By Amadu Daramy in North Carolina
The executive of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party North America and DRC Chapter was on Saturday 28 May 2022 inaugurated at a well-attended ceremony held at the Kildaire Farm Club House in North Carolina.
In her keynote address, the chairperson of the SLPPNA Washington D.C. Metro Chapter, Mrs Fatmata Dausy Wurie, commended the Chairman, Amina Kawa, for the strong faith and belief she has for her and taking the bold step to choose her among all the powerful and well-educated women with government, ministerial and ambassador positions.
The occasion happened to be the maiden inauguration ceremony in the history of the organization performed by Desmond Pessima, the SLPP North America Regional Chairman.
The following executive members were inaugurated: Amina Kawa – Chairperson; Adu Sheref -Secretary General, Yahaya Sawanneh – Organizing Secretary, John Tucker – Public Relations Officer, Alf Paul Aruna – Chaplin, Umarr Kawa – Financial Secretary, Mohamed Bailay –Treasurer, Brima Moiwai – Chairman Council of Elders, Rugiatu Lahai – Women’s Leader, Mustapha Koroma – Imam and Lamin Koroma – Young Generation Leader.
Desmond Pessima, the SLPP North America Regional Chairman reminded the newly-inaugurated executive to work diligently in the best interest of the party, that if the party fails they would be held responsible and urged them to also use their local and international contacts to support the party.
Dilating on the theme of her keynote address, “THE AUTHENTIC POWER OF A WOMAN,” she acclaimed her Regional First Lady in North America for empowering other women, leaving a legacy and impacting the lives of other women enlightening that it is the authentic power of a woman that has seen the nation’s First Lady, Mrs Fatima Bio, among all other First Ladies promoting girls and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone for which she was appointed as the Global Ambassador of the United Nations Education Plus Initiative because of Sierra Leone’s Hands Off Our Girls’ Campaign.
She furthered that it is the authentic power of a woman that for the first time in the history of the North America region that they are blessed to have the regional First Lady, Mrs Rachel Pessima, travelling to the recent SLPP National Convention in Bo, Sierra Leone.
Mrs Fatmata Dausy Wurie said: “Don’t mess with a prayerful woman like our beloved First Lady, Mrs Fatima Maada Bio, a woman that lifts her hands up to Allah to pray for her husband, our President H.E., retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, a woman that engages in fasting and supplications, a woman that has been an agent of change in the lives of young girls and female in our country. That is the definition of the authentic power of a woman! A prayerful woman! A woman that puts God first above everything else. That is why I stand in front of you as the President and founder of the all-female non-profit Muslim organization since 2017 with a 501c3 status called SISTERS OF EEMAAN-meaning sisters of faith. It is an organization that has members from seven different African countries and is geared towards visiting the sick, feeding the homeless and taking care of the needy.”
The chairperson of the SLPPNA Washington D.C. Metro Chapter continued that SISTERS OF EEMAAN is currently constructing an orphanage center in Angola Town, Sierra Leone, reiterating that it is the authentic power of a woman that the SLPPNA regional Women’s Leader, Mrs Aminata Mabondo Amara was the first to turn the sod and make a donation during the laying of the foundation stone of the SISTERS OF EEMAAN Islamic orphanage center in January of this year.
Mrs Fatmata Dausy Wurie went on to thank President Bio for paving the way for women to take on the mantle of leadership in their esteemed and noble political party by signing the Gender Equality Bill for 30% female representation because of the significant leadership role women are playing in the advancement of the ideals of the party and Sierra Leone.
As the women of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, the oldest political Party in Sierra Leone and the first political party to seat a female Member of Parliament in Sierra Leone in the person of Hon. Paramount Chief Madam Ella Koblo Gulama. She said: “We thank President Bio for our trailblazer First Lady, for making sure that the Office of the First Lady is not only in the kitchen or be a stay home mom but for giving her the wings, the fort and the mantra to accomplish her potential as First Lady of our land, her flagship program in the campaign against early childhood marriage, gender-based violence, rape and for being a voice for the voiceless.”
She stated that the authentic power of a woman is when their phenomenal regional First Lady, Mrs Rachel Pessima, has embarked on the agenda of Mrs Fatima Bio to launch the Women Against Rape “WAR” fundraising project on 2 July 2022 in New Jersey reiterating that the authentic power of a woman is when President Bio assigned the Diaspora Affairs Coordinator, Madam Rachel Horner, who continues to travel all the four corners of the United States coordinating diaspora events and activities affirming that their mission and vision is being accomplished incrementally.
Mr Suffian Kalokoh, who represented the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, affirmed that his party would be re-elected in the next elections, that the country is peaceful, that Sierra Leoneans are one and same people and therefore should love one another and leave in peace and harmony.
However, Eddie Vandy, who introduced the chairman, asserted that the APC would remain in permanent opposition.
The Master of Ceremony was Madam Ann Marie Williams and her co was Madam Betty Finoh
