It is what a head of state cares about and what he/she deems insignificant that defines that head of state. We have before inveighed against the practice of the paopa government copying lock, stock and barrel what other governments do instead of being innovative as their slogan of New Direction demands.
The case of the release of an inmate guilty of a felonious crime ostensibly on the grounds of beauty not only makes nonsense of justice but it is also tomfoolery of the highest order. It is a pity that the recommendation for the release of the 20-year-old beauty queen did not come from the prison authorities who know better but from the Prerogative of Mercy Committee who have in the process capsized justice.
One of the flagship programs of the New Direction Government is to develop human capital but a selective way of dealing with life and death cannot satisfactorily address the issue. The woman released because she won a so-called beauty contest was herself surprised to have been released at the time it happened. This is because of beauty and not justice, the reason why she had been left out in the original recommendations.
The President has the final say in this grievous matter of pardons which are for misdemeanors’ but we are told that even past President Koroma pardoned murderers causing President Bio to copy pardoning for a felonious crime. This is a senseless mimicry of an odious practice of countries that have lost their sense of purpose and are now romanticizing felonious crimes.
Already we have the death penalty ensconced comfortable in our Statute Books being dusted from time to time. This indecisive stance is to please the abolitionists and retentionists. Meanhwile the electronic media has established a consensus of citizen’s who favour the carrying out of the death penalty according to the Statute.
The new slogan for the senseless club of Prison Beauty Pageants is ‘’No beauty, no early release’’ As a result beautiful girls are encouraged to commit felonious offences while ugly girls are advised to steer clear of crime unless they want to serve out their full terms of imprisonment. Since when did beauty and crime become fraternal bed fellows?
Are we headed for the anti-climax of civilization? Is President Bio giving the impression that he is full of the milk of human kindness?
To answer the topical questions:
President Bio cares but his caring is lopsided highly on the side of murderers and lowly on the side of victims. This experiment should cease. It is entirely negative. It is only pettifogging leaders that can ignore the forebodings of the Fourth Estate.