Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 July 2019:
President Julius Maada Bio will deliver an address at this year’s military graduation ceremony, taking place at the National Defence College in Abuja, Nigeria, tomorrow Tuesday, 30th July 2019.
According to State House report in Freetown, the Sierra Leone president has been invited to speak by the Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali.
Nigeria’s National Defence College is the country’s highest military training institution, and president Bio’s invitation to address graduating officers, is said to be in recognition of Bio’s “exemplary military service; and as the first former military Head of State to be democratically elected as President of Sierra Leone”.
President Bio will be speaking about “Youth Inclusiveness and Good Governance: Imperatives for Regional Security and Development”, to over 100 graduating officers from various countries, including Nigeria, Bangladesh, Republic of Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Republic of Ghana, India, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Bio’s lecture is scheduled as part of a week-long events, marking this year’s military graduation that will culminate in the official ceremony on the 2nd August 2019, where Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces (Photo), will be Special Guest of Honour.
President Bio will depart Sierra Leone today, Monday 29th July 2019 for Abuja, Nigeria, and is expected to return Freetown on Tuesday, 30th July 2019, immediately after delivering his address.
Bilal Coleman – I hope you are fully aware as Mr Johnson already indicated that Bio didn’t merit, earn or deserved the rank of Brigadier. Somehow he has managed to cheat his way all throughout life, towards the top. There is nothing for young soldiers to learn from a ranking officer who overthrew leadership and Superior authority, except disloyalty and insubordination.
In due time, as the Seasons go by, rest assured there will be a little cell and a bed waiting, warm and cozy for him at the ICC in the Hague for crimes he committed against humanity, during his military regime. Its clear Sierra Leone is in the wrong hands presently.
The SlPP has never done nor accomplished anything sustainable in our little country, and they will not start now. And please don’t be ridiculous – invitations from renowned institutions that are extended to diverse personalities and individuals have nothing to do with their intelligence, capabilities and merit, but oftentimes because of their social status, affluence and the positions that they are holding.
I think Koroma made a big mistake in letting him off the hook for his atrocities instead of throwing him recklessly to the Sharks that were waiting to eat him up alive. Now he has a loud, annoying, intrusive voice. But in the years to come – in jail, the only voice he will be hearing are the voices of his Jailers.
Peter Johnson,
The National Defense Academy of Nigeria is the second best military academy in Africa, ranking below only the South African Military Academy. It is associated with such big names as Sani Abacha, Mohammadu Buhari, Oladipo Diya, Timothy Shelpidi, Maxwell Khobe, and Victor Malu, to name just a few. Shelpidi, Khobe and Malu were commanders of ECOMOG forces in Sierra Leone during the civil war.
Why do you think such a prestigious institution of learning got it wrong by inviting president Julius Maada Bio to give a keynote speech at the graduation of its students? Did Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also get it wrong in inviting Bio earlier this year to speak at their campuses? What about Queen Elizabeth of England inviting Bio to her birthday celebrations?
Bio is demonstrating that with the right leader, Sierra Leone can shed its reprehensible image as a bastion of corruption and graft and take its rightful place as a regional leader in Africa. Way to go Bio!
Oh my God I am so proud of my president, H.E.DR.RET.BREG.J.M.B. you made all Sierra Leoneans proud, bless you Papa Bio
Susan, call president Bio a traveling president but the fact is, the man has an incredible experience in life that others want to learn from. He was a military head of state at a young age, he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General in the military, he fought in the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia, he successfully pursued a Master’s degree in International Relations at the prestigious American University in the United States, he is currently a doctoral candidate at Bradford University in the United Kingdom, and he is the democratically elected president of the Republic of Sierra Leone and leader of one of the oldest political parties in Africa.
Bios resume/CV is super impressive. Little wonder West Africa’s regional power, Nigeria, is anxious to have Bio speak to its young military college graduates. There is a lot that these graduates will learn from Bio. Kudos to Bio and kudos to Sierra Leone.
Susan, Bio did not go through the rank and file of the military. He was a captain then self promoted to what you think he is.
Bilal, I totally disagree that president Bio “has an incredible experience in life that others want to learn from”. He may have had an interesting past, especially taking part in overthrowing a civilian government, but there is no lesson that can be learnt from that by newly qualified young soldiers. In fact he should not have been let loose anywhere near those young impressionable officers.
Another lie – he did not rise to the rank of Brigadier-General in the military. Those who made him Brigadier-General had no choice with a gun in his hand and having shot his way through to State House to take power.
He is currently a doctoral candidate at Bradford University in the United Kingdom, and so what? What is unique about that? How many doctoral candidates do we have in Sierra Leone today.
Bio’s resume/CV is super impressive? Apart from waging a coup and winning the 2018 presidential election with just over 51% of the votes, what else has he achieved in life for himself and for society? Please publish his CV for us to see, if you dare. Lol
There is a lot that these graduates will learn from Bio? The only thing he could teach them is how to wage a coup, and that is something you don’t want those young graduates to learn. Please keep Bio away from them. Thank you.
Another trip outside Sierra Leone. The traveling president!