Pa Baimba Sesay :
Perhaps, the name, Omrie Michael Golley has long been misunderstood apparently due to his decision to employ those diplomatic gymnastics he believed could have brought about the restoration of constitutional order after the AFRC coup of 1997.
Whether he succeeded in doing this is an argument we can schedule for another day. I hold no brief for Ambassador Golley, infact I have never met him in person. Therefore, my analysis here are purely borne out of the desire to give credit to those who deserve it. As media practitioners, we equally have an obligation to commend public officials when they perform much as we do to castigate them when they err.
One thing that will remain obvious is the fact that our country’s historical records will never be completed without an account of how people like Ambassador Omrie Golley were able to stay the course for the sake of a country once caught in the quagmire of a senseless civil war and intermittent military coups.
Today Ambassador Omrie Golley is representing Sierra Leone in one of Asia’s biggest democracies – the Republic of South Korea.
When I saw a news update floating around social media about our South Korean Ambassador attending an Africa – Korea summit, I got excited over the prospect of Sierra Leone scooping another windfall from a previously conservative donor like South Korea.
Ambassador Omrie Golley is one of the most outstanding resource moblizers for Sierra Leone in recent times. If you have a contrary view then sit tight for some facts and figures.
In August last year, Golley secured a staggering $500,000 from the Korean government to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Prior to this, Korea had supported Sierra Leone with large quantities of drugs and medical equipment. Thanks to Ambassador Omrie Golley.
In June, this year our astute emmisary signed an agreement with a Korean Charity towards the construction of a state-of-the art medical facility in Sierra Leone. The facility, I learnt will be built at Tokeh and duly equipped with necessary paraphernalia for medical operations.
Knowing the important role foreign direct investment plays in the transformation of any economy, Ambassador Golley has reached out to several Korean investors including Hansol Group of Korea, which has expressed interest to invest in Sierra Leone’s infrastructure sector.
Perhaps, we can spend a whole day cataloguing Ambassador Golley’s diplomatic exploits. However, it is now clear that he is one of those Sierra Leoneans we should remain proud of regardless of any illogical opinions hitherto held of him.
Mostly, ambassadorial appointments are political, had this not been the case, Ambassador Omrie Michael Golley has earned himself the right to spend many more years representing Sierra Leone as a diplomat.
He has simply told us that ambassadorial offices are not just conduits for political appointees to facilitate bilateral meetings, issue visas or get fat by attending state dinners and sumptuous lunches organized by host countries. Ambassador Omrie Golley is adding value to Sierra Leonean diplomacy.
The Agenda for Prosperity has gotten itself a true ally – He is certainly a man on a mission.
