At a wedding with colleagues.

Yes! My colleagues are getting wedded. I will be next in the roll. Lord I thank thee.

"LIKE JACASSA LIKE SIERRA LEONE!"

Photo credits 

"LIKE JACASSA LIKE SIERRA LEONE!"

By: Ndemowoma Yankuba Mustapha

Just finished reading one of the most intriguing books ~ "Harvest of Corruption", Written by a Nigerian playwright Frank Ogodo Ogbeche from Yala in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Harvest of Corruption is centred on the venal acts of public servants in a country called Jacassa. The principal public servant in the play is Chief Haladu Ade Amaka, the minister of external relations. He is corrupt and unpatriotic. He is an exploit of the state by robbing her blind in an act referred to as "Pen-robbery.  He has aids, such as the police commissioner who serves at the police headquarters inn Darkin; Justice Odili, Ochuole who organizes girls for him, including those who bear cocaine for him; Aloho a girl who has just been offered a job in chief's office as a protocol officer; Madam Hoha whose restaurant/hotel is a haven for criminal activities under the guise of a beer parlour and the Defence Counsel who fought hard to defend the corrupt chief. 

The major themes running across the play are #CORRUPTION and #UNEMPLOYMENT. Like Sierra Leone, the  playwright, Frank Ogodo Ogbeche shows how corruption permeates government institutions and every aspect of the society as well as the devastating effect it has on our everyday life. All through the play, the prevalent issue is corruption. He seems to pass this play as a commentary on this anomaly. Everywhere you turn, in Jacassa, you see corruption, even in places you least expect. With Chief Ade-Amaka at the forefront of this evil, stealing, fornicating and abusing public office at will, Ogodo-Ogbeche seems to wonder why corruption is always thought to be only stealing of public funds. Aloho's gullibility and desperation, Ochuole's mistress role to Chief, Madam Hoha's role, as well as Justice Odili's, the Police Commissioner's extortion of Chief and even Ayo's request for bribe, all point to the fact that corruption is not limited to those at the helm of affairs. It permeates every facet of life of the people who sow it. Just as in the play, public officers in Nigeria have almost always culturalized corruption, with a single individual, a chief of staff to be precise, stealing a mind boggling sum of $2.1b meant for arms purchase.

Unfortunately, many job seekers have lost their dignity because of their desperate attempt to be gainfully employed. Hence, the theme, unemployment. But can we blame them? How can it be justified that after rigorous school life, one spends two to three years still job hunting? No wonder, jobless graduates are quick to succumb to societal pressure; they engage in any form of activities in the name of job insofar something comes out of it. Aloho and Ochuole are victims of this terrible situation in Jacassa. Consequently, one dies and the other is sentenced to jail. 

This has led to a situation where our young brothers and sisters are seen illegally fleeing to first world countries in search of better conditions and services. And until this anomaly is entirely contained, our country will continue to be classified among the least developed countries in the world.

PLOT

The play opens with Aloho in the Ministry of External Relations of Jacassan for job in search for a job.  There she meets Ochuole, a notorious old school mate of hers who happens to be the Chief Administrative Officer at the Ministry of External Relations and she promises to help her secure a job.

She gets home with excitement and tells her friend Ogeyi the story of how she meets Ochuole. Ogeyi warns her to be careful with Ochuole, knowing that she is a bad influence. She gives instances of the innocent ones that have lost their lives, trying to subscribe to Ochuole’s style of Living. But Aloho would not heed Ogeyi’s warning.

Ochuole helps Aloho secure a job as a protocol officer to Chief Ade Haladu-Amaka after speaking with him. Ochuole and Chief agree to use the Aloho to push drugs within and outside Nigeria. They suddenly arrange her first trip to America, and give a package containing hard drugs to deliver. She gets caught and arrested at the airport by drug law enforcement officers.

Chief bribes the chief justice in charge of the case and the police commissioner in order to perverse the court’s injunction on the case. Aloho, realizes the nature of her new job and quits. She discovers that she is pregnant for Chief and makes futile to abort the baby. Ogeyi advises her to go back home to her parents for proper care. Eventually, she is delivered of a baby girl but she dies in the process.

ACP Yakubu, a just assistant commissioner of police decides to secretly investigate ChiefHaladu Ade-Amaka and Ayo, a clerk in the office of the Chief provides information to the assistant commissioner and Ogeyi seeks justice by reporting Chief to the police, which further implicates Ochuole, Madam Hoha, commissioner, and others. They are arrested and persecuted and Justice prevails.

SETTING OF THE PLAY

The play is set in Jabu, a fictional Nigerian city. The action takes place in different locations like: Ogeyi’s apartment in Pannya, Madam Hoha’s hotel at Darkin, Police Headquarters at Darkin, Ministry of External Relations in Maisama, and the CourtRoom.

MAJOR CHARACTERS

Aloho

She is the main character in the play, a young and native university graduates desperately searching for a job. In her desperation, she ignorantly becomes part of a criminal network involved in drug trafficking in spite of her friend’s constant warning to keep away from notorious Ochuole. Aloho is arrested and detained for drug trafficking. Upon her release, she suddenly realizes that she is pregnant for Chief Haladu- Amaka and eventually dies during child-birth. The author uses Aloho’s character to portray the ordeals of many young and jobless Nigerian graduates, how they are easily taken advantage of and lured into crime in their desperation to get a job.

Ochuole

Ochuole is Aloho’s classmate in the University. She is portrayed as notorious and wayward. Ochuole works as Chief Administrative Officer at the Ministry of External Relations. She aids Chief’s sexually immoral lifestyle by providing him with ladies. She lures Aloho into drug trafficking in the guise of helping her to secure a job with the Ministry of External Relations.

Chief Ade Haladu-Amaka

He is the Minister of External Relations and the epitome of corruption in the play. He is the ringleader of a criminal network of drug peddlers. He engages in bribery, large scale embezzlement of public funds,sexual immorality and fraud. His character is ironical. As a Minister of External Relations, he is supposed to promote his country’s image in the comity of nations. On the contrary, Chief Haladu- Amaka through his many vices portrayed his country in a bad light.

Ogeyi

Ogeyi is Aloho’s friend and confidant. Aloho lives with Ogeyi in her small apartment in Pannya. She tries to discourage Aloho from taking Ochuole’s job offer and warns her to keep away from Ochuole. She seeks justice for Aloho by reporting Chief to the police. She is the voice of reason in the play.

Madam Hoha

Madam Hoha is the Manager of Akpara Hotel. The hotel where Chief perpetuates his criminal activities.She is sentenced to ten years imprisonment with hard labour along with Ochuole and her hotel was sealed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank Ogodo Ogbeche is from Yala in Cross River State, Nigeria. He studied Communication Arts and currently works as a Senior Council Affairs Officer in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He is a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has written a number of plays and poems including 'The Intruder and the Promises of the Gods'.

