A State House press report states that during the presentation of her letter of credence to President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House this morning, the new Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Ms. Shamma Jain, has underlined the strong ties between the two countries, and how Sierra Leone would soon be a beneficiary of the huge advantages of tele-medicine and tele-education.
“[Your] Excellency, 32 African countries, including Sierra Leone, have signed agreements with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) to implement the Pan African E-Network project. It is hoped that Sierra Leone would soon join the ranks of other fellow African countries to derive benefits from tele-medicine and tele-education,” she said.
Ms. Jain highlighted the wide-ranging training facilities her country has been offering to Sierra Leone under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), and the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan (SCAAP) in areas including agriculture, rural development, information technology, entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprise, and women empowerment. She maintained that “the signing of the Joint Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement will further cement our mutually beneficial partnership,” reiterating that India has committed herself to the rehabilitation of Sierra Leone’s telecom sector and the development of commercial agriculture.
“India’s proposal to set up an Information Technology Centre of Excellence in Sierra Leone, which would promote entrepreneurial skills, enhance human resource capacity and facilitate transfer of technology through implementation of IT-related training programmes reflects its sincere desire to forge an abiding economic relationship with Sierra Leone”, she asserted, while mentioning that the construction of 400 units of houses at the Bengeuma military training centre would bring comfort to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and “has lent another important dimension to our bilateral ties.” She said members of the Indian Diaspora and the office of India’s Honorary Consul-General in Sierra Leone would have a significant contribution to make in promoting Indo-Sierra Leonean relations.
On the wider international front, the High Commissioner said the current status quo of the United Nations should be reformed: “The need to reform the UN Security Council and address the structural imbalance in its composition requires no reiteration... [Your] Excellency, we hope to work closely with your country in this area.”
Earlier, the High Commissioner brought felicitous messages of goodwill and prosperity from the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, to the Government and people of Sierra Leone. In concluding, she assured of sparing no effort “in bringing dynamism and strength to the bilateral cooperation between our two countries and in the strengthening of the existing fraternal and friendly relations between India and Sierra Leone.”
While accepting the envoy’s letter of credence, President Koroma used the occasion to “express the sincere condolences of the government and people of Sierra Leone for the unfortunate incidence of terrorist attacks on the city of Mumbai, leading to massive loss of life,” calling for increased international collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
On the relationship between the two countries, President Koroma said, “As members of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement, India and Sierra Leone have shared common ideals and taken a common stand on many international issues of concern and interest to developing countries. Your country’s efforts to safeguard and promote this group of nations is recognized and highly appreciated.”
On the issue of reforming the UN, the President affirmed the need to make the world body more democratic and more equitable. “As Chairman of the Committee of Ten African Countries on the Reform of the UN, I want to assure you, Madam High Commissioner, that we will cooperate with other reform-minded countries to enhance the viability of the UN and make it better able to maintain peace and respond more adequately to the many problems of the world.”
The President acknowledged the immense benefits Sierra Leone has accrued from her relationship with India, particularly in the fields of education, agriculture, information technology and entrepreneurship. “The provision of 400 units of housing for the military at Bengeuma, half of which have been completed, will go a long way towards meeting one of the most critical problems confronting our armed forces,” the President noted.
Welcoming the establishment of the all-important Pan African E-Network for tele-medicine and tele-education, President Koroma said, “This is a project that holds tremendous promise for revolutionizing medicine and education in the near future. We believe that the signing of [the] Joint Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement will put all of these collaborative efforts of the two states on a firmer footing...”
President Koroma drew the envoy’s attention to his government’s tripod priorities of Agriculture, Energy and Infrastructure: “We are currently looking out for massive investment and expertise to develop these areas which we believe will enable us to change the lives of our people for the better. With your country’s vast experience in sustainable socio-economic development and its willingness to share experience with other developing countries, we are confident that we can count on your country’s support.”
The President believed that the “large Indian presence here and an active Office of India’s Honorary Consul-General....would be helpful in promoting Indo-Sierra Leonean cooperation and in making your tour of duty here very successful.”
He congratulated the High Commissioner, while assuring her “that my government will give you every support to make your stay pleasant and your tenure of office a rewarding experience.”
The ceremonies were presided over by Foreign Affairs Minister Zainab Bangura. Also present were Vice President Sam Sumana, Defence Minister Paulo Conteh, Energy Minister Hafsatu Kabba, Presidential Affairs Minister Alpha Kanu, Works Minister John Saad, Lands Minister Benjamin Davies, Minister of State VP’s Office Logus Koroma, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vandi Minah, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Alie Mansaray.
IMATT COMMANDER TAKES LEAVE OF PRESIDENT KOROMA
Meanwhile, the commander of the British International Military Assistance and Technical Training (IMATT), Jonathan Powe, today took leave of President Koroma after serving a year in that position.
While praising the hospitality accorded to him throughout and how his tenure has been rewarding, the commander commended Sierra Leone for its present stability and for making gradual progress politically and economically. Though regretting not being able to secure funding for Sierra Leone’s military’s participation in peacekeeping, he was optimistic that RSLAF would wear the blue UN beret this year.
The outgoing commander also introduced his successor, Col. Hugh Blackman, whom he described as a fine, disciplined soldier who will no doubt support Sierra Leone for peace and training.
Responding, President Koroma, on behalf of the nation, expressed his thanks and appreciation for the service IMATT has rendered so far in Sierra Leone. He looked forward to getting support from IMATT for Sierra Leone’s UN peacekeeping mission by March / April this year. The Head of State also welcomed the new commander, expressing the desire for continued support to RSLAF, making special reference to the marine sector with regards securing the country’s territorial waters. He wished the outgoing commander success in his future engagements.
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