Alhaji U. Njai: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 21 October 2022:
OK, I get the hike in gas prices; an economy in free fall and we are unable to control inflation and excessive rise of the US dollar against our New Leone. What I don’t get is why we are cheated at the pump for the litre in Sierra Leone.
What is Standards Bureau and Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) doing about this blatant robbery of customers at fuel stations?
This is simple science of calibrations and stiff regulatory penalties to enforce consistency and standards. I cannot be paying for 10 litres and consistently get 5 litres throughout the country.
Why are we creating a plethora of institutions with a mandate on paper and in practice do absolutely nothing to protect the citizenry from fraud?
How does democracy work in Sierra Leone, when the institutions created and supported by large taxpayer money are impotent and unable to deliver quality service for the masses? From EDSA (Electricity) to NATCOM (Telecommunications), Standards Bureau, PRA, and so on, consumer protection is virtually non-existent.
How much does it take in terms of leadership and the science for standards Bureau and PRA to simply produce a list of gas stations that have “finger fingered” aka tampered with their calibrations?
Yes, produce a list of cheating fuel stations for consumers, so we can avoid them and not buy from them until they are off that list. This applies to everything else from water we buy to all things considered that requires physical and chemical standards.
I don’t mind paying for a service, but I should at least get the service. And when there is a break down in the service or a breach, let me also know about it.
Just because I am Sierra Leonean or African does not imply that I’m not entitled to excellent service or nice things in life, or – ‘ah for just dae manage all tem’.
The day we learn to use leadership, empathy, love, respect, integrity, and deliver with excellence for the masses we serve, true progress will emerge. Anything short of that will be a total sham.
Author
Alhaji U. Njai #Jata #Meejoh #ThePeoplesScientist
I agreed that the government is hugely responsible for the plight citizens are going through. Equally sierra Leonean citizens are also contributing to the mayhem and backwardness of this nation.
People have refused to pledge their love and loyalty to the country.
I suggest fellow citizens ask for divine help from God because We have failed to demonstrate faith, thoughtfulness, endurance, honesty, cooperativeness, reliability, positive attitude, generosity, flexibility, and respect for one another.
The Crook of traders in almost all sectors is sad and intolerable. This is not what I see in Conakry. In my country, we have compromised quality just to rogue the innocent. It is a shame to see folks not protecting each other’s interests.
We need to check our attitude towards each other and make valuable changes that will better our beloved “MAMA SALONE”.
It all starts from within.