{"id":39654,"date":"2012-04-29T02:00:06","date_gmt":"2012-04-29T02:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=39654"},"modified":"2012-04-29T02:00:06","modified_gmt":"2012-04-29T02:00:06","slug":"he-president-koromas-speech-on-sierra-leones-51st-independence-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=39654","title":{"rendered":"HE President Koroma’s speech on Sierra Leone’s 51st Independence Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

51st\u00a0Independence\u00a0Anniversary Broadcast to the Nation By\u00a0His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma April 27, 2012.\u00a0 (Photo: HE Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President, Sierra Leone)<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

“Today we are celebrating the 51st<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary of our\u00a0independence.\u00a0This is also\u00a0the very first year of our journey into a future\u00a0in which\u00a0we have collectively vowed to become an advanced economy and a donor nation.\u00a0This is the major aspiration for the coming decades that the people of this country have affirmed during the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation earlier this year.\u00a0God has blessed us with the resources to achieve this aspiration; from Lunsar in the North to Tongo in the East; from\u00a0the rutile mines in the South to the great beaches in the West, this country can create the wealth to achieve this goal. Nothing is beyond the reach of a resolute nation. And people of this beautiful country\u00a0have on many occasions shown great resolve to change the course of their history. We\u00a0resolved to establish\u00a0a democratic system in 1996, and against great odds, we did it. We have resolved\u00a0to become a prosperous nation, and together we will implement this Agenda for Prosperity.\u00a0This is an aspiration that is within our\u00a0collective\u00a0capability to achieve;\u00a0we\u00a0are\u00a0the sons and daughters of achievers; we are the inheritors\u00a0of a land dedicated to freedom and enterprise;\u00a0and I strongly believe that we will reclaim our greatness and\u00a0leading\u00a0position as \u00a0makers of history in the West Coast of\u00a0Africa.<\/p>\n

We are\u00a0laying the foundations;\u00a0and\u00a0together we\u00a0will continue along this chosen pathof transformation.<\/p>\n

The signs and achievements of this transformation are visible everywhere.<\/p>\n

From Wilkinson Road in Freetown to Tinkonko Road in Bo,\u00a0from\u00a0Kombema Road in Kenema to\u00a0Tekoh Road\u00a0in Makeni, we are moving forward with constructing first class roads. We\u00a0are constructing streets in Kailahun, Moyamba, Port Loko, Magburaka, Koidu and Freetown; we\u00a0have built highways in every region, and we are \u00a0building\u00a0more everywhere.\u00a0\u00a0We have finally secured funding for the construction of the Kono-Matotoka Highway and we are speeding up modalities to ensure that work commences.<\/p>\n

Everywhere you go, you will witness the construction of offices and workplaces for the men and women transforming this country; from the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building\u00a0and the Audit Service\u00a0at Tower\u00a0Hill\u00a0to the Business Plazas of Bo, Kenema and Makeni, this country is\u00a0transforming its infrastructure.<\/p>\n

District and\u00a0City\u00a0Councils everywhere,\u00a0from Bo to Bonthe, Kono to Kambia, and Pujehun to Tonkolili,\u00a0regardless of which party controls them,\u00a0are receiving billions of Leones\u00a0to spend on\u00a0priority programmes in their localities.\u00a0This is what we stand for: inclusive development, visible development, and development that\u00a0can be\u00a0felt and\u00a0utilized by the common man and woman.<\/p>\n

Our nation\u00a0still faces\u00a0enormous challenges. But from mining to agriculture, more jobs are being created than at anytime in the country\u2019s history; many more women are going to school than at anytime before in our country\u2019s history; in the army, judiciary, and other critical areas of administration, many more women are holding leadership positions; and many more children, pregnant women and suckling mothers have access to health facilities than at any\u00a0time in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

We have put more resources into education; we have significantly increased the salaries of lecturers and teachers; we are paying for thousands more to take public examinations. We salute the many teachers and lecturers who are still standing up for the cherished ideals of their profession.<\/p>\n

We salute the\u00a0many\u00a0doctors, nurses and other health professionals who are true to their oaths to save lives.\u00a0We applaud their patriotism, their hard work and their dedication to service.\u00a0The progress of this nation also depends on your patriotism. This\u00a0is the collective\u00a0warrant from the people\u00a0to all frontline workers of the state;from the police to the teacher to the health worker and traditional authorities;\u00a0ourdemocracy warrants that you treat the common man and woman with respect and dignity. The era of arrogance is over. The patriotic transformations demand\u00a0respect for every citizen.<\/p>\n

The youths still face challenges, but the\u00a0National Youth Commission\u00a0is starting to implement programmes to give work and training to thousands of youths; the mining,\u00a0agricultural\u00a0and road construction\u00a0companies are providing employment opportunities \u00a0for\u00a0thousands of young people.\u00a0We also salute the\u00a0large number\u00a0of youths who are contributing to the development of this country as traders, mobile phone operatives, and bike riders.\u00a0We salute the imams and the pastors ministering salvation to the people of this country; we applaud the untiring efforts of the market women, the fitters, the construction workers, the tailors, engineers, doctors, drivers, the farmers, stone-breakers and the sand-miners. Sierra Leone belongs to all of us, and together we must march with patriotic zeal.<\/p>\n

