By Sanpha Sesay
Texas Chief
The Sierra Leone Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Bockarie K. Stevens, on Saturday, April 6, witnessed a historic event when Mr. Sheik Daboh, a president of local chapter for the All People’s Congress of the United States (APC-USA) branch in Dallas, Texas was inaugurated as the 4th chapter president in that organization. It was the second time Ambassador Stevens visited the Sierra Leone community in that metropolitan area. The first was in July 2008 when the Sierra Leone community on the occasion of a soccer tournament also invited him.
AMBASSADOR STEVENS ADDRESSING THE OCCASION
The Ambassador did not deliver a keynote address as was expected, but in a brief statement he reaffirmed that Sierra Leone is now essentially a quest for development and investment under the leadership of President Earnest Koroma. Mr. Stevens urged Sierra Leoneans to be mindful of the process involved in formulating and implementation of the agenda for prosperity. He commended the APC Dallas as an example of a viable community among the APC branch-chapters across North America.
SHEIKH DABOH SPEAKING
The APC-USA branch interim Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Sanpha Kamara diligently conducted the inaugural ceremony. The Chairman administered swearing in ceremony in accordance with the stipulated APC-USA bylaws. The president elect and a cross section of the executive took the oath of office in the hotel Regency.
The hotel hall had strong sense of cohesion and was relatively peaceful while performing the inauguration ceremony. As a tradition, the United States national anthem was sang by Freda Koroma, a daughter of the founding father of the APC Dallas chapter, Mr. Sheku Koroma followed by the Sierra Leone National anthem which was generally sang by everyone in the hall.
AMBASSADOR STEVENS RECEIVES AN AWARD
As he was gazing down the Regency hotel hall at the hundreds of people from all walks of life who came to see him inaugurated, Sheik Daboh felt the enthusiasm of the crowd. He smiles gloriously showing excitement and love over his political party members. When the Master of Ceremony, Mr. Patrick Walsh called him to take the oath of office, the crowd went wild with excitement and hoisted the president towards the inaugural podium; carrying him there rather then having him walks.
In his Inaugural Address, Mr. Sheik Daboh was determined to exude confidence in highlighting the goals and accomplishments of the APC party especially, as he put it, under president Earnest Bai Koroma’s leadership. Mr. Daboh said that the APC government has lifted our country from the doldrums of infrastructural decadence and fiscal irresponsibility to an area of accountability, transparency and infrastructural development. He commended the president for his vision to establish the agenda for change and now agenda for prosperity.
Mr. Daboh maintained that since this administration assumed power, Sierra Leone has moved from dismal positions of negative national and international indexes to enviable positions. We moved upwards by about a dozen countries from being the most corrupt nation and several positions from being the poorest country in the world. The country is now identified as one of the fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa with business friendly environment the chapter president added. Sheik Daboh therefore appealed and encourage Sierra Leoneans to the APC party. He believes that the All Peoples Congress Party is a national party with membership from all regions of Sierra Leone. We need more hands on deck to work with the government of Sierra Leone to lift our country from malaise and disrepair to that of responsibility, accountability and development in line with our agenda for prosperity he added.
By dint of his energy and ability, Sheik Daboh has achieved a notable career. By sacrifice and devotion, he attained a reputation of being one of the most charitable and civic-minded citizens of the Sierra Leone community in the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area. It’s no wonder that many people gathered to pay tribute to his inaugural ceremony.
Many prominent citizens and other nationalities graced the leadership of Sheik and this important occasion. They were able to see extra events such as a soccer game, Texas Paddle dance, and a presentation of trophy. The Ambassador was conferred with a soccer kits by a newly established infrastructural development company called, Sangorafa, while Mr. Patrick Dangawalli, the president of Soccer Stars Association also bestowed a plaque to Ambassador Stevens in recognizing of his commitment to the community in Texas
Also present in the occasion were Mr. Unisa Kanu and Mr. Joseph Bobson Kamara, both of whom are aspiring for the APC-USA Chairmanship. The main opposition party, the Sierra leone People’s Party (SLPP) was represented by its chapter president, Mrs. Khadie Tejan-Sie. She spoke eloquently giving her experience about what is dearly needed for the country at the moment. A moment of silence was also observed on the passing away of former president Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabah.
The effectiveness of the organizing secretary, Mr. Abu Daboh greatly helps participants enjoyed the inaugural ceremony and party. People who witnessed the occasion described it as another day in Dallas saying that it is an excellent experience as well as memorable one. Stay tune for more news stories about the great event.
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