Ambassador Sidique Wai speaks at SLPPNA Arizona Chapter executive (...)

By Geneba BM Koroma, Reporter-at-Large

Walking to the high table, my first handshake came from the humble Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United States of America’s, Mr. Sidique Wai, who was sitting at the high table.

With humility, I shook his hand and sat at same, decorated with white sequin and green fabric. The SLPPNA Chairman, Mr. Mohamed Bah (seen in photo with new executive) was sitting next to the Ambassador, who was to perform the inaugural ceremony. The SLPPNA Arizona Chapter executive inauguration was in progress, with the hall full of both sexes dressed to impress.

On the mic was Ms. Namisa Kramer, SLPPNA Deputy Women’s Leader. Her feminine voice was advocating for the involvement of women in leadership positions in politics, her advocacy was for 50/50 not 70/30 with their male counterparts. Mrs. Aminata Mabondo Amara, the SLPPNA Women’s Leader, agreed with her Deputy Leader and admonished all work for the betterment of the SLPPNA.

The event everyone was waiting for was the inauguration/swearing of the SLPPNA Arizona Chapter Executive. The SLPPNA Chairman, Mr. Mohamed Bah, before performing the ceremony, admonished Mr. Mohamed Bockarie, Chairman of the SLPPNA Arizona Chapter, to listen to his team and the team/executive members should also be able to listen to him. Chairman Bah reminded Chairman Bockarie that the future of the SLPP is in his hands as he is part of the Young Generation Wing. He symbolically compared the young and old to the palm tree, as the young grow in the middle and the old outside. Chairman Bah then inaugurated both the chapter executive and chairman separately.

Chairman Mohamed Bockarie promised to uphold the values of the SLPP and asked his team to work together with him. Chairman Bockarie is also the SLPPNA Regional Deputy Financial of the SLPPNA Young Generation Wing; beside him was his gorgeous wife Aisha, who had emotionally introduced him as loving, caring husband and father to their children.

Ambassador Sidique Wai

The Distinguished Guest, Ambassador Sidique Wai, former New York Police Officer, a native of Pujehun and Magburaka started with a trick by asking all community leaders to donate $100, to assist in raising funds. Addressing the august body, the Ambassador revealed that they call him the “disruptive ambassador” for standing up for the sovereignty of the Republic of Sierra Leone. This name came about as he unearthed that most of the crimes committed by individuals holding Sierra Leonean passports and birth certificates are not Sierra Leoneans and a system has been put in place to validate individuals before they are sent to Sierra Leone, not by just show of a Sierra Leonean passports. As such, he went on, Sierra Leonean passports are now given in Sierra Leone, if applying for it the first time, by the use of biometric fingerprints.

In terms of customer service at the Embassy, the Ambassador emphatically said that phone calls are now answered, as there were complaints that phone calls were not answered during the last regime. Another achievement Ambassador Wai mentioned is the establishment of a user friendly Embassy website that allows visa applicants the ease of applying for Sierra Leonean visas online, in the USA. Ambassador Wai revealed that Sierra Leone is the first country in Africa to put forward a proposal for railway transportation to Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast; this is being looked into by Prosper Africa, an initiative he is heading. He also added that he has been elected Secretary General to ECOWAS (15 countries) and he is also Co-Chair of the African Diaspora Engagement and Public Affairs. Sierra Leone has applied for a grant from the CDC, by partnering with Howard University, to fight cases like Ebola, and even the Coronavirus.

The President’s initiative of Free Quality Education is one initiative that has been appreciated by all, based on what he has heard from traveling within the USA, regardless of political party, Ambassador Wai opined. He revealed that $32,000.00 has been raised by Sierra Leoneans and well-wishers for the Free Quality School Education Basket fund, in less than two months the fundraiser was introduced by the Embassy in Washington DC. He admonished all to contribute to the building of Academy of Excellence, school, as they are working in partnership with the Ministry of Basic Education, approved by both the President and Vice President of Sierra Leone.

The Ambassador, thanking the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, reiterated the President’s commitment to women empowerment in response to Ms. Kramer’s speech. He pointed out that only the Bio government has had more women than any other government in Sierra Leone and he has not finished yet. He reiterated that both men and women should work together to change the narrative in Sierra Leone, and no one group should think they are better than the others.

Addressing the Arizona community in particular, he mentioned that at his meeting earlier in the day, some community members mentioned about disunity within Sierra Leoneans. He promised to have the Honorary Consul meet with them and the elders; to start the process of unity and to bring recommendations to him. He thanked the chapter for hosting him and all especially Chairman Bah for his leadership.

One cannot report on the SLPPNA Arizona Chapter inauguration without honorably mentioning the awards given to Mr. Musa Kamara, by both the Arizona Chapter and the SLPPNA Region. Mr. Musa Kamara is a native of Kenema, married with children. Mr. Kamara who was instrumental in the creation of the Arizona chapter, the Canada branch and advocating for the Regional status of the SLPPNA, will be running for the Deputy Organizing Secretary position in the SLPP 2020 National Officers elections. Mr. Kamara had held SLPPNA Regional Organizing Secretary and Vice Chairman Positions, respectively, where he excelled in both roles, travelling to Sierra Leone and the USA/Canada resolving issues and bringing on board new chapters.

Geneba Koroma

The fundraising was a success and one has to commend the SLPPNA Arizona chapter for coming together in unity to put together such an event. The MC was Ms. Khadija Ahene, one of the region’s fundraising gurus at the SLPPNA Women’s wing event in New Jersey, 2019. The gorboi dance added to the night’s unique entertainment apart from the palatable dishes served and the tantalizing sound that got both young and old flipping like spaghetti on the dance floor. This chapter is blessed with the former Miss Sierra Leone, Mrs. Sia Matturi Josiah and her husband Mr. Ken Josiah, who is the Chairman of the Sierra Leonean community in the Phoenix area. Community Leaders present included: Mr. Minkailu Kamara, Mr. Hindolo Barnett, SLPPNA Young Generation Leader, Mr. Abu Makota Kamara, APC Chairman, Mr. Hindolo Barnett, SLPPNA Young Generation Leader and Mr. Desmond Pessima, Secretary General of the DVC, former Publicity Secretary of SLPPNA. Former Chairpersons of Arizona present were Madam Baindu Magona, Mr. Samuel Kuyateh and Mrs. Fatmatta Daramy Koroma, who all graced this occasion on February 22nd, 2020 at the Darfur Community Hall, Phoenix,Arizona.