No role model in Sierra Leone
Role models – these are exemplary people in society. They are people of substance and worth emulating positively. From a broader spectrum, we have role models in every sphere of life. But in Sierra Leone today, there is hardly any role model to admire, let alone emulating them. In developed societies, people emerge as role models from different facets of life. People are often referred to as role models due to their performance and excellence in a particular field of endeavour.
In Sierra Leone today there is no semblance of a role model. Role models can be seen in areas ranging from history, politics, engineering, education to name but a few. Education, for instance, has been a beacon of hope and admiration for many Sierra Leoneans particularly and West Africans in general for having the first institution of higher learning called Fourah Bay College, fondly referred to as the ‘Athens’ of West Africa. Taking a retrospective view of our educational achievement, there were glimmers of hope for role models in Sierra Leone. In the 60s to 70s, there were people we used to refer to as role models in terms of education. During those eras, though we were young to discern and analyze properly, we often hear our elders adoring or admiring the likes of John Karefa Smart, Professor Davidson Nicol, prominent lawyers like Bathern Macauley (Sr.), Joko Smart et-a, recognizing them as role models.
But in Sierra Leone today, little do we care or talk of role models as motivation to our own development. Who knows, this might have been one of the reasons responsible for the (massive) brain drain in the country.
We see the flight of our professionals and educationists and the like out of the country all in the name of accessing greener pastures. Remember, whatever must have been the development of other countries as we see and admire them today in terms of technological infrastructures, there must have been role models they emulated. Humankind from wherever they found themselves had been learners or imitators of others’ own good works. In the history of mankind, developments at whatever level must have been triggered by others before them. There is no development that has taken place in a vacuum or independent of other people’s ideas.
If we must develop in Sierra Leone, we must have national role models from whom we can draw inspiration and tailor our children’s future for a better Sierra Leone. Role models that have distinguished themselves in life are a good source of motivation to our children. Politics in Sierra Leone in the early 1960s used to be spearheaded by role models, but in Sierra Leone today, there is no one you can find in our political arena that could qualify as a role model. They are all dead and some in perpetual exile. Even those that are living in the country are not given the chance to exhibit their talents as they fear political machination.
We used to have role models in the 50s and 60s, but today it is different as we now have crooks and deceitful politicians that have marred the face of politics in the country. In the 1950s right up to the sixties when politicking started in this country there were role models; the likes of Sir Augustus Strieby Milton Margai, Sir Albert of Africa, I.T.A Wallace Johnson et-al, these were people of worthy of emulation by then. But today, where are our role models?
On the contrary, in Sierra Leone today our politics is all about maximizing profits rather than providing basic social services for the people they claim to represent. Sir Milton Margai was a role model in the Sierra Leonean political arena because he preached unity, love and cared for his people. One way he manifested his love for his people was by seeking their interest. He made sure cost of living was within the reach of the people. For example he will know how much a cup of rice cost in the markets.
Beside this laudable history of the late Sir Milton Margai, finger can be pointed at Ernest Bai Koroma, of the new APC and probably few ministers in his cabinet of being role models in practical terms. H.E Ernest Bai Koroma is indeed a role model of our time; and the very fact that he had the courage to incorporate some members of the opposition into his cabinet is one basic quality of a role model. Another role model in the APC regime is Mohamed Daudis Koroma in the Ministry of Health; probably it is because of his pro active stance in the ministry. Sierra Leoneans are beginning to earmark him as a role model because he goes out to the field and monitor what is happening in the Ministry.
There used to be role models in the Ministry of Education, but today we can hardly point fingers at one. The likes of Alpha Wurie’s father and Alpha himself were role models. During their terms of office education was at its peak in the country. Education in present day Sierra Leone is dwindling on a daily basis, especially in the area of external examinations. Poor WASSCE and BECE results are the order of the day. With such situations it is crystal clear that we lack role models in Sierra Leone.
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