It was indeed a fitting climax to a memorable 50th Anniversary celebration and the glory to steal the show fell on the man President Ernest Bai Koroma sent to the United States to be what everybody is now hailing as THE PEOPLE’S AMBASSADOR. You can love the man or hate him, but one thing you will admit without hesitation is that Ambassador Bockarie Stevens is excellent .He knows how to  excel . One of the sons of the former President of Sierra Leone, the late Dr.Siaka Stevens, knows how to organize anything to bring people together in the cause of the nation and yesterday he did it again . Last Night’s 50th Anniversary Banquet and Awards Night staged by the Ambassador with the help of his competent staff at the Sierra Leone Embassy to the U.S. and the Jubilee Celebrations Organizing Committee easily climaxed into a masterclass that was the best occasion in the whole celebrations . It was the most dramatic finale to a successful jubilee  that saw record-beating events staged in many parts of America , especially New Jersey .

Everybody who has a stake in the destiny of Sierra Leone was there last night; from foreign diplomats  to Sierra Leone’s Ambassadors and diplomats assigned in Africa and Europe , to retired peace corps volunteers , to prospective investors ,  to representatives of all the political parties in Sierra Leone, to Sierra Leone’s intellectuals in the continental U.S, to supporters of President Ernest Koroma; to distinguished citizens from all walks of life in America, to musicians, young, aspiring  artists  and journalists and to everybody who sensed a grand event in the making and decided to be there to be part of history. A man blessed with the ability never to be awed by any event, however huge, Ambassador Stevens towered over it all with his splendid organizational skills , humour , inclusiveness , congeniality  and that lovable spirit that is his hallmark and with the help of his staff and the Committee , made everybody in the hall experience the thrill of a well-organized program carefully put together to sizzle . This is a program that will be spoken about for generations to come. Held at the Martin Crosswinds, 7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt, Maryland, the Banquet and Awards Night was too exciting for the right adjectives to describe it. The show had everything.There was plenty to eat and drink , brilliant company ,  eye-popping fashions and of course enjoyment (Dancing ).

This is just the appetizer. Cocorioko-style, we will bring you all the excitement and all the thrills in a series of articles, plus the photos that tell the story of a million words. This article is just to pay homage to Ambassador Bockarie Stevens and his team. To write any report without first giving the Ambassador and his team credit for their marvelous work would be unfair . Here are full  names of the members of the Organizing Committee :

Ambassador Bockarie K. Stevens

Ambassador Ibrahim S. Conteh

Ambassador Rassie Kargbo

Sheku Misali

Saspo I. Conteh

Alan C.E. Logan

Elizabeth Foray

Mohamed L. Bah

Alimamy Bangura

Jeneba Bishop

Mohamed Koya Bangura

Bernadette Kamara Bangura

Nanah F. Bangura

Rev. Gloria Cline-Smythe

Francis A. Conteh

Alhaji Deeney Davies

Yaya Fanusi

Kwame Fitzjohn

Eric Johnny

Abdul Bero Kamara

Bernadette Kamara

Morlai Kamara

Hassan Kamara

Giileh Kebbie Scholz

Daniel Koroma

Mabinty Koroma

Dorothy Dinkins Marah

Lucy Nahim

Suna Nallo

Audrey Pabs-Garnon

John Sandy

Tejan Savage

Victor Tarmoh

Yolanda Thompson

Patricia Omo Thorpe-Finney

Mariama Turay

Rev. Yvonne Washington Turay

David Vandy

Abubakarr Wurie