All Works of Life – AWOL The Gambia – has awarded the former Sierra Leone High Commissioner to the Republic of The Gambia and accredited countries, Alhaji Ambassador Soulay Daramy, as the ‘Best Outgoing Ambassador,’ during his term.
The award was dedicated to Amb Daramy among other notable Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia in full recognition of his good works for humanity during his tenure as the Sierra Leone High Commissioner to The Gambia.
Receiving the award of ‘Best Outgoing Ambassador’ from AWOL The Gambia’s president Gibril M. Kanu at his Foreign Service Academy Tower Hill in Freetown, Amb Daramy expressed profound delight for the recognition, saying that it was good working with Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia.
Amb Daramy vividly reflected on his sound working ties with the Sierra Leonean community in The Gambia and beyond, which he said was good.
He thanked the organization for considering him for such a prestigious award and recognizing his good works throughout his term of service as Sierra Leone High Commissioner to The Gambia.
Speaking in a brief interview with FORUM NEWS, AWOL The Gambia president Gibril M. Kanu disclosed that they as an organization recognised the nomination for the Best Outgoing Ambassador award because of his good work with Sierra Leoneans while serving as Sierra Leone High Commissioner to The Gambia.
Kanu said that since Amb Daramy was recalled they “are yet to get an Ambassador/High Commissioner with his match”, adding that he is one of the best Sierra Leoneans have ever had in The Gambia as he brought them together as a community.
He said that Amb Daramy always considers a Sierra Leonean problem as his and was always ready to solve problems for them throughout his tenure as High Commissioner, adding that he attended most of their programmes and activities which made them felt so proud of being Sierra Leoneans.
AWOL The Gambia president said that was why Amb Daramy was considered, nominated and ended up winning the ‘Best Outgoing Ambassador,’ award which he was voted even in absentia.
Kanu continued that Amb Daramy emerged as the number one ambassador that addressed the problems of Sierra Leoneans irrespective of one’s social status in the community. As long as the individual proved to be a Sierra Leonean, Amb Daramy was always there to support that person and indeed everybody.
The AWOL Gambia president informed that Amb Daramy would always call the Sierra Leonean community to regular meetings and discuss serious national issues with them, reiterating that most people missed that opportunity now in The Gambia.
He explained that Sierra Leoneans in The Gambia are still crying for Amb Daramy, noting that he is the first Sierra Leone High Commissioner to The Gambia that established a full data of Sierra Leoneans in the host country and later produced identification cards that were issued by the High Commission in Banjul to Sierra Leoneans for proper identities.
Asked how much they all missed Amb Daramy, Mr Kanu replied: “I personally missed him not to talk of the multitude of Sierra Leoneans he used to help with care and support in diverse ways.”
He therefore encouraged emerging diplomats to avoid armchair diplomacy and work for their citizens in their respective host countries.