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Ref: 

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SALLIEU TEJAN-JALLOH, MANAGING EDITOR OF THE TIMES SIERRA LEONE NEWSPAPER MAY FACE LIBEL LAW!!

Journalist Sallieu Tejan-Jalloh (photo credit) 

SALLIEU TEJAN-JALLOH, MANAGING EDITOR OF THE TIMES SIERRA LEONE NEWSPAPER MAY FACE LIBEL LAW!! 

By: Ndemowoma Yankuba Mustapha. 

Sallieu Tejan-Jalloh, Managing Editor of The Times Sierra Leone Newspaper may face libel law. This is exactly the speculation that is making the rounds among many Sierra Leoneans regarding his refusal to present evidence of alleging that a total of US$1.5M was paid into the Chief Minister, Professor David J. Francis' Ecobank account as bribes, to the Anti-Corruption Commission. 

In an electronically signed press release by the Director, Ministerial and Cabinet, the allegation is termed as nefarious. Adding that the allegation of the payment of US$1.5 million to a private account owned by Professor David J. Francis is not only false but a calculated attempt to smear his image and reputation. 

The Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq, while acting in consonance with Section 7(1)(b) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, which mandates the Commission “to investigate instances of alleged or suspected corruption referred to it by any person or authority or which has come to its attention, whether by complaint or otherwise," he accordingly contacted Mr. Jalloh to help with information to aid an investigation. But unfortunately, the Commissioner said, the Managing Editor refused to comply with the request of the Commissioner. Many citizens have viewed his refusal to comply with the Commission as a violation of the provision of the right to access information Act, 2003. 

According to the Act, Subsection (2) of Section 2 of The Right To Access Information Act, 2003 states thus, 'Every person has the right to access information held by or is under the control of a private body where that information is necessary for the enforcement or protection of any right'. 

Ecobank has clarified that “Professor David John Francis does not maintain any account with the Bank.” Yet, Ecobank maintained that Professor Francis has an Ecobank CashXpress pre-paid card since August 2019. The said card, according to Ecobank, denominated only in Leones, can be issued to both Ecobank account holders and non-account holders. The investigations also revealed that since he was issued this card, Professor Francis never loaded the said card with cash; and therefore never used it.

SL Mining confirms that such a payment does not exist. Reiterating that it has always complied and continues to comply with all laws, both local or international, and with SL Mining’s own strict anti-bribery and other policies.

However, since there's no evidence so far put forward to substantiate  the claim of the Managing Editor of the Times Sierra Leone Newspaper, and at the same time, the Anti-Corruption Commission does not have jurisdiction over blackmails, it is rumored among many Sierra Leoneans that the Professor  might press for redress in a court of law to clean up his reputation as it has already been smeared. 

According to The Public Order Act, 1965, defamation of character is libelous as entrenched in sections 26 and 27 respectively. Section 26. 'Any person who maliciously publishes any defamatory matter shall be guilty of an offence called libel and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding seven hundred leones or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment'. Also in Section 27. 'Any person who maliciously publishes any defamatory matter shall be guilty of an offence called libel and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding seven hundred leones or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment'. 

Another school of thought is of the opinion that the Chief Minister may not press for charges as part of his New Direction government campaign promises was to repeal the seditious criminal libel law from the Public Order Act, 1965. But again, one may argue that, though moves have been made by government to repeal such clause from the act, it still remains in force until it goes through the corridors of the Sierra Leone House of Parliament. 

What however, is not clear to this medium is the reason for his denial to reveal his source of information or better still, his evidence to the institution in charge of probing into corruption and corruption related issues in Sierra Leone - The Anti-Corruption Commission. 

It could be recalled that allegations have been making the rounds on social media alleging that a total of US$1.5M was paid into the Chief Minister, Professor David J. Francis' Ecobank account as bribes, An allegation to which he denied. Describing as false and a calculated attempt to smear his image and reputation. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA #RWC2019

🎶Shosholoza🎶 shosholoza 🎵 

🎵ku lezontaba🎤 

🎶🎵stimela sipume 

🎷🎵#South_Africa🎼👏 

Congratulations 🎊 to the people of South. 

FIRST LADY'S SOCIAL MOBILIZATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Bintumani Hotel, Freetown, Friday 14 December 2018 – His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has officially launched the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ flagship programme of First Lady Fatima Bio, with the theme: “Ending Child Marriage and Reducing Teenage Pregnancy to Empower Women”

A video showing a social Mobilization the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone embarked on across the country. Voice over by a Mende traditional singer - name unknown. 

FREE QUALITY EDUCATION A BLESSING, & AS CITIZENS, WE HAVE RIGHT TO MONITOR THE PROCESS

Mr. Mustapha assisting in dishing out the #Free_Quality_Education learning materials

Mr. Mustapha posing for a selfi with #Free_and_Quality_Education beneficiaries 

Mr. Mustapha posing for a selfi with #Free_and_Quality_Education beneficiaries 

We will not wait to be employed before we can start monitoring our very own flagship #Free_Quality_Education initiative of the #Brand_New_Direction.

This morning I was on a fact finding tour in Schools around the Western Urban and Rural District. The motive was as a citizen journalist, to monitor the distribution of the #Free_Quality_Education Teaching and learning materials, including Lesson Plan Manuals known as LPM for English and Mathematics, plus two other cores - Integrated Science and Social Studies. In addition to these, dozens of 120 pages ledger sized exercise books being dished out. 

I can authoritatively state that these materials are reaching out to their target beneficiaries. 

During my visit to some of the community and mission schools either entirely owned or assisted by the government, I was oppoturned to be literally involved in dishing out these learning materials to pupils in a certain school in Kamara Town, Upper Wellington in the far East of Freetown. 

After the distribution, I was able to speak with few parents in that community. One of the parents (name withheld) registered her  great satisfaction towards the #Free_Quality_Education initiative. In commending the president, the Rtd. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Bio, she had this to say, 'we, as community are so happy for president Bio for such timely and needful assistance from him'. She went further with this prayer, 'may he achieve his goals in transforming this country into at least a middle level income nation through his human capacity building drive'. 

Meanwhile, I visited many other communities where I witnessed the successful distribution of those materials. I am exceedingly happy that my leader, the president of the Republic of Sierra Leone is delivering on his campaign promises.

©Ndemowoma Y Mustapha

LOVE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SERVE!

(pupils at the Minah Academy Primary Sch. posing with Mr. Mustapha )

Loving those you serve brings joy and peace of mind. Listening to their stories (unstructured though), relieves me.

