By Kemo Cham
British Actor and musician, Idris Elba has been granted Sierra Leonean citizenship in his first visit to the country where his parents were born.
Elba was presented a diplomatic passport by President Julius Maada Bio at a ceremony held at State Lodge in Freetown at the end of December to confer him citizenship of the country of birth of his father.
Elba’s visit, which was described as a private visit, lasted for about four days, during which period he visited Bonthe Island, where he is reported to be planning to invest.
At the State House event, Mr Elba was also declared a Brand Ambassador for Sierra Leone.
President Bio said Mr Elba’s visit to the country had been long-awaited, noting that he could feel his burning desire to come back home to be welcomed by his country people, according to a news dispatch from the office of presidential press secretary. The president added that Sierra Leone needed the participation of everyone in efforts to cleanse the country’s “scarred image” caused by civil war and disease epidemic.
“We have tried our best to change the narrative but we need more hands on deck. With you, we have a capable hand to join my government in shaping the future of this country - telling the world a new narrative about a Sierra Leone that is ready to grow and a nation that is ready to be the hub for innovation and technology in Africa and a nation that is looking forward,” the president said.
He added: “We are conferring you a citizenship of this country and to make you a Brand Ambassador of Sierra Leone. We want to tap into your network to be able to tell the world that the little nation they knew for bad things is now a new Sierra Leone. We want to let the world know that Sierra Leone is now ready for business.”
Edris was born to a Sierra Leonean father Winston Elba and a mother of Ghanaian heritage.
Edris is an A list Hollywood actor renowned for roles in blockbusters like The Wire and The Avengers. He also notably played Nelson Mandela in the biopic of the late anti-Apartheid icon – Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
Elba is also a musician and a DJ.
Prior to meeting President Bio, he had been quoted expressing regret for visiting his father’s land late, which he blamed on the war and the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic.
In 2014, the actor set out to visit Ghana and Sierra Leone but he only stopped in Ghana after the Ebola outbreak was declared in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Elba first met President Bio in London last September on the margins of the UK-Sierra Leone Trade and Investment Conference. Back then he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sierra Leone government committing him to invest in the development of Bonthe Island, which is also known as Shabro Island, the administrative headquarters of the southern Bonthe District.
Bonthe, popularly known as a former slave trading post, is also the home of President Bio.
At the ceremony conferring citizenship on him at State House, Elba said he was honoured and thankful for the opportunity to become a citizen of his father’s country, noting that it was an honour for his family.
“This is my first visit to Sierra Leone but will not be my last. I will love to bring with me the new energy that President Bio is so focused on. I am very excited for this honour and I want to take this honour to make the President and people of Sierra Leone proud of me,” he said.
Elba was visited the country with his American celebrity wife, Sabrina Dhowre, who is of Somali descent.
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