Abdulai Braima: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 20 February 2019:
In the resplendent realm of international diplomatic pomp and pageantry there is hardly another place on this pleasantly revolving planet more infused with glitz and glamour than inside “the court of Saint James” in Buckingham Palace here in London.
Today, Wednesday 20th February 2019, the Sierra Leone High Commissioner to the UK&I – HE Tamba James Sylvanus Lamina, was chauffeured to the inner chambers of the very bowels of Saint James Court in a royally requisitioned horse-drawn carriage.
The journey was specifically undertaken for the purposes of presenting HE Lamina’s diplomatic credentials to the queen, with whom he had an engaging conversation about her special interest in Sierra Leone and the struggles to overcome its development challenges.
Following the swift and smooth execution of that precisely fine-tuned State ritual, the High Commissioner was respectfully escorted back to “planet earth”, which just happened to be inside the warm atmosphere of the exquisite halls in the exclusive Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, where he delivered a touching speech declaring the break of “a new dawn” in Sierra Leone’s history.
High Commissioner Lamina confidently underlined the increasingly shared view that “the Athens of Africa is rising again” and sent an open invitation to anyone interested in helping the country realise its golden goals and glorious dreams.
Speaking about the long standing historical link between Sierra Leone and Britain, the High Commissioner acknowledged Britain’s positive role during Sierra Leone’s testy times – such as the civil war and Ebola outbreak.
Also present, along with his charming wife – Mrs Salma Lamina, were: the Deputy High Commissioner – Mrs Agness Dugba Macauley and her always cheerful husband – Mr. Charlie Ojukutu Macauley, Her Royal Highness the Queen’s marshal of the diplomatic corps and Patricia Scotland – the first female Secretary General of the commonwealth of nations.
There were several other high profiled guests including Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information – Honorable Rado Swaray, and Honorable Haji Kella – the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs.
Both previous Deputy High Commissioners at the Sierra Leone’s UK mission – Mr. Tamba Ngegba and Mr. James Alie were present among the long list of honoured guests, along with Mrs. Sia Evelyne Nyandemoh – the vibrant CEO of Sickle Cell Careers Awareness Network (SCCAN), and “the Youth Mama” of Kono.
As part of its inclusive agenda, the High Commission made it a point of duty to invite about 150 Sierra Leoneans from every walk of life to be part of this august ceremony, organised to honour a milestone in the life of a very fine gentleman and a key moment in the history of Sierra Leone’s diplomatic mission in the UK.
President Maada Bio’s leadership acumen in appointing the right people to the right positions to serve Sierra Leone with honour, dignity and professionalism in all areas, is the key to Sierra Leone’s national reawakening. It is a new dawn indeed.
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