One of these kids (photo above), said to me, would you be my friend? I looked at him with love and compassion and then responded with a request. 'Kenie Moi, as he's called, would you have a snapshot with me?' As you may guess, his answer was yes.

There's no noble calling than being called into the service of humanity. I love these kids and love serving them.

MY TAKE ON SOUTH AFRICA OVER XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS.

Photo credits 

MY TAKE ON SOUTH  AFRICA OVER XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS. 

The main article has been removed, kindly contact the author for further information by subscribing to to this blog.

You may also contact him directly through email: ndemowomaymustapha@gmail.com or through phone: (+232) 76 244 113

Patoranking, in his Song Titled 'Heal D World', "... Africa is blessed with lots of beautiful history, but people make us feel like everything is a misery, they make us live our lives in a jettery". 

© Ndemowoma Y Mustapha

NO PLACE FOR MACHIAVELLIANISM IN SIERRA LEONE

Photo credits: 

Their politics is that of Machiavellian - which connotes dishonesty, deceit and deviousness. This is however, in direct contravention to nationalism and patriotism. Failing to realize that there's no other Sierra Leone in this world. In fact, there's only one Sierra Leone that's situated on the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa. That Sierra Leone is greater than every Sierra Leonean. So let's come as one to build it - if not for our own generation, but for the generation of our children and children's children.

Land That We Love! 

Our Sierra Leone!

©Ndemowoma Y Mustapha 

CRITICAL LOOK AT THE MAJOR CHANGES THE THREE GENDER ACTS INTRODUCED.

(Photo) Ndemowoma Yankuba Mustapha 

CRITICAL LOOK AT THE MAJOR CHANGES THE THREE GENDER ACTS INTRODUCED.

By: Ndemowoma Yankuba Mustapha

Child Rights Activist 

Manjia Destitute Child Foundation 

On Thursday June 14th 2007, the Sierra Leone Parliament passed three gender bills’ into law.  The Domestic Violence Act, the Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act and the Devolution of Estates Act, with the sole purpose of  radically improving the legal position of women in Sierra Leone.

It was believed that the injustices that were committed against women especially in the domestic realm was as a result of inadequacies in the law. The government is a signatory to all major international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Thus, the enactment of the three gender Bills was the first step in the right direction towards domesticating the provisions of the Convention into the laws of Sierra Leone. 

Prior to the enactment of the gender acts in 2007, the women in Sierra Leone, especially the rural women, were subjected to inhuman treatment and their human rights trampled upon. Wife battering, wife inheritance, forced marriage, to name but a few, are some of the disadvantages they were subjected to.

  

The aim of this article therefore is to critically look at the major changes the acts introduced.

THE REGISTRATION OF CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE ACT 

This act introduces the legal minimum age of marriage to 18 years. Previously, there was no age requirement for marriage under customary law. The rate of child marriage was very high which has serious consequences for them and the society as they are not matured enough to run their homes.

The consent of both spouses is now needed for a marriage to become valid. Previously, girls consent is not required and as a result, forced marriage was very common which results in unhappy union and divorce. This act clearly states that both male and female should agree to marry each other.

Also, married women are now entitled to own property. Previously, women could only inherit 30 % of her husband’s property whilst the latter would receive 100% of a deceased wife’s property. Women were considered as part of their husband’s property and could also be inherited by the husband’s family by marrying his brother or other relations. This law offers women the right to own and dispose of property. This intends to protect them in cases of divorce.

The act also states that dowry (i.e. property or money brought by a bride to her family), should not be returned by the woman’s family when divorce occurs. This practice forces women to stay in unhappy and abusive relations as they cannot buy their way out of the marriage. The law makes it illegal for women to return dowry as the man cannot compensate the woman for all the time she spent with him and in most cases the children she had for him.

The legitimization of partners cohabiting for more than five years was also introduced. Before this time, unmarried couples cohabiting were not protected by law and in the case of death or separation; they are not considered because they are not legally married which has great effect on the maintenance and welfare of the children. This law offers them the same rights as married couples.

Another change is the registration of customary marriage and divorce. Previously, no registration of customary marriage is required. This law ensures spouses are over 18 years and both consent to the marriage. They can also approve of marriage or divorce and can apply for maintenance.

With respect to polygamous marriages, the act states that if a man wants to marry more than four wives; it should be done under customary marriage as there are no limitations as to number of wives a man should marry. Under Islamic law, a man should not marry more than four wives. In a nutshell, the act is saying that it is an offence for a man to marry one wife under Christian or civil law and marry another under customary or Islamic law. People now have to choose one marriage and stay with that type.

DEVOLUTION OF ESTATES/INTESTATE SUCCESSION ACT 

One of the notable changes introduced under this act is that there should be no discrimination between male and female children. They should be treated equally and have the same inheritance right. It is worthy of note that in our culture, males are perceived to be superior to the females.

Also, husband and wife now have right to inherit property from each other. Previously, when a man dies, especially under customary marriage, the woman does not have the right to inherit her husband’s property. This act will improve the economic status of women and will have a positive effect on women’s access to acquiring loans, owning property, starting businesses, etc.

Unmarried couples who cohabit for more than five years will be protected under this law. Before this time, no law protects unmarried couples in case of death. This had far reaching consequences on the surviving spouse especially women with children. Estranged spouses are also protected under this act. The act also protects children born out of wedlock. These children will now be entitled to monies for education and maintenance until 18 years.

The law also makes it an offence to eject a surviving spouse or child from the matrimonial home before the final distribution of the estate.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT 

This law makes domestic violence a crime punishable by law. Prior to the passing of this act, domestic violence was a crime prosecuted under the Person’s Act of 1961 as wounding or grievous bodily harm. This act also makes provision to strengthen the ability of the Family Support Unit {FSU}, to help victims of domestic violence and stop the abusive cycle. The FSU was established in 2001 within the Sierra Leone police to deal with incidences of domestic violence but much has not been achieved in that respect. The act stipulates that public institutions that take care of children and which those children regard as their homes are included under the domestic realm.

Also, victims of domestic violence now have the right to seek redress in a court of law without fear of reprisal by perpetrators. They can do so by asking for protection order to prevent the perpetrator from further harassing her/him or regulating the relationship. It also creates options for dealing with cases relating to domestic violence. These are: settlement, prosecution or protection order.

CONCLUSION 

In conclusion, it is evident that the three gender acts are set to bring about harmony, unity and respect with regards to the human rights of both male and female including children in the family and community. They provide for dialogue, security and safety for women and men thereby upholding their dignity at all times.

………………… END………….. 

References:

1. a look at the major changes in the threeGender Acts …by: Hawa Kamara. 

