STATEMENT DELIVERED BY DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, AMBASSADOR AMADU KOROMA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE FUND-RAISING DANCE ORGANIZED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE AND SOUTH JERSEY APC CHAPTER ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 24, 2016
Let me first of all thank you, the Executive and the entire membership of the Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey Chapter of the APC Party for the honour and privilege you have bestowed on me to serve as the Grand Chief Patron for this year’s fund-raising dance. I am very pleased to let you know that the Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey Chapter has a special place in the heart of His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the entire Executive of the parent body for the unforgettable role that your chapter played during those challenging days when your enormous moral, material and financial contributions helped to propel our party, the APC to power in the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Your continuous contribution to our party will never go unnoticed. I therefore implore you to continue to show your unflinching support, cooperation and above all your patience with the leadership of the party.
I wish to seize this opportunity to repeat the advice that I gave to comrades in another chapter in a similar occasion. That you the Executive, that is the leadership of this chapter, must consider yourselves as the servants of the entire membership and not their masters. Our party is not an elitist party. Our party draws its strength from the diversity of its composition; it cuts across all categories of people in every village, town, chiefdom, district and province in the country. It is a party that considers every member as an equal irrespective of educational background, economic or financial standing, tribal, regional or religious background. Comrade Oseh at party headquarters in Freetown is just as important as Deputy Ambassador Amadu Koroma in the Sierra Leone Mission to the United Nations in New York. In this vein, I wish to recall the instructive words of the party’s Leader and Chairman on the occasion of the last National Delegates Conference:
“Comrades we will make no apologies to anyone for being the party of the common man and woman. We will defend the common man and woman; we will sit with them, talk with them, and move this country forward with them. That was the tradition left us by Siaka Stevens and others. That is the tradition that has allowed us to win elections again, and again and again. We will continue to hold fast to these traditions, we will never lose sight of this inheritance, and we will always be the party of the common man and woman and for the common man and woman. This is what holds us together as a party. All members, old and new must subscribe to this tradition. It is this tradition that will get you up the ladders of leadership in our party.”
And to you the general membership, I wish to remind you of the long standing tradition of our party which encourages constructive criticism within the party. There are adequate democratic mechanisms and structures within the party through which grievances could be properly channeled. Please avail yourselves of those legitimate channels and refrain from the use of the social-media as a channel or medium of communication with the party hierarchy. Let us leave that ignoble practice to our detractors because that is what they are good at. The party leadership is not a bunch of political angels that are infallible. Another secret of the strength of our party lies in our ability to resolve our differences in a peaceful and amicable manner. It is always the interest of our party that is first above self.
Comrades, it is now very obvious that it is only our party that is able to provide effective and efficient political leadership in our beloved country. Our party has continued to grow from strength to strength. The membership has tripled because our leadership has persistently and continuously delivered on promises made notwithstanding the numerous odds on the way. We have reason to celebrate and jubilate. Let us sing the praises of our party from the rooftops. Take pride in the fact that our party has brought development to every corner of Sierra Leone. Our leadership has shown the path to true democracy and good governance; it has promoted peace and we are working towards the eradication of extreme poverty, illiteracy and killer diseases. Let us all feel proud and lucky to be members of the APC Party.
The sun is shining in Sierra Leone and it will continue to shine. The leadership has transformed the image and membership of our party into a group of peaceful, democratic and law abiding citizens. Let us therefore continue to support our party at all times either by words, by conduct or by actions. Let us redouble the love that we have for our party. The people will soon decide in the coming Presidential and Parliamentary elections based on the score sheet between the previous administration and ours the present and believe me the people are no fools.
Comrades, the leadership of our party has challenged you in the diaspora on several occasions to take advantage of the transformation of the country as one of the easiest to do business in the world. A lot of incentives have been offered to foreign investors and to the local business community. Other nationalities within and outside the continent of Africa have been taking up the challenge and they are flocking into the country to do business. We should not leave economic activities into the hands of foreigners while we become passive spectators. In this regard, let me also recall the insightful comments of His Excellency, President Ernest Bai Koroma on the occasion of the official launch of the Agenda for Prosperity:
“Most importantly, all Sierra Leoneans, at home and in the diaspora, must realize that success primarily depends on what we as a people do for ourselves and not what others can do for us. Ask not what others have done for you but what you have done for yourself, your community and your nation.”
I will not forget the main reason for this occasion which is to fundraise for the Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey APC Chapter. My beautiful wife and I have decided to humbly contribute the sum of one thousand ($1, 000, 00) dollars. We wish we could do more than this tonight but we want to assure you that we will continue to support your activities at all times in the future. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.
In the struggle of the APC, there is victory for us. God bless this country called United States of America, God bless Sierra Leone and God bless the APC Party
Or Wai! Or Sai!
