Umaru Fofana, one of Sierra Leone’s award-winning journalists and a correspondent at BBC and Reuters has shared his view and experience of recommending names of the people deserving of being on the independence day list for this year’s independence( April 27th.

In his article via Facebook he revealed certain observed things about the awardees in 2022 and asserted that, he is willing to help should he is asked to nominate for this year.

‘’If anybody is interested in recommending to the president genuine names of people deserving of being on the Independence Day Honours List for 27 April this year, I am willing to help. Many of last year’s awardees left a bitter taste in my mouth and the mouth of many other Sierra Leoneans. 

I travel this country and observe things and people, dispassionately. I know people who have been helping make Sierra Leone a much better place but don’t have trumpets or don’t believe in trumpeting themselves or aren’t just noticed by those who should.

From the poor blind Tamba Mathew Gbessay who used his retirement benefit to build a school for blind kids in Kono, to Ismael Charles who has recruited an army of volunteers who beg on the streets to raise funds. He has flown dozens of children for life-saving surgeries overseas. Children who would have otherwise died. 

From Sinneh Kamara who has spent years picking up bodies of paupers who die on the streets and giving them a befitting burial hence saving the city of Freetown from decomposing bodies, to Dr ABS Dumbuya whose disability didn’t stop him from getting a PhD degree in the UK and returning home to do wonders for his less fortunate disabled compatriots through the Cheshire Home and his Dorothy Springer Trust. 

From Mama Elissa without whom our amputee victims of the war would be without a home throughout the country, to Tyson Kamara in Makeni whose BBC Africa Eye documentary on Kush shone an everlasting light on the drug that’s destroying our young, etc. 

I know them, over a dozen of them, who have done things that are compelling for them to be recognized by the state. Babadie Kamara and his amazing pumping of resources into sport and the construction of that breathtaking stadium in Bo. 

I know it’s an election year and it’s usual to show favours to political allies, and hard to show merits, but let’s try to get it right. 

I’m happy to have a conversation around this because when I challenged the quality of some of last year’s awardees, state and nonstate actors agreed with me but said I should have suggested names ahead. Well nobody has got in touch and we have just two weeks to go. And I have a conscience to clear. Please suggest yours and state why’’. He ended.

In his comment, the Minister of Information and Communications Mohamed Rahman Swarray said, some of Fofana’s Facebook nominies were already been considered for recognition.

‘’Ramadan Kareem and thanks for your proposals. Already, some of your FB nominees were already been considered for recognition if an insignia award ceremony is held this year. As a member of the committee, I am  happy to have further discussions with you on the subject while hastening to say that politics has never been the overwhelming consideration in the award of national honours, at least under our watch’’.