FAREWELL TO PRESIDENT AND SISTER THOMPSON

(LR) President Thompson, Elder Mustapha, Sister Thompson seated 

Kip G. Thompson former president, South Africa Durban Mission. 

I moved down to the Southern hemisphere sometimes in 2017 to serve with President Kip G. Thompson (the then President of the South Africa Durban Mission) and his caring and loving wife - Sister Thompson. It seems like only yesterday. I was overcome with emotion when I left the mission, especially when he (President Thompson) saw me off at the King Shaka International Airport in Durban, earlier this year.

King Solomon made a profound statement in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". Verse 2 states thus, "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted", In verse 3, he goes on to say that there’s a time to be born and to die.

Those verses, especially verse 3 reminds me of a casual conversation between President Thompson. I said, calling him, President! I want to kill Elder Simayile. He laughed and replied saying, Elder Mustapha! You will be arrested. He knew what I meant, but we both were just being sarcastic. President Thompson was known for being humorous and heartening. Above all, very faithful and steadfast in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The last admonishment I received from him left an indelible ink in my life. I learned a lot from this man. He taught and lived by examples. I arrived home looking so happy and ''fell in love'' with those moments I had with him in the South Africa Durban Mission.

All too soon I have to say goodbye once again to people who I truly love, honor, and respect, like President and Sister Thompson.

Time really flies so fast!

Well, I thank God for his life and for the opportunity to serve with him and his wife.  Both were a tremendous blessing to God’s children of whom I happened to be amongst.

THANKS PRESIDENT AND SISTER THOMPSON. You guys will always be remembered.

5-YEAR -OLD GIRL PARALYZED BY RAPE SHOCKS SIERRA LEONE.

5-YEAR -OLD GIRL PARALYZED BY RAPE SHOCKS SIERRA LEONE. 

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — At first no one knew why the 5-year-old girl could no longer move her legs or control her urine. For months she lay on the ground, unable to walk or play.

Some in the community blamed witchcraft but the real reason was more horrific: The child had been brutally raped and left paralyzed as a result of her injuries.

The case has brought the issue of sexual violence against children to the forefront in Sierra Leone, where such crimes are often dealt with between families in private. In February, President Julius Maada Bio declared sexual violence a national emergency and he has vowed to help the 5-year-old get medical treatment abroad.

But months later the girl's case has shown just how difficult combating sexual violence can be: Her father objected to the rape being tried in court, requiring police to issue a restraining order so she could continue receiving medical treatment. No court date has been set, not even a prosecutor chosen.

Little has changed, too, for the child whose life was so cruelly affected.

"She doesn't understand about bail or no bail. But she's concerned that he's walking, he's mobile and she's not," said Fatmata Sorie, the lawyer representing the child, about the man who assaulted the girl, whose name is being withheld by The Associated Press because she is a minor.

Fatima Maada Bio, the wife of Sierra Leone's president, has been vocal in promoting the rights of girls and initially heard about the child's case. She and her husband later traveled to the Aberdeen Women's Center where the 5-year-old has been receiving medical care free of charge.

The president's proclamation in February has not been without controversy despite the widespread support for sexual violence victims: Opposition party legislators objected to the president's unilateral declaration. The parliament must still approve the measure, though Sierra Leone's attorney general has ordered judges to start applying it already.

The declaration calls for a special police division to handle sexual assault cases involving minors. Most significantly, it calls for life imprisonment for those convicted of raping children.

Culled: https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900074569/5-year-old-girl-paralyzed-by-rape-shocks-sierra-leone.html?fbclid=IwAR3YNEd5fUGSKchZBxPo4LcUSOvPInNKBz_hWSSpza154wRz97UcSKbIKLI

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY (Talk delivered at the Kissy Sierra Leone Stake conference on the 9th June 2019

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

By: Ndemowoma Yankuba Mustapha.

+23276244113 /+232 99 408787

ndemowomaymustapha@gmail.com

This is my second time standing before such a huge congregation. My first appearance was to bear my departing testimony for a full-time mission in the Southern hemisphere. Today being my second appearance, I am charged with the responsibility of discussing HONESTY AND INTEGRITY.

{Mind catching pranks}

In a society where people celebrate men and women who have “made it” through dishonest means, giving them merit awards, chieftancy titles, social media recognition and are even role models to other misguided people, those with integrity to do things the right way are fast becoming an endangered species.

An aging King realized that if he died he has no one to take over the throne. He decided to adopt a son. He launched a competition and 10 boys made it to the top. The King said to them, “I have one last test and

whoever comes top will become my adopted son and heir to my throne”.

Photo courtesy - modernafricanguy.com

He gave each boy a seed of corn and told them to take the seed home, plant and nurture it for 3 weeks. The 10 boys took their seeds and ran home to plant their seeds. In one home, the boy and his parents were sad when the seed failed to sprout. The boy had done everything but he failed. His friends advised him to buy a seed and plant it but his God fearing parents who had always taught him honesty refused. The day came and the 10 boys went to the palace. All the 9 boys were successful.

The King went to each boy asking – “Is that what came out of the seed I gave you?” And each boy said “Yes, your majesty”. The King would nod and move down the line until the last boy in the line who was shaking with fear. The King asked him – “What did you do with the seed I gave you?” The boy said, “I planted it and cared for it your majesty but it failed to sprout.” The King went to the throne with the boy and said, “I gave these boys boiled seeds and boiled seed cannot sprout. If a King must have qualities, among them must be HONESTY and INTEGRITY and only this boy passed the test.”

Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. Of the Seventy once said, "As a disciple of Christ, these personal attributes are expressions of who you actually are.

The last boy's decision is an excellent example of someone who would not compromise his integrity. Honesty and integrity test our character. They require a person always to do or say the right thing no matter the circumstances or what others may think.

One of the standards in For the Strength of Youth is honesty and integrity. As Latter-day Saints and followers of Christ, you are expected to “be honest with yourself, others, and God at all times. Being honest means choosing not to lie, steal, cheat, or deceive in any way.

“Closely associated with honesty is integrity. Integrity means thinking and doing what is right at all times, no matter what the consequences. When you have integrity, you are willing to live by your standards and beliefs even when no one is watching.

The Book of Mormon teaches, “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” (Moroni 7:16).

As a disciple of Christ you can discover how to speak and act by asking yourself, “What would Jesus do?” Impressions will follow, and as you act on these impressions, you will receive a witness for yourself that you have acted correctly. However, it is also true that sometimes you may need to wait for a while to see the true consequences and blessings of your honest actions.

For the Strength of Youth reminds us: “Dishonesty harms you and harms others as well. If you lie, steal, shoplift, or cheat, you damage your spirit and your relationships with others. Being honest will enhance your future opportunities and your ability to be guided by the Holy Ghost.

