road Transport Act.”
Bikers’ strike
On 18 June the ‘okada’ riders made a peaceful protest by staying at home that day. Suddenly the government took notice.
“Everyone started complaining,” said Maurice Ellie who also works in the legal aid centre. “People were angry they couldn’t get around town any more. Moreover suddenly our centre was accused of fomenting the strike which local officials claimed was illegal.”
But Ellie pointed out that `okada’ riders were not technically on strike. “They are self-employed and as such they have no contractual agreement that obliges them to work,” he said.
Moreover, most of the riders are illegal. “The irony of this story is that the day the bikers obeyed the law and stopped riding illegally was the day the government and everyone else got upset,” Ellie said.
Local authorities summoned the staff of the legal aid centre to tell them to stop the strike immediately. “They weren’t interested when we explained that we had no right to tell the bikers what to do. They certainly weren’t amused when we pointed out that they were asking the bikers to go back to riding illegally,” Ellie said.
He said the staff at the centre started to become concerned that they could be arrested if the `okada’ riders didn’t go back to work. “The authorities might have charged us with contravening the public order act,” Ellie said.
And all this was happening just a few months ahead of the elections, Ellie said. “So what we were doing started to be construed as having political motivations.”
Jalloh talked with the riders and everyone agreed that it was not worth the fight.
Defeat
The `okada’ riders decided they were better off paying little bribes twice a week than the prohibitively high sum demanded by the state.
“It doesn’t matter to us whether the money goes into the pockets of police or to the government,” said Mike Konte. “Either way nobody fixes the roads or provides us with services so what do we care?” he asked.
Some local non-governmental organisations tried to come up with a novel solution to the problem, said Susan Irona-Sky Toure. “They suggested that we make a project proposal to donors asking them to front the additional fees for the licences.”
“We said ‘no way’,” Irona-Sky Toure insisted.
“We have passed the days of emergency assistance in Sierra Leone. This is a case in which the government and its people should be able to find a solution all by themselves.”
dh/cb
Samstag, 15. September 2007
Port Loko
War diese Woche in Port Loko, einen Freund besuchen.
Wohnte dort bei der Katholischen Mission, die sehr friedlich liegt. Port Loko war ohnehin friedlich, den ganzen Tag nicht viel zu tun. Aufstehen, Frühstück, Radio hören, Mittagessen, Radio hören, spazieren, Palmwein/Bier, Abendessen, Radio hören, Bier, schlafen. Gab mir 4 Tage die volle Dröhnung. Nun wieder im TUmult in Makeni, wo alle meine Schritte überprüft werden, mich viele Leute kennen, frage, wohins denn geht. Soziale Kontrolle, die manchmal zuviel wird.
Am Montag wird wohl der neue Präsident bekannt gegeben, wobei das Resultat bekannt ist, nach 75% ausgezählter Wahllokale, liegt der Oppositionskandidat und wohl weniger korrupte Kandidat in Führung.
Das ist insofern gut, als dass seine Partei hier in Makeni äusserst stark ist. Es wird hier kaum Ausschreitungen geben, vielleicht ein paar Angriffe auf Anhänger der Verliererpartei.
Wäre das Resultat umgekehrt, würde ich wohl schon bald nach Hause kommen.
Mal schauen, was im Rest des Landes passiert. GAnz ruhig wird es kaum bleiben.
Hab jetzt Cutting Grass gegessen, gebraten, superb, exzellent. Könnte einen ganzen fressen. Werd mir jemanden suchen, der mir die Sache zubereiten kann. HAb echt keinen Bock so ein Viech selbst auszunehmen.
Sodele.
ICh muss dann mal wieder weiter..
Bis bald, so hoffe ich.
Gruss in alle RItzen der Welt
Wohnte dort bei der Katholischen Mission, die sehr friedlich liegt. Port Loko war ohnehin friedlich, den ganzen Tag nicht viel zu tun. Aufstehen, Frühstück, Radio hören, Mittagessen, Radio hören, spazieren, Palmwein/Bier, Abendessen, Radio hören, Bier, schlafen. Gab mir 4 Tage die volle Dröhnung. Nun wieder im TUmult in Makeni, wo alle meine Schritte überprüft werden, mich viele Leute kennen, frage, wohins denn geht. Soziale Kontrolle, die manchmal zuviel wird.
Am Montag wird wohl der neue Präsident bekannt gegeben, wobei das Resultat bekannt ist, nach 75% ausgezählter Wahllokale, liegt der Oppositionskandidat und wohl weniger korrupte Kandidat in Führung.
Das ist insofern gut, als dass seine Partei hier in Makeni äusserst stark ist. Es wird hier kaum Ausschreitungen geben, vielleicht ein paar Angriffe auf Anhänger der Verliererpartei.
Wäre das Resultat umgekehrt, würde ich wohl schon bald nach Hause kommen.
Mal schauen, was im Rest des Landes passiert. GAnz ruhig wird es kaum bleiben.
