Lansana Kormoh
Fourah Bay College lecturer, Joseph Lansana Kormoh has successfully undergone a hip replacement surgery in the UK and is recovering well.
The history lecturer on a PhD scholarship in Bradford had been critically ill for about a year and needed £ 12,000 for the surgery which the terms of his scholarship did not entitle him to, under Britain’s National Healthcare Service scheme.
Funds were raised by well-wishers which enabled him to undergo the surgery and he plans to return home soon to help build the country’s slumping academic standing.
Kormoh is however disappointed that his country’s government failed to rescue him when he most needed assistance and this was long before the Ebola crisis engulfed the country:
“As a citizen of a country called Sierra Leone, and as someone who had spent all his life helping to build the human resource capacity of the country through teaching and research, the first point of contact for me was my home government. Unfortunately nothing was done by the government of Sierra Leone...”
Following is his full letter of appreciation through the editor of Politico Newspaper which had campaigned to raise funds for his surgery:
11.12.2014
Dear Mr Fofana,
Letter of thanks and appreciation
I want to take this opportunity to kindly crave your indulgence to let me use your medium to convey my sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who in diverse ways contributed to the fundraising appeal for my hip operation. I thank you and your Politico newspaper for giving me the opportunity of disseminating the news about my ill-health and to be able to bring to the attention of some philanthropists and God-fearing citizens of our country.
As you are quite aware, I came to the United Kingdom on the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue my PhD degree in the University of Bradford. As a dedicated and hard- working student and scholar I am, I was able to finish my writing up and submission of my PhD thesis in less than three years; the first in my cohort years and a record that my University is so proud of.
It is unfortunate to relay that just two months to my viva voce (oral examination), I became very ill and hence could not do the examination because I was in Hospital. The diagnosis showed that I was suffering from “avascular necrosis” of the femoral head which needed a hip replacement operation. Unfortunately for me my status as an international student did not qualify me for such a procedure and my scholarship had just elapsed. Thus I needed people to come in to help me pay for the operation and go back and finish my studies.
As a citizen of a country called Sierra Leone, and as someone who had spent all his life helping to build the human resource capacity of the country through teaching and research, the first point of contact for me was my home government. Unfortunately nothing was done by the government of Sierra Leone; irrespective of official and unofficial contacts and appeals. As if that was not frustrating enough, my Consultant Haematologist, (a white British man) decided to officially contact the government of Sierra Leone through the Sierra Leone High commissioner in London. He did not even acknowledge receipt of the letter talk less of replying to the letter the consultant wrote. But we also know what the Gambian government invested in a Gambian student here who had something as basic as flu.
Sir, whilst I have captioned this letter as a thank you letter for those who assisted me in their own little ways, I wish to implore you to publish my letter for two important reasons: one, to underscore the point that as a citizen of Sierra Leone, my government refused to assist me at the time I needed help most in a foreign land pursuing the highest degree in the University and for the records. Two, to also underscore the point that there are still very good, compassionate and kind-hearted Sierra Leoneans who are sympathetic and can empathize with others especially those in dire need.
Before I mention some of those people and groups who helped in one way or the other in my medical issue, I should like to say thanks to God for having had a very successful surgery without any complications and I am gradually recovering. Granted that the healing process takes a little bit of time; but the good thing is that the recovery is going on smoothly and am looking forward to standing up on my feet again, do my viva examinations and come back to Sierra Leone.
I now take this opportunity to thank my former students and friends who contributed immensely towards my appeal. I cannot mention all their names here now; I shall have to write a separate one to them when I get in touch with Emmanuel Abdullai esq, Mr Whitsun Ade-Cole, Umaru Napoleon Koroma esq, Ibrahim Yusif Bangura esq, and Mr Sarjoh Aziz Kamara.
My sincere thanks and appreciation goes to Mr and Mrs Martin Michael both barristers in Sierra Leone for their huge financial contribution, our own very father of philanthropy in Sierra Leone, Dr Adonis Aboud and his Pikin Bizness, for his worthy and financial contribution. I also wish to thank Professor Ibrahim Abdllah for his unflinching support. My sincere thanks and gratitude also go to Dr Alpha Tejan Wurie, Ambassador Alie Bangura and Mr Philip Neville for their kind financial assistance.
Let me at this point thank my colleagues in the Academic Staff Association of Fourah Bay College and all senior supporting staff who went to the extent of taking from their meagre salaries to contribute to my appeal. I also thank all my friends, family members and well-wishers for their prayers and enduring support.
Finally I thank those who genuinely wanted to contribute but were unable to do so and I pray for those who were able to help but deliberately refused to lend a helping hand.
May God bless you and God bless the Politico Newspaper.
I thank you all
Joseph Lansana Kormoh
© Politico 16/12/14