The true measure of sincere integrity and complete honesty is what you do when no one is around to know what you think, say, or do. As true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot be or do less than the Savior has shown us. We have the incomparable gift of the Holy Ghost. The Savior taught, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

Our Savior has also given us great power that comes from daily prayer, scripture study, and reading the words of the living prophets and apostles. These positive daily practices build honesty and integrity

in us. Remember, as a disciple of Christ and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, your honesty is an expression of your integrity and who

you actually are.

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

Unleashing Transformation through the Power of Ideas

Dr. Kelfala Marrah 

Unleashing Transformation through the Power of Ideas

Dr. Kaifala Marah

Public Lecture delivered at the Fourah Bay College Campus on the invitation of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA), 21 April 2010

From nothing we can become something, and from nowhere we can go somewhere… go to places that we may initially think impossible…we can make a difference through the power of ideas.

Opening

Mr Chairman, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Head of Department of Mass Communication, President and members of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA); President and members of the Fourah Bay College Students Union; representatives of the civil society, the print and electronic media; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning.

Let me in the first place express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the MACOSA and the Department of Mass Communication of Fourah Bay College, for inviting me to share my humble thoughts on matters touching on nation-building. There couldn’t have been a better time for such an occasion especially as the 49th Independence Day of the country is around the corner on 27 April.  I have chosen by a deliberate design to mark this session as my own way of celebrating that epic event. But I also respect as well as endorse the pomp and pageantry of the nation’s planned celebrations – we must reflect and celebrate at the same time!

Let me, however, hasten to state that I am delivering this public lecture as a citizen of Sierra Leone, not as an official of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and therefore, views expressed here will be entirely mine and not those of the inter-governmental body. Let me also mention that the purpose of this discourse is to stimulate further debate and national reflection on our development heritage and it is not meant to take a swipe at any institutions, groups or individuals. Call it a reflection of a son of a nation.

Whilst in the Caribbean last year, precisely in Trinidad and Tobago, I was in the office of the manager of the Hilton Hotel when I saw a great inscription on the wall that I would like to share with you: If you have a penny and I have a penny and we share our pennies, you will still have a penny and I will still have a penny; but if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange our ideas, you will have two ideas and I will have two ideas. So, ladies and gentlemen, this morning presents an opportunity for the sharing of ideas as the engine of growth and transformation “ I am wishing to learn as much as you would from me “ it is my humble hope that we will learn from each other this morning.

Overview

Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I will conduct this morning’s discourse in the following manner: first, I will define what I do mean by the Power of Ideas as a vehicle of transformation. Second, I will discuss its application against the backdrop that our failure to apply the power of ideas has partly led us in becoming strangers to our own time and destiny. I will discuss generational thinking and our development and cultural legacy as they impinge on the prospect of our development. I will also make an attempt to review the choices that are open to us to close the identified gaps. I will engage students on personal development drawing on my own experiences; and finally, I will draw conclusions and open the floor for questions and comments.

What is an idea and how powerful can it be? “

An idea is a resource applied to bring about change; it also is a holistic strategy employed by individuals, institutions and wider communities to bring about transformation or to achieve a sense of renewal and success. Ideas go beyond strategic planning processes, and budgeting and economics, and venture into territories that push the boundaries of tradition and conventions. Ideas call for a restless application of the mindset and commitment to defined programmes and yearn for excellence. But ideas can only work and be powerful if applied in a disciplined environment. You will be surprised to learn that sometimes, if not most of the times, ideas can be superior to natural resources if applied, nurtured and integrated within the culture of a people backed by discipline and commitment. I will urge all of you to please peruse the country profile of Singapore to believe that the power of ideas and its people, not natural resources are the drivers of development. Even in an environment blessed with natural resources, such as ours, it has been acknowledged that transformation is not necessarily defined by natural endowment. For example, in his 2008 State of the Nation Address, the President of the Republic of Botswana, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama said, Our national anthem rightly affirms that our land is a gift from God  but our nation’s progress did not fall from heaven it is the product of human efforts to achieve common goals.

Further, in the absence of natural resources, Singapore invested in developing its human resource and has continued to unleash development through innovation. For example, the country does not produce oil but it refines and handles the transhipment of oil in the whole region. Yet there are nations that produce oil but without refineries – which is a missed opportunity. However, in the case of Botswana, a diamond cutting industry was established because the country produces diamonds  this is a leveraged opportunity. In other words the country made use of its comparative advantage. Both the Singapore refinery and the Botswana diamond cutting industry are a clear demonstration of the power of ideas!

What about Sierra Leone?

In 1827, ladies and gentlemen we were lucky to have had the first institution of higher learning in West Africa “ Fourah Bay College; but has the situation improved? We had the first Civil Service College in West Africa; today it is dead and gone. But the junior and middle level public service officials in Ghana continue to receive learning from the Ghana Civil Service College.  In Singapore, the Civil Service College has been transformed into a world-class centre of excellence that provides services to such institutions as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the World Bank, the IMF, and many other similar organisations across the world. Singapore now exports education whilst Sierra Leone is busy accessing learning through such institutions as the University of Ghana (Legon). Our Sierra Leone Producing Marketing Board (SLPMB) is dead and buried, but a similar board in Botswana is up and running. Just in case you didn’t know: Freetown is the first municipality in the whole of Africa  but has lagged behind dozens of cities in Africa. Similarly, it was Sierra Leone that produced the first indigene to serve on the legislative council in colonial Africa in the person of John Ezzidio, well before the protectorate was declared in 1896. And you would be amazed that in early 1800s the rest of British West Africa was administered from Freetown for more than five years  yes, Freetown served as the federal capital for The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria. Enough with Freetown!

Ladies and gentlemen, there are numerous examples of what sincere ideas can do. At independence in 1966, Botswana had less than 5 secondary schools; today with a population of about 2 million it has about three hundred secondary schools. And in recognition of the power of education through which ideas are born, Botswana has embarked on establishing the Botswana International University of Science and Technology due to start operating in March 2011. This is because it wants to become a leading centre of learning in the world. Our population is about 6 million almost three times that of Botswana perhaps the question we should be grappling with is – how many secondary schools have we got and why is it that more than 50 percent of Sierra Leoneans cannot read and write even though we were given a head start in education?

Do the trends in other economies tell any story about us, or at least help us to reflect on what went wrong, and most importantly, to review our heritage, our values and approach to development, so as to be able to place our fingers on the nub of transformation? What would be our collective response if the spirits of our great compatriots such as Sengbe Pieh or Bai Bureh who shaped our proud history were to ask: What went wrong to the land that we fought for so hard?

Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I will now take you through some situational analysis on the power of ideas.

