President Koroma opens Karefa Smart’s Book of Condolence
President Ernest Bai Koroma yesterday 14th September 2010 opened the book of condolence for the late Dr. John Karefa-Smart, who passed away on 26th August 2010.
At a short but impressive ceremony at State House in the presence of the deceased’s family members, Secretary to the President E. B. Osho-Coker said the late man deserved a befitting state funeral as he diligently served his country in distinguished capacities from pre-independence days to contemporary times.
Christian prayers and singspiration were conducted before President Koroma wrote words of condolence and appended his signature in the book, followed by Vice President Sam Sumana and Cabinet Ministers present.
Dr. Karefa-Smart was Minister of Lands, Mines, Labour, and Defence in Sir Milton Maigai’s pre-independence cabinet from 1957 to 1961 and was post-independence Sierra Leone’s first Minister of External Affairs and spokesman for newly-independent African countries at the United Nations, at which time Sierra Leone became the 100th member state. He contested for the presidency of Sierra Leone at the age of 81 in 1996 and lost in a second-round run-off, thereby eventually serving as Leader of the Opposition until the May 25 1997 coup. He recently published his memoirs, ‘Rainbow Happenings’.
The late man will be buried in his home town of Rotifunk this Sunday 19th September 2010.
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