Meet Victor Foh, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador designate to PR China
With strong determination on the part of President Ernest Koroma to ensure real and pragmatic success in his second term in office, especially in relation to the ‘Agenda for Prosperity’, he has appointed Victor Bockarie Foh (in photo), a seasoned politician and an experienced administrator, as Sierra Leone’s new Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China.
Born in Jimmi Bagbo, Bo District, in Southern Region of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh has over the years played a pivotal role in Sierra Leone’s political make-up, especially in the All Peoples Congress (APC) political party. Educated at the great Bo School and Fourah Bay College, then University of Durham from where he graduated with a B.A. degree in Economics in 1969, Victor Foh from 1970 to 1982, served as Assistant District Officer in Bonthe, Koinadugu, Bo and Kambia Districts and was Senior District Officer in Kenema and Kono Districts. He is vastly knowledgeable on Sierra Leonean issues, given his years of services as District Officer in the Sierra Leone Public Service in 8 (eight) out of 12 (twelve) Political Districts in Sierra Leone. In the 1969/70 school year, Hon Victor Foh taught Economics at the Ahmadiyya Secondary School, Kissy Dockyard Freetown as the first indigenous Sierra Leonean graduate teacher in that school.
As a strong, committed and dedicated member of the governing All People’s Congress party, Victor Bockarie Foh joined the party in 1970 as a registered card carrying member and has ever since continuously loyally and devotedly served it in several capacities including Regional Chairman Southern Regional and National Secretary General. Foh has never ever defected away from the APC even during the most challenging periods in the history of the party. It was as a result of his loyalty and invaluable services, that he was awarded the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Rokel (M.R) by the late President Siaka P. Stevens, Founder of the APC in the year 1978. Hon Foh was principal author of the current APC 5th December 1995 Constitution and the first Assistant National Secretary General under the said Constitution. He was elected to Parliament in 1996 where he was a fearless and constructive debater to the point of being acclaimed an expert of the Sierra Leone Constitution and the man of the down trodden. He has widely travelled to countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America and Africa on public, party and private business.
Meanwhile, reactions from Sierra Leoneans in Asia following Victor Foh’s appointment as Ambassador Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China has been commendable. In his words, Chairman for the APC Asian Branch, welcomed the appointment saying, “with a person like Victor Bockarie Foh that has the party at heart and one that is determined to support the successful implementation of the Agenda for Prosperity, and one that knows the interest of the country should not be toyed with, he is bound to succeed, coupled with the support he should get from all and sundry.” According to Turay Lamin, Victor Foh played a pivotal role in the formation of the Asia Branch of the governing All Peoples Congress party as seen when he came in 2011 for the formal launching. “His appointment could not have come at the right time”, Turay said, adding “ he is a valuable asset to the APC and one that will surely help to lift the diplomatic and people-to-people diplomacy between Sierra Leone and China in one hand and Sierra Leone and all the other countries the Embassy is accredited to, generally”
Alphajor Bah is out gone President for the Sierra Leonean Students in China. He said “although we will miss the departure of his predecessor, I think the new Ambassador is a perfect appointment t, considering his wealth of experience in the field of politics. He is a man with vast knowledge of the socio-economic and political ramifications of our country and one that has been playing a role in the Sino-Sierra Leone friendship. He is definitely someone that is going to continue with the gains that have already been made and in promoting the President’s Agenda for Prosperity.” When approved by Parliament, Hon Victor Foh succeeds Ambassador Abubakarr Multi-Kamara.
Sierra Leone’s diplomatic relations with China since 1971 have been of exceptional standing, taking into account how both countries have been working over the years to not only improve on such relations, but also, to see how there could be mutual benefits between the two countries. Since entering into diplomatic ties in 1971, China has been of great help to Sierra Leone in terms of completing a number of projects, such as stations for popularizing rice-cultivation techniques, road bridges, National Stadium, sugar complex, office buildings, hydropower station, power transmission and substation projects, civil housing. At present Chinese supported projects in Sierra Leone, include, but not limited to; the Regent-Grafton road; the million dollar new airport project on the mainland; Rice and robber project; Charlotte hydro dam project. Sierra Leone, it should be noted, also played a crucial role in ensuring China’s entrance into the UN Security Council at a time when most countries would not know how China will be today. That crucial role was played by SAJ Pratt when he was Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone. (Read Jolliboy “A Most Un-Ordinary African Boy”, pages 219-220)
The Sino-Sierra Leone cooperation of mutual benefit started from 1984 and it has been making serious progress since then. With offices in Beijing, China, the Mission is also accredited to a number of countries in South East Asia and the Pacific Region, including Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India and Australia among others. The Mission in China happens to be the largest Mission of Sierra Leone abroad.
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