Later this year, we will hold national elections. We call on every Sierra Leonean\u00a0to stay law abiding, tolerant, and peaceful.\u00a0That is the only way we will stay the course of democracy, development and transformation.\u00a0The patriotic transformation demands that we\u00a0repudiate the men of violence amongst us;\u00a0that men and women of good will in every party and region\u00a0stand up against the extremists and the arrogant amongst us. This\u00a0nation\u00a0is on the move,\u00a0and\u00a0we must not be distracted.<\/p>\n

Everywhere in the world, our country is being praised for its human rights record. Since 2007, this country has not carried out any capital punishment, and the life sentences of those on death row have been commuted. This country has since 2007 not jailed any journalists; this country has protected\u00a0free expression on its radio stations, television stations and newspapers; this country\u2019s\u00a0Human Rights Commission has been given an A status by the United Nations; this country\u2019s security forces have been praised for their professionalism on peace-keeping missions; this country has one of the lowest crime rates amongst countries that havegone through war. This country has shown that with a dedicated leadership andcommitted people, so much can\u00a0be done within a very short time.\u00a0We must not allow these gains to be threatened and reversed by the few extremists and men of violence in the country. This country is God\u2019s gift to the most tolerant people in the world; this country is the inheritance of a freedom\u00a0–\u00a0loving people; and by God\u2019s grace, this country is reclaiming its blessings, and we shall fear no evil.<\/p>\n

My Fellow Sierra Leoneans,\u00a0everywhere in the world our country is being lauded for its developmental strides. Our economy is set to grow by over 35% this year, about the fastest in the world; our country has been named as amongst the best ten reformers in the world.\u00a0We are attracting quality investors from all over the world; we have created Agricultural Business Centres everywhere in the country; world class\u00a0plantations\u00a0are being established in Kailahun, Pujehun,\u00a0Port Loko\u00a0and Bombali; we have just re-opened the Marampa Iron Ore Mines that had been closed for thirty years; the re-established railway\u00a0line is now transporting iron ore to the re-activated ports at Port Loko; Sierra Rutile is increasing its exports; every day new jobs are advertised in our newspapers;\u00a0and\u00a0the prospects for this country becoming an oil producing nation are very great.<\/p>\n

The world we live in is becoming more challenging than ever before. Since 2007 the price\u00a0per metric ton\u00a0of rice\u00a0and per barrel of oil\u00a0in\u00a0the world has risenastronomically. Presently,\u00a0international crisis in the Sudans, the gulf and\u00a0North Africa are further shooting up the prices. \u00a0Shipping costs to transport these commodities to our sub-region have also increased remarkably. These international increases are not of our making. But we have as a nation moved to ensure the prices do not rise as fast as they\u00a0are\u00a0doing in the world markets. And we are doing far more than countries in similar situations in the region. Prices of rice and petrol are lower here than in\u00a0many\u00a0neighboring countries; and we are continuing to reduce the impact of rising costs on our people by creating thousands of jobs, providing free health care, buying more buses,\u00a0\u00a0providing electricity,\u00a0\u00a0and paying examination fees for our students.<\/p>\n

My Fellow Sierra Leoneans, we acknowledge that\u00a0development always comes with its challenges. But we as a people must not allow these challenges to serve as excuses to engage in violence and other unpatriotic actions. We must act against those who are intent on derailing the developmental strides of this nation. This country must never again be put to shame by the actions of\u00a0the\u00a0violent. We, as anation\u00a0are determined to assert our collective aspirations for security, development and democracy, and nothing\u00a0will ever distract us from these\u00a0patriotic\u00a0goals.<\/p>\n

We, as a people are becoming more determined to live up to the promise of\u00a0the historic achievements of our forbearers; we are now more resolute to bring forth the wealth embedded in our land; we are more resolved to assert our freedom, our\u00a0unity and our sense of justice.\u00a0We have chosen\u00a0to make this land better.\u00a0We\u00a0have chosen action over theory, commitment over intention, and progress and development over stagnation.\u00a0With a zeal that never tires,\u00a0\u00a0we will stay united, we will stay free, and we will be justified by our faith in the greatness of this beautiful country.<\/p>\n

God bless this land that\u00a0we love. Congratulations on our 51st<\/sup>\u00a0Independence Anniversary.\u00a0God Bless Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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51st\u00a0Independence\u00a0Anniversary Broadcast to the Nation By\u00a0His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma April 27, 2012.\u00a0 (Photo: HE Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President, Sierra Leone) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[673,1],"tags":[12030,1055,12031],"class_list":["post-39654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news","category-uncategorized","tag-51st-independence-speech","tag-president-ernest-bai-koroma","tag-presidents-51st-independence-speech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}