Ladies
and Gentlemen,
SEVEN
NATIONAL VALUES OF SIERRA LEONE
His
Excellency the President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan
Kabbah, has formulated the draft of the Seven
Core Values for Sierra Leone as a means of raising
the consciousness of Sierra Leoneans as the
pillars on which national redemption, development
and progress rest, and that if Sierra Leoneans
share a common vision and commit themselves
to a common purpose, the pace of national development
and reconciliation can be quickened.
We
can all embrace it not only to consolidate the
peace but also work together to bring prosperity
to our people.
In
this connection the draft of the Core Values
is hereby reproduced so that all Sierra Leoneans
will have an opportunity of contributing to
the formulation and development of the concept
and all that it will take to come together to
build a better Sierra Leone.
Yours
Sincerely,
Professor Septimus M. Kaikai
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
8th Floor, Youyi Building, Brookfields,
Freetown.
5th November 2003.
SEVEN NATIONAL VALUES OF SIERRA LEONE
BY Alhaji Dr. AHMAD TEJAN KABBAH,
As a sovereign republic, Sierra Leone has acquired
all the attributes of a nation-state. Our territorial
boundaries are clearly delimited. We have the
traditional symbols of nationhood - a national
anthem, a flag, a public seal, and a coat-of-arms
emblazoned with our national motto "Unity,
Freedom and Justice."
As
the supreme law of the land, the Constitution
is both a symbol and a solid practical proof
of our nationhood. Its first two chapters, fourteen
sections to be exact, are devoted to an enunciation
of the fundamental principles, not of any political
party but of State policy. They spell out the
fundamental principles, not of any political
party, but of State policy. They spell out the
fundamental obligations or responsibilities
of the Government as well as the duties of the
citizens, those who are in fact the proprietors
of the sovereignty of Sierra Leone. Among the
constitutional duties is one that I consider
a core principle of good governance and relevant
to the viability of statehood. This is the duty
of each citizen to protect and preserve public
property and to prevent the misappropriation
and squandering of funds belonging to the Government,
local authorities or public corporations.
The
Constitution also speaks about enhancing the
prestige and good name of the State, nurturing
respect for the ideals, institutions, the flag,
the anthem and offices of the State, cultivating
a sense of nationalism, patriotism and loyalty
to the State, emphasizing that this should override
sectional, tribal, ethnic and other loyalties.
In
1993 the NPRC, the second military junta since
independence tried to rekindle a sense of nationalism
and patriotism, by introducing a "National
Pledge" albeit as part of the junta's effort
to gain legitimacy for its so-called "revolution".
The
words of the Pledge were derived from the third
verse of our national anthem, a verse that is
hardly ever sung. In that verse we promise to
show forth all that is good in our country and
pledge our devotion, our strength and our might
to defend the cause and stand for the right
of the Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.
The
new revolutionary spirit of the junta was expressed
in colourful paints on walls in various parts
of the capital, depicting some of the young
arbiters of power in Sierra Leone. Ironically,
paintings of the young Burkinabe military "revolutionary",
Thomas Sankara, were also displayed on walls,
almost side by side with those of nationally
recognized Sierra Leonean heroes of the past.
In
spite of our recognition of the symbols of our
status as an independent State; in spite of
the principles, obligations, duties and objectives
enshrined in our Constitution; and in spite
of the reasonably high level of national integration
we have accomplished, it is apparent that throughout
these four decades of independence, Sierra Leone
has been struggling to devise its own national
values. We are still trying to come up with
a clearly defined set of values that would be
the hallmark of the nation, values that comprise
our common beliefs, our common aspirations,
indeed, our national code of ethics that should
guide us in all our endeavours.
Over
the years, our search for national values has
been persistently disrupted by instability and
armed rebel conflict. At the same time we continue
to be overwhelmed by spurious theories and analogies
of how to be a successful Sierra Leonean. Perceptions
and misperceptions of the nation and of the
Sierra Leonean psyche abound. These continue
to permeate virtually every stratum of our society
and threaten to puncture our self-esteem as
a nation.
According
to one Sierra Leonean author, the spirit of
the Sierra Leonean is "subdued", and
"dedication to public service has not been
a common fact" in Sierra Leone. Sierra
Leoneans are described as quick to accept praise,
mediocrity and sycophancy. Another Sierra Leonean,
in his book, also refers to realities that tend
"to foster mediocrity in the conduct of
almost all aspects of the nation's affairs."
According to that author, Sierra Leoneans (most)
are pragmatists and opportunists, always opting
for short-term gains as opposed to long-term
development.
In
the foreword to a 1995 publication about Sierra
Leone, I had advised that while negative aspects
of our recent history constitute our national
experience, and therefore cannot be ignored,
efforts should be made to build on the positive
aspects of which there is an abundance - intelligence,
congeniality, hospitality and ability to work
with others, and so on.
I
am convinced that it is about time we begin
to ask ourselves such questions as: "Who
is a Sierra Leonean"? What do we mean if
we say; "let's do things the Sierra Leonean
way"? What is the true Sierra Leonean spirit?
How do we as a nation want others, especially
foreigners, to describe us? If there were a
concept or school of thought called "Sierra
Leoneanism" what would be the main tenets
of such a concept?
I
have given much thought to these and other questions
which point to the need for us to clearly identify
our shared core values, strong ethical values,
based on our common behoves as one sovereign
independent nation. We, as Sierra Leoneans should
not be identified merely by our national costumes,
by our physical features or by our agricultural,
mineral and marine resources. We should also
be identified by our distinctive ideals, by
what we stand for, by what we detest, by what
we resent, and by what we collectively embrace
in the interest of our country.
A
nation without values is like a house without
a foundation.
Accordingly,
I propose and offer the following Seven National
Values for the Land that we love, our Sierra
Leone:
