By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Recently appointed Presidential Spokesman Alpha Abubakarr Sidique Kanu has appealed to Sierra Leoneans to be peaceful.
He made the call during the Ministry of Information and Communications weekly press briefing on the 18th of August 2022.
He said Sierra Leone is nothing without peace and national cohesion especially when the whole world is going through ‘turbulent waters’. He said President Julius Maada Bio has manifested his leadership in the past by bringing the former rebel leader, Foday Sankoh to the peace process.
He said the President‘s cabinet appointment is a real manifestation of national cohesion attracting people from different ethnic groups in the country.
“This is a clear sign that the president is not just a president for a particular tribe, but for every Sierra Leonean,” he said.
Kanu pointed out that every country has a sailor that is driving its citizens through turbulent waters and that Sierra Leone is having President Bio steering the country through the waters. He encouraged Sierra Leoneans not to rock the boat captained by the president who he said is about to take the country to a safe landing in 2023.
He said Sierra Leoneans should be celebrating a lot of accolades during the past 3-4 years since President Bio assumed office. He stated that the country has been known to be the fourth most peaceful nation in Africa, which he said is something citizens should be proud about. He went on to say that, Sierra Leone has been noted as the second nation in the world to spend its GDP on education.
He said social media messages have caused mayhem and distrust but Sierra Leoneans continue to show resilience and are made of sterner stuff. He said, there was no responsible person out in the streets during the protests on the 10th of August, noting that they do understand that the problems that face the country are not unique, but of a Global nature.
He said that the country has gone through the Corona shock which he said is yet to be over. He noted the Ukraine war to be the second shock that befalls the country which he said affected the whole world.
He explained that supplies from Ukraine have been cut off due to the war and praised the proactive measures taken by the African Union in sending its Chairman of Council of Heads of State, Senegal’s President Macky Sall to visit Russia and have a dialogue with President Vladimir Putin.
He said during the engagements, President Macky Sall requested that the Black Sea be opened for the shipment to Africa of grains and other foodstuffs to help cushion the effect of the global economic challenges.
The Presidential spokesman reiterated that COVID and the Ukraine war affected every part of the world.
He said he found it difficult to accept that Sierra Leone was in the news again for the wrong reasons.
Alpha Kanu served the previous government in various cabinet positions and now serves the current regime as the Minister for the North-western region and also Presidential spokesman.
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