Our Development Culture and Heritage

Most of the time and for reasons of love for our country, we always lay claim to a rich cultural heritage. This being granted, let me go further to propound that one should never claim to knowing one’s history until one is able to subject it to critical analysis, because it is through such critical thinking process that one is able to understand his or her development heritage. So what are our heritage and our cultural approach to development? I leave you to find your answers, but I wish to share mine with you. In doing so, Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to take you all on a journey I call, a journey of reflection, and would ask that you follow the trail of my thinking:

If you hail from a country that had the first higher institution of learning in your sub region, and it happened to host students from other parts of the world; its influence grew and it was such that it came to be known as the Athens of West Africa; you certainly would expect that the application of positive intellect to solving society’s problems would be the norm, and that your society would thrive even without natural resources as in the case of Japan or Singapore. But what if your country is abundantly rich in resources and is being blessed with institutions even before independence; wouldn’t your society be ahead of such countries as Japan and Singapore? That would have been the ideal scenario, right?

But what if your country is resource-rich in addition to being blessed with early institutions but ironically you are poor, and in the most insulting of manners, your country is mostly rated at the bottom of the human development index among countries of the world -currently third at the bottom – tell me: how would you celebrate and what would you celebrate? To ask further, let me put it as simply as this: if you are smart and rich in resources how would you explain poverty? The truth is either you are not really as smart as you may think of yourself, or that you are brilliantly good at failing yourself – in this case, you really are a brilliantly poor nation!

This is what I think, ladies and gentlemen – and you don’t have to agree with me on this:  the poverty we are experiencing today as a nation is not a curse but an outcome of the collective thinking capacity of past generations passed down to us. Poverty in the first degree lives in our minds as a legacy and as our heritage “ and that of the second degree lives with us we think it and live it. In short, we suffer from poverty of the mind and is reflected in the way we manage our lives. Poverty of the mind is our legacy, your legacy, my legacy and the legacy of all those Sierra Leoneans living abroad.  The truth is, until recently – in the past few years – we have not been very smart in our approach to development-thinking; we have not been able to employ our positive intellects to translate our God-given resources for the good of the nation. As one generation failed the other, so did the succeeding ones to posterity…. and the loop goes on and on. This is not complacency; it cannot be excused as a case of illiteracy alone, and cannot be overlooked as a complete imprint of the civil conflict. Indeed, it can be suggested that the ancestry of the civil conflict was the poor application of our collective thinking capacity as a nation.

We have indeed inherited a dilemma. This generation must not be blamed but there are strong signs of continuity. And this is no period for apportioning blames, but a period of collaboration, of synergy and of love. The answer to this dilemma is not one that calls for dogmatism, nor could it be of orthodoxy; but it requires a new approach to the way we think, the way we dream and the manner in which we define our national goals; so too should we redefine the application of our collective intellect and review the deployment of our collective productive capacity.  Without these, and in the absence of challenging ourselves by leveraging our recent gains in infrastructure development  such as energy and roads, we will continue to consolidate our culture of denial, nurture our moderate growth levels and pass on to succeeding generations a poverty level they will accept as their destiny. We are not a poor people, but let us not pretend that we are rich either. We need an overhaul in the way we think. Sometimes, I cannot help but to bow my head in shame thinking that our begging bowl continues to deepen in dimensions. Isn’t it an insult to be rich but then remain a poor beggar because one has not been able to effectively tap into one’s own resources? End of the journey.

Generational thinking

In bringing you back from the journey of reflection, I should say to you that this generation, our generation, should approach national development differently and draw a line between yesterday and today. Let me share my thoughts with you on generational thinking:  Mother Nature dictates that it is the role of each generation to lay a strong foundation for the development of the succeeding generation, and it also is the role of a succeeding one to do the same for posterity. Now, where generations continue to fail succeeding ones, there comes a time when a conscious generation should be able to draw a line and carve its own destiny. In doing so, it must disregard the failing values of its predecessors and define a new one for its self. And so, I am being forced to challenge this audience: if there is anyone here this morning who thinks that the past generations of this country succeeded in laying a solid development foundation for posterity, let them say so, and I will apologise. If anyone is of the view that for nearly fifty years of our history, this nation has not succeeded in failing its self, let that person speak out, I will apologise. If it is excusable in your thinking for generations to have failed succeeding ones within a period of nearly 50 years, or 600 months, put another way for 2600 weeks, and in 18,250 days, let that person say so, and again, I will tender an apology (pause).

So, you see….this is a woeful failure on the part of a nation that warrants that this new generation should adopt new thinking, new behaviour and must disregard the template that has been used by failing generations. On this note, I will subscribe to as well as commend the ongoing campaign by the Government for attitudinal change, and to go further by calling for the development of a disciplined workforce.

Recognising ongoing gains

Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, it is fair that credit is given where and when it is due. In this regard, I would like to recognise and pay tribute to recent gains we have recorded in the past few years in the form of institutional and democratic reforms: the introduction of new democratic and development institutions, ongoing public sector and financial reforms, infrastructure development – roads and energy, new enabling legislations for the enhancement of private sector participation and that of the civil society, and now the health sector – a policy of the current Government which seeks to provide free health care service to under fives, pregnant women and lactating mothers; and many more. Let me recognise these and many other initiatives as the line being drawn by this generation in the pursuit of a new path.

Development is a Choice not an Accident

Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, let me at this juncture draw your attention to an opinion that I have developed from all of my travels within the Commonwealth…. and I will ask that you take note, and may be, challenge me on this. Development is a deliberate choice and does not come by accident. In the pursuit of growth, economic wellbeing and the quest for progress, every entity or nation is constantly faced with the challenge of making a choice among three options, or choosing a path of life for the realisation of dreams and a vision. These three path ways are: (1) freedom to fail; (2) the choice to be conventional; and (3) the choice to succeed.

1. Freedom to fail is a sub-conscious situation through which institutions and nations fail themselves. It’s about being complacent, always doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons without realising that one is being wronged by oneself.  In this scenario, one fails to give account, or review performance or even challenge oneself, such that the result will be failure and underperformance, weaker institutions and lesser chance to succeed. The test to apply to ensure that you haven’t chosen to be free to fail, is by asking such simple questions as: are we doing what we are supposed to be doing to bring about change and to improve society? Are we challenging ourselves, or do we always wish for the better but not really implementing what we have set out to achieve?

2. The choice to be conventional is a behaviour whereby people keep doing things the same way over a very long period without realising they are being left behind, and also not knowing they are becoming obsolete. For example, teaching the same module to a class for several years to a point that students begin to refer to their notes as a legacy. Or like an athlete running on a treadmill for the sake of exercise only without going places  a scenario I call the treadmill paradox. Also, not doing anything to address a particular problem over a very long period, such that it becomes a norm in society is a convention trap to look out for.  Being conventional does not provide assurances for correctness. For example, how many outlets are there in Freetown for the provision of postal services or do people have to converge on the one and only central post office building for all postal related services?

