By: Moses Moses, Dallas, Texas.
All responsible Sierra Leoneans both at home and abroad want to see His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma’s government to succeed. That’s why many people are making sure they all come on board both in constructive criticism and also help to chart the way forward.
But before getting down to what I want my readers to grab, I first of all want to salute the following media house: The Patriotic Vanguard, Cocorioko, Standard Times, New Citizen, and Awoko for their gallant support in their own little ways in trying to inform the people of Sierra Leone and help them stay in touch with happenings on the ground before and after the elections.
As much as many of us want the first gentleman of our state and his government to succeed we should also approach this with caution and care. Just after the conclusion of elections that saw Dr Koroma sworn in as our President, a lot of suggestions have been coming up for a National Unity Government which most of us and some media houses have been kicking against.
Though this cannot just be erased from some people’s minds, and I do respect their opinions ensuring that His Excellency is being checked for anything that will bring problems to Our Land That We Love Sierra Leone, let me be quick to state here that it is better to have a team than have big players.
To illustrate my point, I would like us to look at what most Sierra Leoneans love watching: Soccer Football). In this game, sometimes it is not big players that bring you trophies but being able to play as a team.
For Example, Barcelona F.C. of the Spanish League La Liga and Chelsea of the English Barclays Premier League should have won their domestic league and also rated high for the Champions League but none of them won their respective domestic leagues, neither the European Champions League last season. Why?
Not that there were not good players in both teams but disaster struck because they did not play as a team. For Barcelona there was a conflict between Samuel Etóo and Ronaldinho Gaúcho with also minor problems. And for Chelsea, when there are too many big players in the team from all around there are tendencies of conflict of interest.
I believe, true Sierra Leoneans don’t want such to happen to Our Land That We Love, Sierra Leone or to the new Leadership of His Excellency Dr. Koroma. that’s why everyone is giving his or her own views for the way forward.
Teams are not groups of people brought together to manage a project nor is it a group of people who are members of the same function in an organization neither is it a group of people who receive emails from their team leader with the salutation, ‘Dear Team”. But let me borrow the words of Mr. Kevin Dwyer founder of Change Factory. He defines a team as “people working together to achieve a common, singular goal”.
He went on to give a story dated way back in 1972. A group of rugby players, their friends and families left on a flight to go to Chile from Uruguay.
The plane crashed into the snow-covered mountainside, killing 13 of 45 passengers on board the aircraft. The outside world thought that all 45 people on board had disappeared. Without any provisions, some of those left alive resorted to devouring the dead. Those who refused to eat the human flesh died of starvation. After 70 days in the mountains, 16 survivors were rescued and taken home. In a very captivating manner, Mr. Dwyer said a group of people bonded together as a team with a singular goal to survive. He said “to develop one team, the element of threat needs to be negated”.
As much as we want Mr. President to bring everybody on board care and caution need to be applied. If my President and your President or our President feel that his present team is okay for him to succeed regardless of regional or tribal origins of his team members let us give our blessings to enable him to achieve his goal and to bring a smile once more to all Sierra Leoneans.
I am very much aware of the fears of my brothers and sisters that are talking about a national unity government.
As a young man from the eastern part of Sierra Leone, Kissi Teng, I believe there are people in the South and East who are educated and can handle positions in this present administration perfectly and deliver the goods. But if the first gentleman of our state believes that the team he is presently working with will yield dividends, I salute you Sir and continue to pray that you succeed.
Mr. President, as we all look at your team mainly from the North, my hope is that the individuals should really be your team because as Kevin Dwyer put it a “team should form around a common goal that provides them individually and collectively, a challenge that they take responsibility for and that can give them increased self esteem and a level of recognition above the norm when they reach the goal”.
In conclusion Mr. President, permit me to quote Kevin again: “the goal needs to be expressed in simple language that people can understand and must have a story to tell that motivates people wanting to contribute to the goal”.
Which brings me to these questions: are those people really your team and will they make a difference? Does your story evoke in the recipient, feelings, thoughts and a desire to do something that will contribute to your goal? If the answer is yes Mr. President, you have my support. If you are to bring players in the transfer window when it is open, they should not only be professionals but also don’t forget that those professionals should be team players as we expect you to bring other players from different areas around the country.
God Bless the Land that we LOVE Sierra Leone.
Photo: President Ernest Bai Koroma, APC team captain.
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