Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 April 2021:
President Dr Julius Maada Bio honoured 91 deserving recipients of the Presidential Award at a ceremony held at State House to commemorate Sierra Leone’s 60th Independence Anniversary on 27 April 2021.
The Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Commander of the Order the Republic of Sierra Leone, Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel (GCOR), Commander of the Order of the Rokel (COR), Grand Officers of the Order of the Rokel (GOOR), Officers of the Order of the Rokel (OOR), Members of the Order of the Rokel (MOR), Presidential Medal (Gold), and Presidential Medal (Silver), are awarded annually by the President of Sierra Leone, to distinguished Sierra Leoneans in recognition of their diligent and dedicated services; as well as foreign nationals, institutions and businesses that have immensely contributed to national development.
The only recipient of this year’s Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone is Dr Kadi Sesay, whom the President once said, at the opening of a school named after her, had “dared to be and has been unique for her exemplary achievements in academia, her commitment and proficiency in public service, her humility in leadership, her belief in what is right and doing what is right, and her perpetual inspirational presence”.
President Bio had also said that: “She is a veritable role model for me and for millions of Sierra Leonean boys and girls who believe that they can achieve the seemingly impossible and that ceilings are meant to be broken and barriers are meant to be breached”.
Others decorated as Commanders of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone are Finda Koroma, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission; Dr Bu Boakei Jabbie; Eke Ahmed Halloway; and George Banda Thomas; and Dr Sidie Mohamed Tunis, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament.
Congratulations to all those distinguished Sierra Leoneans that were honoured by our shortsighted president Bio, commander in chief of the Armed forces and fountain of honour of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Since we are honouring our fellow distinguished Sierra Leoneans for diligent and dedicated services to our country, I want to take this opportunity to remind the president and those around him that drew up the honours list, for the vast majority of Sierra Leoneans, we also deserve to nominate our own distinguished citizens. The elephants in the room that you pretend not to exist: Chernor Bah of the Africanist Press for exposing corruption under your watch Mr president; Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyerr for her services to the residents of Freetown; our helpless Ben Kaifala – the ACC boss; Mr Alpha Kallay – the philanthropist who sadly passed away at the start of this year, but not before he have donated medical supplies – valued at over €100,000 to the communities of Bumban in Bombali district.
Sierra Leonean Chelsea defender Rudiger, who donated his money to help with the free quality education initiative; Dr Bylden for her continued work as one of the few remaining opposition leaders that not only help some poor Freetown residents, but is also harassed and persecuted by the Bio government for daring to help poor residents in her neighbourhood in the first place; Mrs Lara Taylor Pearce – our Auditor General, the fighter in chief that only work with hard evidence to see her work through, and shines a torch into the dark corners of Bio’s vendetta and corrupt world. No one in the press pool is honoured.
We in the diaspora take this opportunity to honour Abdul Rashid Thomas, the editor of the Sierra Leone Telegraph and his team for their outstanding contribution for delivering unbiased, balanced, independent news content to the people of Sierra Leone. His independent-minded stance and no nonsense approach to his work, and beholden to no one but to the truth seeking people of Sierra Leone have shown that you don’t have to be the lap dog of any government – APC or SLPP or any other political party for that matter to attract large readership.
Also, the president failed to honour our health workers that are putting their lives at risk everyday, in their battle to save Sierra Leonean lives in this once in a century covid19 pandemic. Even if one nurse was named and honoured on behalf of all our army of Health workers, like medical doctors, nurses, potters, cleaners, securities, etc, etc, at least they will take comfort and say they have been given the recognition they deserve. There are so many unsung heroes in our country, like the story of a young man setting up a charity to help trafficked women in Makeni. The teachers or university lecturers that go the extra mile to educate our young in the middle of this covid19 pandemic restriction.
This Committee that nominates outstanding Sierra Leoneans to the president, like everything else under this government, are in desperate need of an overhaul. Or better still lift the curtain off the nominating Committee, so we the ordinary citizens will get a better view of who is sitting around the table. We are not impressed by Bio nominating the same kind of personalities that look and move in the same circles like him year in year out. Failing which, let the public make one or two nominations and vote on them before their names are presented to the president. That way we will get more transparency and well deserving fellow Sierra Leoneans for these prestigious awards.
Other than academics, no ordinary Sierra Leonenaean matters. This is a deep seated problem in our nation. There’re men and women who toil day in day out, and its’s their sacrifices that keep the nation’s wheel moving, but no recognition. You see why Salia and others died unnoticed, not even a posthumous decoration could be fitting for some fallen heroes.