The most respected statesman (the bird) has been getting pressure from so many quarters asking the whether pressure groups like the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC), the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) and others are entitled to subvention?

The brave animal does not know all, but the best the bird can do is to investigate, after a proper research and thorough investigations from so many quarters he was able to know the functions and responsibilities of certain institutions.

And from what the bird gathered from his research and investigations it is clear that, the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC), the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) and even the most respected Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) are all pressure groups and should not in any way receive subvention directly from government.

According to the information the bird gathered, these institutions (groups) are pressure groups expected to always put the sitting government on its toes, for the purpose of accountability and transparency.

But despite the fact that these institutions are not illegible for subventions, but of late the general public including the wise bird has seen a U-turn in their operations. We are now seeing government giving out subventions to a certain institution by way of silencing its members not to point out the odds in society.

The most respected animal will not name names all those the government has been given subvention for almost five (5) plus their name(s) are in the public domain.

The bird is not against the issue of subvention, the only problem he has is why the government gives to only one particular pressure group living out others as the proverb goes: “What is good for John must also be good for Mary.”

The bird is not making a case for any group or groups only that, he always calls things by their proper and correct names.

As usual, the bird went out to get the views of people in respect of the issue on the ground. The first port of call was the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) then the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) but unfortunately the bird did not meet any of the authorities in all the offices for better discussions.

Those the bird met refrained from talking to him and he left all those offices angrily.

Meanwhile, the patient bird contacted members of the public to get their views on the issue. The question the people asked was is Sierra Leone Labour Congress entitled to subvention from the government?

They claimed that the government is afraid to account for certain things, which is why they have embarked on giving subventions to a particular institution to protect them.

The bird is of the view that, government should not in any way give subvention to any pressure group or groups. “The bird stands to be corrected.”

The bird will continue to investigate why other institutions are not getting subventions.