3. The choice to succeed is an approach in which people or institutions restlessly look out for new ideas, new ways of doing things and challenging themselves to deliver beyond and above what they have been achieving. In short, it is a constant employment of the power of ideas to the problems of society. Year in and year out, people go for new ideas. The acid test being applied: are there other ways of doing our thing? Or put another way, is underdevelopment our destiny, if not, why can’t we chart our own destiny by going beyond traditional thinking and beliefs? In short, the only barrier to success is how we think and respond to the challenges we face. We win when we challenge ourselves, win when we adopt new ideas and win when we choose to win, and choose to change our circumstances. We win when wean ourselves away from conventional thinking and from the freedom of not being challenged.

The question I would ask each of us here this morning is that, which of these three choices apply to your personal circumstances, your institution and your wider community? May I share with you the parable of the race cars?

Discipline and Mindset

As we approach 50 years of our independence, I wish to invite you ladies and gentlemen to review the significance of discipline and hard work, which are integral and inseparable tenets of development. Where a nation is not able to nurture these values, growth and development will be horizontal not vertical. For economies that have made it to the top, they have been able to do so through the idea that discipline and hard work must prevail. For example, in a single speech alone the President of Botswana made mention of the word discipline five times in his State of the Nation Address in November 2009. There is no doubt that a nation that lends itself to discipline has a higher chance of success, and in the case of Botswana it has been ingrained in its culture such that prior to independence chiefdom meetings were held in their Kgotlas at about 4.am. The reason is simple: that is the time of the day at which no one can advance an excuse for not attending a community meeting.

I am in this regard tempted to ask whether we have been able to internalise discipline in our work culture: do we respect time, do we arrive in our offices on time, and do we stay in our offices or unceremoniously take an early day off when the English Premiership is at its height, for example, when Manchester United meets with Chelsea? How do we treat public assets, for example government vehicles, etc?  If people are our assets, then discipline must prevail, ethics and integrity nurtured and transparency enshrined to ensure that we work very hard, because manna stopped falling long ago in biblical times.

Adopt a Culture of Renewal

I have observed that there are opportunities for the establishment of think tanks and research institutions to be able to support reforms across sectors.  The Universities must take the lead and not wait for the Government.  What if Fourah Bay College should launch a transformation fund through a dedicated Website targeting the alumni, would that bring about transformation?  To be able to renew development pursuit and recommit our collective energies we should be able to introduce a culture of renewal, a sense of transformation, and an appetite for change. In this regard we should be able to review institutional performance, adopt a culture of self assessment and institutional reviews. Agencies should be required to report on performance with timelines, and the civil society play a meaningful role as stakeholders in the process.

Governments do not and will not have to champion all of these reforms. The private sector including agency leaders should also lead by example. Government must not be everything or do everything. Sometimes, it should be the role of individuals to introduce ideas for the consideration of government. I recognise and commend recent efforts demonstrated in the Vision 2025 and the “Agenda for Change” programmes; what is required at this moment is taking forward the well documented plans to fruition. And we must do so with new thinking.

Ladies and gentlemen, our destiny is in our own hands. What we do today is what we will harvest in the future. In short, the destiny of a nation is the return on the collective investment made by its people few years back. A nation writes its own destiny, designs its own path and lives with the consequences.  The failure of institutions to recognise and uphold an efficient procurement regime, for example, is a destiny chosen that manifests itself in corruption and poor public goods and services. The failure to effectively implement public expenditure is a destiny manifested in the citizens’ dissatisfaction; and the failure to take a long term view of the economy is a destiny manifested in low growth, inflation and poor macro-economic performance.  In short, a national destiny is the sum total of a peoples approach to development  it has never been different and so shall it continue to be with every economy. The choice is ours!

Final Word to Students

a. Self motivation – If I should ask all of you here this morning to tell me what individually motivates you to be in school, or what you wish to become say, ten to fifteen years on, we certainly would hear about a number of interesting professions. Therefore, it is that desire which drives you, for example, to becoming a world-class journalist that is your motivation – the driving force that dominates your thoughts. The ambition of becoming what you want to be is what defines your personality.  But there is a caveat to motivation I would like you to note. Every dream under the sun continues to be mere thoughts if they are not put into action. I think the challenge we face as individuals in turning our dreams into reality, is how aggressive we choose to be, how many mountains we are willing to climb and how many institutional hurdles we are willing to defeat. Let me say this to you, that in the quest of turning your dreams into reality, you must be able to take on as many challenges as possible. You will find it difficult to achieve your objectives if you choose to settle for less, and become complacent and wish for a miracle. Point is, miracles come with a cost called, hard work!

As a human being you have what it takes to achieve a set of objectives  it all depends on how much you are willing to commit yourself and the mileage you are prepared to walk. You can become affluent; a renowned professor, a recognised economist, a great engineer, etc if you tell yourself: this is possible, and back that thought with actions. Your sun will never rise, nor will your stars shine, until you commit and dedicate yourself to hard work. Work like your lifetime earnings will be paid within the month, commit yourself like a monk and be a little aggressive like a bull. This way, would you then be able to achieve your dreams, would you then be able to arrive at your destination. The equation of life is balanced by no great an element than commitment, divided by little sleep, subtracted by challenges, multiplied by perseverance and focus  the answer is celebrated success. In short, keeping one’s eye on the prize is the ultimate requirement of success and, nothing else.

No achievement has been lubricated by magic, nor has success been made possible by mere wishes. The truth is, life is an ongoing competitive wheel that runs a full circuit adorn with challenges. It has never been otherwise you and I cannot change that fact  it stays on.

Each time I discuss development in this kind of setting, I always am tempted to remind students of two things to watch out for at the workplace – the choice of becoming either of two personalities: a professional processing plant or a change maker. A professional processing plant is someone in a position of trust that does things according to the text book; the person thinks in a straight line as he sees things through a tunnel, and has one-dimensional mind…if he is an accountant, all he cares about is preparing financial statements and crunching numbers without being bordered by the big issues affecting the institution. The same can be said of every profession.

A change maker on the other hand is a person imbued with a restless spirit to deliver results, influence his environment and getting things done in the interest of the wider society. This is because life and change are inseparable; either you initiate change or change will influence you. If you fail to go to change, change will come to you and you will have no control over the kind of change you will get, and it will influence you and change the course of events. So go for change  I mean a positive change!

