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"Sierra
Leoneans and the image of Sierra Leone"
MESSAGE
TO THE NATION FROM THE PRESIDENT
HIS EXCELLENCY
ALHAJI DR AHMAD TEJAN KABBAH
ON THE OCCASION OF THE
FORTY-FIFTH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
27TH
APRIL 2006
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Fellow
Citizens:
Let
me first of all extend best wishes to all of you,
my compatriots who are celebrating your birthday
on 27 April, the forty-fifth anniversary of the
independence of our beloved country.
I
should also like us to remember and pay tribute
to those who laboured and even sacrificed their
lives in the struggle for freedom and independence
everywhere in the world. We are all beneficiaries
of their vision, their courage and steadfastness
to ensure the full realization of the inalienable
right of our people to self-determination. This
is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the men
and women who stood firm and defended our right
to live. We remember with gratitude those who
resisted, in many cases at the expense of their
lives or limbs, the determination of a misguided
minority to destroy this nation and its people.
Sisters
and Brothers, this independence anniversary almost
coincides with the fourth anniversary of the formal
end of the rebel war. So, let us be thankful and
celebrate not only forty-five years of self-determination
but also four glorious years of uninterrupted
peace and political stability. Let us celebrate
our freedom from armed conflict. Let us celebrate
our renewed dedication to democratic governance,
in particular the conviction that governments
should be changed by ballots, not bullets.
In
law and fact Sierra Leone is an independent sovereign
Republic situated within defined geographical
boundaries. Its symbols of nationhood include
a public seal or coat of arms, a flag, a motto
and a national anthem. However, and more importantly,
the principal characteristic of Sierra Leone is
its people - all of us. Yes, all of us, irrespective
of the region of our birth or our mother tongue,
and irrespective of our religious affiliation
or social status we are all Sierra Leoneans. Sierra
Leone belongs to us all.
And
this brings me, sisters and brothers, to the principal
theme of this independence anniversary message,
namely, Sierra Leoneans and the image of Sierra
Leone.
No
institution, no State, no organization, private
or public - its deficiencies and shortcomings
notwithstanding - would like to see its reputation
and public image tarnished. Many spend millions
of dollars in promoting and portraying a positive
image of themselves.
One
of the richest resources we have at our disposal
for portraying a positive image of Sierra Leone
is the people of Sierra Leone - we ourselves.
It is one of the responsibilities of being a Sierra
Leonean. In this regard, I should add that the
responsibility to protect the public image and
integrity of Sierra Leone is even more obligatory
when Sierra Leoneans are abroad.
Those
who travel abroad with a Sierra Leonean passport,
whether as Government officials, business people,
tourists, sportsmen and women or visitors, are
all goodwill ambassadors of your country. A Sierra
Leone passport is not just a document to facilitate
travel. It represents a solemn pledge that by
his or her actions and comportment the holder
of the passport would at all times uphold the
values of the nation.
Today,
on this our national day I call on all Sierra
Leoneans, including those who travel abroad to
be aware of their responsibility, indeed their
obligation to refrain from any act or activities
that will tarnish the image of the people of Sierra
Leone. Promoting a positive image of your country
is not merely a demonstration of patriotism. It
is a duty and a service, a national service.
While
public acknowledgement of certain shortcoming
has its place, especially those that themselves
tend to tarnish the image of the country, such
as misappropriation and squandering of public
funds it is also the duty of every citizen under
the supreme law of the nation, namely the Constitution,
"to enhance the power, prestige and good
name of the State and to render national service
as may be required…" Paraphrasing the
late John F. Kennedy, I should like to emphasize
that while any Sierra Leonean is entitled to ask
others, including those holding public offices,
what they are doing to solve this or that problem,
it is equally necessary for each one of us to
ask ourselves the question: "What else can
I do to make Sierra Leone a better Place"?
Let us not emulate those who prefer to trade on
the alleged bad name of Sierra Leone.
Throughout
my term of office I have reaffirmed my commitment
to the freedom of the Press. My Government, despite
provocation has allowed the Press a free hand
to publish with a sense of responsibility. But
we all must understand that unwarranted negative
stories of our country that are reproduced in
the internet do great harm to the image of our
country.
This
question has a special significance at a time
of unprecedented levels of indiscipline in our
society and growing politicisation of almost every
aspect of our nation's life. Each of these developments
is causing serious harm to our nation. The responsibility
for correcting these ills rests with all of us
- government, the opposition, civil society and
the media in particular. Let me assure you that
government is fully committed to playing its part.
We are heartened that some members of the public
are making a meaningful contribution in this effort
through their cooperation with the police in their
community-policing scheme.
Fellow
citizens, here is our challenge. The prosperity
of our country is in our hands. We have the capacity
to turn things around. Let us accept the challenge
and continue to uphold our national values - resourcefulness,
excellence, tolerance, good neighbourliness, generosity,
honesty and self-esteem.
I
wish you all a pleasant Independence anniversary
celebration.
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