Open letter of plea from concerned Sierra Leoneans in the Netherlands
Open letter of plea from concerned Sierra Leonean citizens in the Netherlands to J B Dauda, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Honorable Minister: We the concerned Sierra Leoneans in the Kingdom of The Netherlands, on behalf of all the Sierra Leoneans in The Netherlands, want to let you know that we are 100% behind Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy, the Honorary Consul General for The Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Since Her Excellency Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy (in photo) assumed this post, we the Sierra Leoneans of all tribal and political backgrounds have benefited tremendously from the services her office provides for us in The Netherlands. Our suffering in The Netherlands in terms of consular services, have greatly been reduced. Thanks to her and her staff.
We no longer want to go to Sierra Leone Embassy, Brussels, due to so many reasons that majority of the Sierra Leoneans have been experiencing over the years. It is very difficult and dangerous for we the Sierra Leoneans here in The Netherlands to go to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels for consular services. A lot of us sometimes even get arrested going to Brussels, as many of us do not have our stay, or valid papers to make such a journey.
You and Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy have made it a whole lot easier for us by giving us this Consulate here in The Netherlands. Most of us do not have staying permit, and when the Dutch government requires documents from us, in an attempt to cross the border into Brussels, some have been arrested and put into jail and even deported. Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy and her office have saved us from going through this harassment. Some Sierra Leoneans have lost their lives through accident mishaps that could have been avoided.
It takes 2 days or more just to get one document legalized or authenticated. When we need consular services from Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels we have to take time away from our jobs 2 times just to get one document legalized and if there is a mistake made from home in Sierra Leone during the document being issued, it can be prolonged to get such document/s in order.
When we go to Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels, we spend minimum 5 hours just to authenticate one document, and there is no respect at all been accorded to us as fellow citizens. Some of us have dragged our children along with us to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels and they cried “papa, why are they treating us like this?” upon the travel stress and the inconvenience.
Most times the excuses are the ambassador is not available or Head of Chancery is not on seat. We have to come back to The Netherlands and to go back to Embassy Brussels another day. Why does the ambassador have to be involved in consular work is unexplainable, and we don’t know.
It is very difficult to explain the countless complaints and bad experiences that Sierra Leoneans and other people have to go through at Sierra Leone Embassy, Brussels.
Please, Mr. Minister Joseph Dauda, help us the Sierra Leoneans by addressing Mr. Ambassador Christian S. Kargbo and Ojuku Sesay to stop disgracing the diplomatic circle; to stop giving bad image to fellow diplomats and concentrate on providing for us the services that they are paid for, unlike madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy whom we do not pay at all but yet look after our welfare.
We the Sierra Leoneans particularly in The Netherlands do not want to go to Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels any more. We like and appreciate very much that Honorable Minister have helped us tremendously by sending Her Excellency Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy to our rescue. Since Madam Consul established the Consulate 99% of us the Sierra Leoneans can honestly say that we have greatly benefited from her consular services that she renders to us.
Madam Consul Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy
- has respect for us,
- she treats us with dignity,
- helps us with the best advice in our challenges in dealing with our host government here in The Netherlands.
- She visits Sierra Leoneans who are sick in the hospitals,
- She visits Sierra Leoneans who are detainees in detention centers and prisons,
- she helps us with our deceased relatives who have to be released from the
- Hospitals to be sent back home for proper burial by family members,
- she has and continues to assist any Sierra Leonean in need of legal representation
- she takes time to listen to our problems and helps to find solutions,
- she is always available when we need her and not only for consular advice and services.
- So much more to say most importantly, Honorable Minister, the Sierra Leone Consulate General in Den Haag is very convenient to the things we the Sierra Leoneans have to do with the government here in The Netherlands,
- we get our documents and consular needs done without unnecessary delay.
Every Sierra Leonean who has been to her office in Den Haag can testify to this. The Dutch business people, Friends of Sierra Leone and the Tourist have embraced Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy with happiness “what a relief” they expressed. They are very glad that they no longer have to go to Sierra Leone embassy in Brussels due to the way they are being treated.
Honorable Minister, we really have to tell you, that because of the good representation of Sierra Leone by Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy more people are being encouraged to go to Sierra Leone, and more people from The Netherlands are now coming to Sierra Leone.
Honorable Sir, we the Sierra Leoneans in The Netherlands know how much pressure Ambassador Christian Kargbo put on us to do things against our own wishes, and especially during several meetings he held with us at his office and in The Netherlands. We know and some of us are sick and tired of this negative pressure.
Most of us left home in Sierra Leone to seek a better life elsewhere and to help families and friends back home, and not to be dragged into smear and blackmail campaign by Ambassador Christian S. Kargbo and Ojuku Sesay.
We the Sierra Leoneans are very much aware of one of the many functions of an Honorary Consul is to promote business and economic interest between two nations –host country and sending country. Trade mission is one of many ways to do so. Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy has been doing her job very well.
Honorable Minister, Mr. J. B. Dauda, do not permit Ambassador Christian Kargbo and Ojuku Sesay to hijack the Trade Mission issue to fullfil his personal agenda of blackmail, jealousy, hatred and evilness to bring fellow Sierra Leoneans down just to fullfil their personal quest and careless about other deserving Sierra Leoneans that can get hurt in his big ego.
In conclusion, Honorable Minister, Mr. J.B. Dauda, we the Sierra Leoneans need your cooperation and understanding to help us to continue to receive the good services from the Consul General Her Excellancy Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy.
Here in The Netherlands we need and want the Consulate here in the Netherlands to stay open so that we can continue to get the good and respectable and hospitable services that Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy and her staff render to us.
Please do not allow these enemies of progress to use the Sierra Leone community at large to pursue their own hidden agenda what ever that may be.
We want and need the Consulate General of Sierra Leone in The Netherlands open.
It must stay open. We need Madam Sabainya Lamboi-Bandamoy and we want her to stay as our Consul General in The Netherlands. After all you do not pay her, but she is giving us excellent service at her own expense.
Mr. Minister, please do the right thing by us.
Thank you
Concerned Sierra Leonean Citizens and Friends of Sierra Leone
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