George Price, the father of independent Belize in the Caribbean once admonished his compatriots that, education alone is not enough, and that the quest to propel one’s country and the requirement to employ one’s intellect to the benefit of society is the ultimate purpose of education. Is this what we have been doing….has education been of great benefit to us as a people or has there been a missing link…a missing link that explains our pursuit of individualism and personal aggrandisement even if it meant killing our society and eroding the prospects for a better tomorrow? I leave you all to find answers…I have got mine.

b. Master your environment – Recruit mentors and role models. As students, the initial first step to achieving your dreams is to understand your environment, and then master the art of managing it. Let us note that the lifestyle and values of individuals are mainly influenced by the environment in which they find themselves; for example, and for the sake of argument only, a child born today in Sierra Leone has got limited opportunities to becoming a high flyer in life compared to a child born in Malaysia. In this regard, you should in the first place be able to recruit Mentors. Everyone requires a mentor; mine were Mr FD Konomanyi, Mr Philip Sorboeh, Mr AJP Lebbie  all of Kono District; and Senator Neil Breslin of New York State Senate. These people helped shape my future: I drew inspiration from Konomanyi’s focus and style of work; heeded Lebbie’s incessant advice on career choice, and absorbed Sorboeh’s counsel when I was both a youth leader and national student union President of KONSU. I learnt the art of fairness, the gift of giving without measure from Senator Breslin.

But let me underscore that I learnt a lot more from my father more than I ever did from any institution of learning. My greatest mentor was my father (May his soul rest in peace), an illiterate man who worked as a security guard with the then National Diamond Mining Company (NDMC) in Kono and later became Section Chief in Koinadugu District.  He told me one day: Baba, I have given you riches and built you a house. In my innocence, I asked him, Nfa, where is the house and what about the riches “ is it money? The sage smiled and looked into my eyes and held my hands, and said: by sending you to school, I have built you a house in your head and with education, you can become anything, do better than your forebears. My father told me stories of the ambition of the eagle and the courage of the lion and the wisdom of my forefathers, and emphasised that if you put all your might in education and keep your head down, there will be no measure to your success.

If you do not have a mentor, a coach and a role model, please seek them out  there are many good people in this society who will be willing to help out. Talk to people about career choice and seek counsel whenever you require one. Make friends; expand your network and reach out to people. Insularity is not the answer, it has never been the cool choice, rather, reaching out has always been the preferred alternative the one that has worked for multitudes. You can do the same, you can break grounds, and you can work wonders. I want you to believe that from nothing we can become something, and from nowhere we can go somewhere… go to places that we may initially think impossible…we can make a difference through the power of ideas.

c.  Grow above societal ills – Master your environment by growing above its ills and by consolidating the positives. In other words, you should be able to understand your society, grow above its weaknesses and integrate the good things it offers. I am not professing perfection here, neither do I seek that you practice one, I am merely saying that, it is good to grow in the positive of attitudes, and perhaps be a moderate. For after all, whilst no one can outgrow society, sometimes, one can certainly stand up to its ills and challenge its collective views. Without the possibility of growth and the opportunity to challenge the weaknesses of society, I am afraid, we will have to throw inspiration to the wind and invite orthodoxy to reign. I encourage you to create student think tanks that focus on addressing issues relating to career development, opportunity creation, etc.

d. Two key lessons to note – I will advise that you hone the attribute of facing challenges because managing your environment is mostly about passing through hurdles. Note these two key lessons about mastering one’s environment: first, those who fail to face challenges or refuse to be challenged will invariably find themselves as loose change jingling in the pocket of those who cultivate the courage of facing challenges. And, second, when you find yourself in a comfortable situation where everything is going for you unchallenged, it is a wakeup call that you are losing your relevance, and to say the least, becoming complacent. Challenge is part of life and life itself is a journey of challenges, there has been no alternative  not before, not now and not ever! If you do not take on challenges, you will either become a real nobody or a fake somebody in society.

e.  Life as a mirror-game  – Ladies and gentlemen, let me remind all of us this morning of the widely accepted saying that to which much is given much is expected. As students you may hold the view that society owes you a responsibility to create an environment that allows you to unleash your potential. That being granted let us also take the view that life is a mirror-game: as you look forward to one segment of society so too are other constituencies looking up to you for support, for good examples and as role models, etc. Do you appreciate the fact that you are among the few in society being able to receive higher education? These being the case, it is also time to internalise that as you look up to society so also is society looking up to you. The mirror-game of life is such that little boys and girls in your respective communities see you as role models  – and without realising it, you are at this moment influencing the future of younger lives, shaping behaviour and leaving an indelible imprint on their minds and on their lives. This is because you are champions of society, the flag bearers of the nation, and the constituency that guarantees the outlook of the future, the brush that will paint the colours of our tomorrow, and the most significant variable that can determine whether we will get out of our traditional debt burden and weak economic condition. Think about it!

f. The University is a yard stick – I heard somewhere in Guyana in the Caribbean, that if one wishes to figure out how robustly a country would perform in the future, the ideal place to visit is the university and engage an average of ten students on career choice and their views of society, and what they would consider the most important variable in their individual lives. Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I do not intend to pose any of those questions here this morning, but I have chosen to settle for the following: are you a regular volunteer for providing any social service, are you challenged by the ills of society or saw nothing wrong in them, is your thinking self-centred or does your mind regularly review the larger society? Think and judge justly.

Conclusion – In concluding Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I am obliged to posit that we have this morning reviewed what the power of ideas can do, we have reviewed that ideas are resources that go beyond natural resources and that our heritage is an opportunity of reference to learn and unlearn. We have examined the three pathways of life, and how to avoid being professional processing plants and the need to becoming change makers for the sake of posterity. Now in bringing about change for the sake of our society, I wish to propound that while we may have inherited the past, the present is the only opportunity we may have to shape the future, and we must do so without being afraid to introduce new thinking, and taking on the armours of challenge and the resilience to deliver for the good of society.

The transformation of personalities and institutions is undeniably made possible through the power of ideas. Current 21st Century initiatives and inventions, etc. are the very foundations on which the giants of development stand, and ideas have remained the resource that shape our personalities and define our institutions. The 21st Century challenges require that we think new, adopt new stream of ideas and search for what it takes to be efficient, effective as well as progressive in whatever we do.

Let me at this point lionise Sierra Leone that by virtue of its name, a lion lives in each of us. I say so to reaffirm that our name as a country was not an accident, but a great design from above predicting that one day, perhaps very soon our development-roaring will reverberate across the world. What we need is not to fall back but to push forward with the power of ideas.

I thank you all for listening to me, good morning.

Dr. Kaifala Marah is Adviser – Public Expenditure Management in the Governance and Institutional Development Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. He is responsible for operationalising the Commonwealth Heads of Government Mandate on transforming public expenditure management systems in developing member countries through the provision of policy and advisory services, and strengthening the capacity of public finance institutions across the Commonwealth.