Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh over the weekend visited Thonko Limba Chiedom to strengthening the Social Mobilization drive earlier initiated by His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and to regenerate the memories of the Late and Former first President of this nation, Siaka Stevens and Christian Alusine Kamara-Taylor in Kabasa and Sami villages in the Thonko Limba Chiefdom, Kambia District, northern Sierra Leone.
Speaking at a ceremony which was held at the C.A Kamara-Taylor Hall in the chiefdom Headquarter town of Madina, Vice President Foh said the nation is currently afflicted by an epidemic of Ebola virus disease and had taken away the lives of prominent doctors, nurses and peace loving Sierra Leoneans. The Virus, he added, had affected the country’s socio-economic activities, its development strides while traditional and cultural activities have been stalled, with whole families wiped out leaving behind thousands of orphaned children.
The virus, the Hon. Vice President said, is the worst outbreak in not only West Africa but the world as a whole as there was no preparedness to tackle the disease at the initial stage which resulted to the loss of thousands of lives.
He said as the virus is a stubborn enemy, the people of Kambia district should fight with all their might to eradicate the deadly scourge in the country.
He thanked the people of Madina, the Paramount Chiefs, ministers, advisers and other government stakeholders for their tireless efforts in bringing the Ebola cases to a single digit.
Meanwhile, the Hon. Vice President in his remarks about the late founding fathers of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party described them as diligent, patient and tolerance, among other attributes, who he noted worked for party, country, mankind and posterity,
Kambia district, he noted, produced the first President of the country and the first Secretary General of the party and that if the APC is achieving such a remarkable success, the memories of the founding fathers should always be committed to memory.
He called on the children of the late founding fathers to continue to work with the party and government as a family.
He appealed to the people of Thonko Limba chiefdom to continue to work and strengthen their loyalty to the party, copy and implement the good examples of their founding fathers, learn to respect authority, behave like believers, accept their mistakes and confess their sins for God to forgiveness them.
To the youths, Vice President Foh said he had great respect for the youths of this country, adding that for the party to gain more success, grow and survive, the youths must be encouraged.
He called on the youths to be patience and be hard working as they will surely be rewarded for their hard work.
The Madina School, Market, Water Works and the Hall were all the legacies of their founding fathers. He said he was impressed with those legacies and will report to his boss, His Excellency, the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and appealed to him for much improvement on those legacies.
Addressing the chiefdom’s concern about the poor road network, V. P. Foh assured them that the roads were under government active consideration, saying His Excellency was a man of his words and that every promise he had made earlier will be fulfilled by the grace and power of God.
The Party District Chairman, Alimamy P. Koroma, in his statement, said the visit of the Hon. Vice President was a memorable history in the chiefdom as V.P. Foh was the first Vice President to have visited the chiefdom in the last 30 years.
He recalled that sometimes last year Kambia District was the first in the country that a pronouncement was made of the arrival of an uninvited and unwanted guest, Ebola which has seized the country’s socio-economic and cultural activities and has taken away the lives of many peace-loving Sierra Leoneans.
Chairman Koroma said that the district has done a lot but more is required by the President in the fight to eradicate the disease in the district and the country as a whole in order for the people of this nation to achieve their freedom once again. He said the President has given the district a 21 days assignment which has started last Friday and called on all indigenes of the district to put all hands on deck to drive away the virus.
Addressing the road concern of the people, the district Chairman said that the Kambia to Madina road and beyond is very vital for the development of not only the district but the country as a whole.
Speaking on the affairs of the youth in the district, the Minister of Youth, Alimamy Kamara advised them to desist from violent activities and be more responsible, peaceful and law abiding as they are the future leaders of the nation.
Welcoming the VP and his entourage on behalf of his subject, the Paramount Chief Kelefa Foro III thanked the VP for his visit to the district, adding that memories of his visit will ever linger in their minds and will be part of the chiefdom history.
Adviser to His Excellency, President Koroma, Ambassador Dauda Kamara, Chief of Staff, Mr. Saidu Conton Sesay, MP of the district, Patrick M. Kargbo, Councilor Kamara, Constituency Chairman, Farkeh Conteh and representative from the Kamara-Taylor family and other stakeholders made meaning statements.