By Abdul Bero Kamara (Chief) , USA.
The Ohio Chapter of the APC NA concluded a successful inauguration ceremony on Saturday June 28, 2009 at the Inn Hotel E Dublin Granville Rd (route 161) Columbus Ohio, USA.
In an exceptional show of unity and togetherness, Sierra Leoneans in Ohio from all walks of life and from different political parties and organizations showed up in large numbers to witness the inauguration ceremony of the APC Ohio chapter one of the most unique inaugural ceremonies within the North America branch since it inception in 2000.
This successful and colorful ceremony which was graced by his Excellency the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the USA Mr. Bockarie Kortu Stevens, The Acting Chairman of the APC NA Mr. Leslie Allen who was accompanied by other Senior Executive members from the branch namely The Secretary General Mr. Abdul Kamara (Chief), The Compliance Officer Mr. Sidique Kamara and Rtd. Col Idriss Kamara president of the Washington DC metro area chapter.
Also in attendance were Mr. Agibu Jalloh a die-hard APC supporter and member of the Ohio chapter, the Honorable Sembu Fornah former APC Member of Parliament and Minister during the 70’s who was also the guest speaker of this memorable occasion.
Above: A cross section of executive members of the APC Ohio chapter: Marian Komrabai-Sesay, Muctarr Kamara, the publicity Secretary. Top photo: Rashid Bangura, president and executive members of the Ohio chapter, taking the oath of office.
As the Ambassador and members of the APC NA executive were escorted into the hall by some members of the Ohio chapter they received a rousing welcome from the audience. After the introduction of the dignitaries by the energetic and buoyant Mrs Marian Komrabai-Kanu the M C for the occasion, she called upon the erstwhile Secretary General Mr. Abdul Bero Kamara (Chief) to welcome the guests.
Leslie Allen, the acting chairman of the APC NA was presenting the inauguration certificate to Mr. Rashid Bangura the president of the APC Ohio.
In his remarks Mr. Kamara welcomed members who had took time off their busy schedule to come and grace the occasion; next he gave a brief synopsis about the APC NA branch and then beseeched members of the Ohio chapter to familiarize themselves with the by-laws of the branch.
NA and Ohio Executive members: from left to right is Rtd. Col Idriss, Agibu Jalloh, Leslie Allen, Rashid Bangura, Abdul Kamara(Chief), Sidique Kamara and Amadu Sesay.
After the Muslim and Christian prayer were offered by Abdul Akim Sesay and Pastor Haja Musu Conteh respectively, both the Sierra Leone and US national anthems were played which were followed by the APC victory song from the dynamic and exciting members of the Ohio chapter.
HE Bockarie K Stevens addressing the audience, while the new Ohio president Rashid Bangura listens intently.
When the Acting Chairman of the APC NA Mr. Leslie Allen was introduced by the Mr. Kamara, he (Allen) took the podium to address the visibly excited crowd who were filled with excitement and joy. In his statement the dynamic and charismatic Allen spoke about the collective effort and readiness to work together in unison as party members towards operation 2012.
He appealed to members to put aside their personal differences in order to be able to work effectively to promote the interests of the party. Allen then administered the oath of office and presented a copy of the bye-laws of the APC North America branch plus a certificate of inauguration to the president of the Ohio chapter Mr. Rashid Bangura. He also thanked both the executive and ordinary members of the Ohio chapter to continue the good work they have started.
In his remarks Rtd. Col Idriss Kamara, president of the APC-NA Washington DC metro chapter encouraged his Ohio comrades to be true ambassadors of the party in Ohio, a state that is dominated by SLPP members. He also entreated them to emulate his chapter, one of the most successful and biggest within the branch. He thanked the APC Ohioans for their magnificent hospitality.
Sidique Kamara the national compliance Officer and also the financial secretary of the APC New England chapter on his part thanked his comrades for the successful event; he however cautioned them not to be complacent because he said the road ahead will not be a smooth path; nonetheless, he encouraged them to be steadfast and committed to the aims and aspirations of the party.
In his opening statement Ambassador Stevens thanked the Sierra Leonean community in Ohio for showing up in large numbers to make the occasion a success. He expressed his sincere gratitude for the fantastic work the Sierra Leonean community in Ohio is doing to help their people back home.
Ambassador Stevens excited the audience when he started by announcing the good news that Bumbuna Hydro Project will be up and running by July 15, 2009. He further thrilled the audience when he promised them he would do every thing in his power to bring his Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to Ohio during his United Nation visit in September this year.
The ambassador also informed the Ohioans about the plan to build a state of the art hospital in Sierra Leone by the 50th Independent anniversary in 2011 through the stewardship of the Sierra Leone Arch of Hope, an organization which he helped to form.
“The reality of this hospital will be possible through a collaborative effort of all Sierra Leoneans, and I promise if every Sierra Leonean in the US contribute one dollar a day which will sum up to $ 360 or 365 a year, I guarantee you by 2011 we will have a modern hospital completed. Also I want you to know that every Sierra Leonean that contribute the one dollar a day will have their name inscribed on the wall of the hospital," he added.
As the program continued the guest speaker the Hon. Sembu Fornah gave a detailed history about the formation of the APC. He encouraged members of the chapter who were initially skeptical about the success of the occasion in a state that is predominantly SLPP. He thanked the young folks for working tirelessly to make the day a memorable event. He encouraged them to continue to be steadfast in what they have started.
In his acceptance speech, the man of the moment the President of the Ohio Chapter Mr. Rashid Bangura thanked the ambassador, the Acting chairman APC NA, the grand Chief patron of the occasion Abu Bundu and other dignitaries for honoring his invitation.
He also thanked every personality and member who had contributed in diverse ways in making the occasion a huge success.
"Without you this could not have happened," he stated.
Mr. Bangura who delivered a warm and an inclusive speech challenged members of the SLPP Ohio Chapter to join in the effort to promote Sierra Leone. He also implored and cautioned members about the importance of the women in politics; however, he challenged his members to encourage female participation in the running of the chapter.
The speeches were followed by a dinner comprising of abundant and various traditional West African dishes. The ceremony reached its peak with performances from the Kai Kpa and the African Drummer of Columbus who electrified the audience with their vigorous drumming and other traditional West African dance tunes.
The event was well organized and the decoration of the hall was a master piece and first class with the patron table designed with red and white colors with state of the art flowers, whilst the high table was covered with the Green, White and Blue colors of the Sierra Leone flag- the handiwork of the indefatigable Fatmata Sesay.
The ceremony was followed by a party that ended at 4: 30am thanks to the best DJ in town Mr. Abu Bakarr Kaloko who kept everyone present that night on their feet throughout with non stop African music including the popular TUTU Party by EMERSON.
Also there were intermittent performances from the Mende FALUI, GONGOLEE, and NAFALI cultural group. It was a very successful inauguration and night to be always remembered.
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