At a special convocation held at Fourah Bay College, the University of Sierra Leone today, the honorary doctorate degree awarded Sierra Leone’s Information and Communications Minister, Hon. Alpha Said Kanu, by Euclid University , was conferred on him , in a colorful ceremony attended by university dons, officials of government, All People’s Congress ( APC ) stalwarts and family members.
The EUCLID Secretary General approved the nomination presented by Datuk Agung Sidayu, Honorary Consul of Sierra Leone in Indonesia, calling for the recognition of Minister Alpha Kanu’s outstanding contribution to the governance of the Sierra Leone, especially during the recent time of crisis dealing with the Ebola Outbreak. As a result, Datuk Agung Sidayu traveled to Freetown to represent the EUCLID Secretary General and to present the speech and award to Minister Kanu.
The convocation took place at the Mary Henrietta Kingsley Auditorium of the University of Sierra Leone.
Speech delivered by the Representative of EUCLID University Secretary General, Mr. Datuk Agung Sidayu :
Cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic consular Corp, members of parliament and all protocol observed..
Allow me first of all to thanks and appreciate very much for the opportunity to be here with all of you, especially with HE President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, my favorite Leader in the world after the late President General Haji Muhammad Suharto whose I recognized personally. I proud HE Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma not only because he loves Batik very much which is a strong indication that he loves Indonesia, but the most important thing is because of his successfully removed Ebola from the Country which mean that He remove this very dangerous virus from all over the world. I am more than happy to meet Honorable Minister of Foreign and International Cooperation Dr. Samura Kamara my direct BOSS, a months ago once he joining HE President to attend the Asia Africa Conference commemoration in Jakarta and Bandung, one of the well known Islamic University invited him to speech before the University students, faculty members and several VIPs, Ambassadors, a member of Parliament and so on. Dr. Samura Kamara stated that he was born as Muslim because his Parents are Muslims, but he became Catholic/Christian by Education as well as his wife. He explained in details about Sierra Leone, and all of the audience applauses his statement. Since that time Sierra Leone became well known, very popular on our Muslim’s communities once learn.
I am glad to meet Hon Minister of Information and Communication Alhaji Alpha Bakarr Sahid Kanu the honorary Doctorate recipient today, he is becoming our close friend and a friend of Indonesia indeed. He is the only Minister who visited our Office in Jakarta. For more than 2 years’ friendship we communicated with each other regularly, even daily or at least weekly. Ladies and gentleman no single communication that he expressed his personal development, he expressed sincerely how to develop the Country, how to support HE President Dr. Alpha Kanu well known in Jakarta as the best Orator in Sierra Leone, but for me he is not only the best orator, but best in implementation as well.
Secondly, please allow me to present the speech prepared by the Secretary General of Euclid University, Mr. Syed Zahid Ali, which he wrote for this Special Honorary Doctorate degree convocation which we are all honored to participate in, here, at this beautiful ground Fourah Bay College(FBC) University of Sierra Leone. Before that I have to thanks and appreciate the Deputy Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Thomas Gbamanja, for his kind attention and accommodation.
Dear Dr. Alhaji Alpha Kanu, Dear Sisters and brothers, In its 7-year long history, counting the years since 2008 and the entry into force of the EUCLID intergovernmental charter, our institution has seldom conferred honorary doctorates. This is a rare and special event for our institution. Yet, the nomination for this honorary doctorate was compelling indeed. It came at a time when Sierra Leone announced victory over the terrible Ebola virus. During this difficult time, the Government of Sierra Leone has been praised globally for its response and international engagement. As Minister of Information and Communications, your role Dear Minister Kanu, has been critical and the summit of a long career of dedication to the government and people of Sierra Leone whose trust you have rightly earned. On this special day, I recall the importance of Sierra Leone in EUCLID’s life. By becoming the second signatory and Participating State through the signature of the Minister of Foreign and International Cooperation, the Honorable Dr. Zainab Hawa Bangura, who is now Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Sierra Leone effectively brought EUCLID into multilateral existence.
Now, EUCLID has grown to serve 12 Participating States across 4 continents and it has become a mature institution, but it continues to serve Sierra Leone with a special gratitude and dedication. In honoring you today with this Honorary Doctorate in Political and Public Affairs, which the whole nation concurs is well-deserved, we also express that EUCLID is honored to have been entrusted by Sierra Leone with a special mandate in higher education and sustainable development. As I briefly mentioned, EUCLID is a specialized intergovernmental organization established in 2008, holding a university mandate and charter published in the United Nations Treaty Series. It is among the world’s few multilateral universities, and a full member in good standing of the world’s key academic bodies, including the Academic Council on the United Nations Systems (ACUNS), UN Academic Impact, and the Association of African Universities, (EUCLID’s main headquarters being in Banjul, The Gambia). Among other services, EUCLID offers specialized distance-learning and online distance learning programs to government-sponsored as well as general public students. Its goal is to prepare “expert leaders for international civil service and global careers.” Our institution’s academic motto is very timely in these difficult times of conflict: The Latin “Audi et alteram partem” means “Let us also hear the other side .”
REUCLID’s flagship program is its standard-setting online master in diplomacy and international affairs, or MDIA, which has qualified many diplomats globally. EUCLID also offers doctoral-level programs in diplomacy, sustainable development and international public health, as well as a new joint degree program in international public administration. Dear Honorable Minister and Doctor Alpha Kanu and Dear Sisters & Brothers: Congratulations on all that this honorary doctorate represents; and please accepts our sincere and brotherly wishes of long life and continued service to the people and government of the great nation of Sierra Leone. God bless you and yours
Syed Zaheed Ali
Euclid University Secretary General