Hab jetzt Cutting Grass gegessen, gebraten, superb, exzellent. Könnte einen ganzen fressen. Werd mir jemanden suchen, der mir die Sache zubereiten kann. HAb echt keinen Bock so ein Viech selbst auszunehmen.
Sodele.
ICh muss dann mal wieder weiter..
Bis bald, so hoffe ich.
Gruss in alle RItzen der Welt
Donnerstag, 6. September 2007
White man's grave
Hab jetzt mal ne Forschung unter Bleichgesichtern durchgeführt. Ich bin ja auch Hobbymediziner.
Also der Anthropologe und der NGO-/IO-Worker haben ein sehr ähnliches Schicksal in Sierra Leone.
Der Anthropologe hat den Dünnschiss, der NGO-Worker ebenfalls. Der erste, weil er mal wieder schlechten Palmwein erwischt hat, oder Wasser, oder ein Tier gegessen hat, dass er noch nicht kannte, der zweite, weil der Libanese, wo man den 10fachen Essenspreis abdrückt, foodrecycling machte.
Der Anthropologe hat Fieber und Erkältung, weil er mal wieder bei Regen aufs MOtorrad musste, der NGO-Worker, weil die KLimaanlage wieder zu extrem war.
Der NGO Worker hat nen Kater, weil er wieder billige Sangria aus dem Tetrapack gesoffen hat, der Anthropologe hat keinen KAter, wenn er sich nur an Palmwein gehalten hat.
Jetzt hab ich Hunger, weil ich gestern nicht viel gegessen hab und heute zum Zmorgen nur eine GUrke, das kanns nicht sein...
Geh mal schauen, was ich heute so finde..
Hab in letzter Zeit dauernd Spinnen im HAuse, so richtig grosse, gruslige.
Letzthin half mir mein NAchtwächter dabei, eine sehr grosse zu killen. Also, er versuchte es. ICh zeigte ihm mit der Taschenlampe, wo sie sich befindet, er suchte sie mit seiner ca. 2m entfernt. Schlug dann dort mehrmals zu, was dazu führte, dass das Viech in meine RIchtung losrannte... brrr.. Naja, wir fanden sie dann doch noch zu zweit am selben Ort. Er hätte sie ja nur killen sollen, nicht gleich in den Steinmeisseln, aber sie war dann wenigstens tot...
Ansonsten, gestern mit einem gedröhnten Ex-Kindersoldaten gesprochen. Der sagte dies nicht, aber wer mit 15 aus der Armee ausscheidet, darf wohl als solcher bezeichnet werden...
Der will nun Pastor werden..
Nebenbei noch einwenig weiterkiffen, nehm ich mal an..
Was sonst, am Wochenende 2. RUnde Wahlen. Mal sehen, was dann passiert.
Meld mich dann mal wieder
Also der Anthropologe und der NGO-/IO-Worker haben ein sehr ähnliches Schicksal in Sierra Leone.
Der Anthropologe hat den Dünnschiss, der NGO-Worker ebenfalls. Der erste, weil er mal wieder schlechten Palmwein erwischt hat, oder Wasser, oder ein Tier gegessen hat, dass er noch nicht kannte, der zweite, weil der Libanese, wo man den 10fachen Essenspreis abdrückt, foodrecycling machte.
Der Anthropologe hat Fieber und Erkältung, weil er mal wieder bei Regen aufs MOtorrad musste, der NGO-Worker, weil die KLimaanlage wieder zu extrem war.
Der NGO Worker hat nen Kater, weil er wieder billige Sangria aus dem Tetrapack gesoffen hat, der Anthropologe hat keinen KAter, wenn er sich nur an Palmwein gehalten hat.
Jetzt hab ich Hunger, weil ich gestern nicht viel gegessen hab und heute zum Zmorgen nur eine GUrke, das kanns nicht sein...
Geh mal schauen, was ich heute so finde..
Hab in letzter Zeit dauernd Spinnen im HAuse, so richtig grosse, gruslige.
Letzthin half mir mein NAchtwächter dabei, eine sehr grosse zu killen. Also, er versuchte es. ICh zeigte ihm mit der Taschenlampe, wo sie sich befindet, er suchte sie mit seiner ca. 2m entfernt. Schlug dann dort mehrmals zu, was dazu führte, dass das Viech in meine RIchtung losrannte... brrr.. Naja, wir fanden sie dann doch noch zu zweit am selben Ort. Er hätte sie ja nur killen sollen, nicht gleich in den Steinmeisseln, aber sie war dann wenigstens tot...
Ansonsten, gestern mit einem gedröhnten Ex-Kindersoldaten gesprochen. Der sagte dies nicht, aber wer mit 15 aus der Armee ausscheidet, darf wohl als solcher bezeichnet werden...
Der will nun Pastor werden..
Nebenbei noch einwenig weiterkiffen, nehm ich mal an..
Was sonst, am Wochenende 2. RUnde Wahlen. Mal sehen, was dann passiert.
Meld mich dann mal wieder
Abonnieren
Posts (Atom)