Tribute in honour of the Late Hon. Augustine Bockarie Torto
by Momodu Lamin Deen Rogers – Clerk, Parliamentary Committee On Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation
Freetown, Oct. 17 (SLENA) – It was a busy Thursday as it is usually the case in Parliament leading to that fateful day – Friday 9th October, 2015. News about the critical medical condition of Hon. Augustine Bockarie Torto had become an open secret, barrages of telephone calls, text messages here and there and meetings were taking place all in a bid to avoid the inevitable or to say the least to delay it. (Photo: Author: Momodu Lamin Deen Rogers, Clerk Committee on Foreign Affair in Parliament)
Several attempts to reach me in the early morning hours on Friday 9th October, 2015 proved futile but I knew any call at that time of the morning signaled an end of time.
Indeed, the journey of no return started at 1:00 a.m. on Friday 9th October, 2015 for the Late Hon. Augustine Bockarie Torto.
Hon. Augustine B. Torto and I first met in 2009 when I began my career as a legislative officer. For almost seven years I served him in different capacities. Until his demise or for the better part of the past three years, I served him as Clerk or Secretary General as he usually refers to me on the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation which he chaired.
To me, the late statesman was a rounded character, a harmless personality and a father figure. Having stayed in the United Kingdom for the better part of his youthful age – the Late Hon. Augustine B. Torto was a perfect blend of two civilizations.
Occasionally, he manifested the character of a colonial ‘English Master’ in keeping up to thoroughness, punctuality, time consciousness, frankness and generosity in the best way possible however little he can effortlessly provide. He usually said; “me Borbor, nar di intention matter.” Meaning: ‘’My son, it is the intention that matters’’
From an African perspective, he came from a ruling house, a son of a Paramount Chief therefore by extension a ‘’Mansaa‘’ from the Kono parlance – meaning chief. He respected tradition and understood his local people too well.
These qualities he displayed throughout his active political career as an elected official from 2002 until his demise on Friday 9th October, 2015. When in 2007, having served the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) all his life was denied the party label – he took the party label of the All Peoples Congress (APC) and won the only Parliamentary Seat in Constituency 025in Kono District.
In fact, from 2007 to 2015, he was indeed truly the only ‘’Kono Hopeful” for the APC in Parliamentary sense and to some extent the elected official from Kono district for the party. This further underscored the unreserved love and favour he enjoyed from the Chairman and Leader of the Party and President of the Republic – HE Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.
He was one of, if not the only modern day Sierra Leonean politician who had served the two (2) most potent political parties in the country from the ruling benches in Parliament. No one I knew of had ever done this in the style of the Late Hon. Augustine B. Torto. I recalled sometime last year in the usual Diplomatic Forum organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, he told the Diplomats that he holds a PhD in Winning Elections in Sierra Leone.
Personally, I have lost a mentor, a Chairman and above all a godfather. All my days with him, we had no barrier. The late man and I discussed everything under the sun. None in my life had I met somebody more older than me with such openness and experience but he was still up to his standards – he was indeed my life mentor – even when he was in the throes of death he used to ask “where is Rogers?”
Chairman! My Chairman! You have left me an orphan but your legacy lives on. The sogginess of death is unbearable but I pray the Lord Almighty will receive you in His comfortable hands.
Rest-in-peace – Hon. Torto and may light perpetual shine on you.
Credit SLENA
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