7 April, 2008

Courtesy of  Wilfred Leeroy Kabs-Kanu

After listening to Vice-President Sam Sumana , Sierra Leoneans say Country is in Good Hands

Yesterday's town meeting in New Jersey gave many Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to meet the Sierra Leonean Vice-President, Chief Sam Sumana in a closed session for the first time and for once they were able to make their own independent assessments of the man thrust with the responsibility to work with President Ernest Koroma to create a new Sierra Leone.

Quite frankly, Vice-President Sam Sumana was a man much misunderstood because most of what many people in the diaspora knew about him came from the press in Sierra Leone and with sections of our media noted for its negativity and witch-hunting, the Vice-President appeared to have had a raw deal from the dissident press.

Yesterday, some of us had the opportunity to meet Sam Sumana for the first time ... and yesterday many people in the diaspora had cause to revise whatever opinion they had formed about the Vice-President based on the press reports. The town meeting became his examination room, where first impressions had to be indelible to make him appear equal to the task, or sour and forever condemn him to the bad books of diasporans . Many Sierra Leoneans turned examiners last night .Their verdict: EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE by Vice-President Sumana.

On the diaspora's biggest political stage last night, Sam Sumana sparked like Christiano Ronaldo of Manchester United when faced with a scoring opportunity. The VP impressed all who listened keenly to the message he had brought from the seat of power in Sierra Leone. He was convincing and credible.

“One of the marks of a good leader is his understanding of the issues and the masterly manner he lays them across extemporaneously to his audience.  You have to know the issues at hand to understand how to solve them. As  was said by  one of my external examiners,  who watched me 'student-teach'  for my Masters degree in Special Education  two years ago, (after spending only 15 minutes to assess me). "By just sitting behind the classroom and  listening to my student teachers, it does not take long for me to assess whether they are great teachers who are going to be equal to the task before them or not. I know the things I am looking for and 15 minutes is too long for me to see them. I have been in this business for 40 years and as soon as I watch a teacher speaking and controlling his class, after 15 minutes I am able to know immediately whether he knows his stuff or not."  Without any prepared speech or notes last night Mr. Sam Sumana looked his audience in the face, addressed the American diaspora and demonstrated that he knew why the people voted for the APC, what was needed to satisfy the expectations of the people and how to get there. This is a big plus, considering the fact that many leaders are so out of touch with reality that they don't see the issues like their people see them.

In truth, Sam Sumana cut the picture of a very intelligent man last night. He came in cool, calculated and composed, listened keenly to all the opening formalities and introductions and when the time came for him to speak; he took the podium with stunning confidence and addressed his people and foreign guests and stakeholders with aplomb. At no time did he seem to be at loss with the words he wanted to use or pictures he wanted to create.  He laid out the issues clearly and explained their solutions well.

Both during his speech and when he  carefully provided well-coordinated answers to questions posed by curious Sierra Leoneans, as well as during my interview with him at his hotel, His Excellency Sam Sumana demonstrated an excellent and amazing  knowledge of the problems of Sierra Leone. He had statistical data that he quoted off head and he traced every problem to its root cause and then explained the solutions with succinct flair and fidelity. He was also very honest -- very honest enough to acknowledge that the government needed the input of each and every citizen to help it arrive at these solutions.

Unlike a particular politician who got easily rattled and agitated  with some questions during a famous sensitization town meeting almost two years ago at this same New Jersey, Chief Sam Sumana's calm and composed response to all the questions showed a patient leader who is not easily aggravated even by mischievious questions. And patience is a big virtue in leadership.  During that other town meeting by a rival political candidate, people were quickly turned off by the snide and evasive answers of the respondent and his tendency to seek to ridicule those who asked him difficult questions. No wonder chaos nearly broke out during that meeting. This time, New Jersey witnessed a different spectacle .This Vice-President understood the issues and patiently took his time to answer all questions.

The remarkable moment came when war victim, Salifu Kamara (on crutches) wanted to know what plans the government had put in place to help "handicapped people" like himself. The young boy, animated by his plight, took too long to frame his questions as organizers expressed concern that the VP had to go and rest after a long flight from Sierra Leone and a tedious drive to New Jersey from New York. But with empathy, the VP listened carefully to the young man. After the boy, who defied those urging him to finish quickly, decided to hand over the microphone at last, Vice-President told him frankly: "You are not handicapped. Do not say you are handicapped, for you are not. You are only physically challenged," he admonished the young man sympathetically. The VP said that though the young man was physically challenged, he was not handicapped because he was capable of rising above his handicap to accomplish his goals, if he had the will. What could have been more impressive! The Vice-President had taken his audience to the Special Education classroom.  He also told the audience the plans being put in place by the government to help victims of the war.

Also impressive about the VP was his patience and endurance. Here was a man who had just come from a long 10 -hour flight from Sierra Leone and an hour's drive from New York in boring, exhaustive traffic jams. He had not rested. You could see that he was tired, but the Vice-President himself never complained and took more questions than the organizers desired.

When he was reminded about his interview with Cocorioko which was to follow soon after in his hotel, I was frankly expecting the VP to tell his Protocol Officer or Minister of State to plead for a postponement on grounds of tiredness, which would have been justified. But the Hon.Sam Sumana willingly allowed the interview to go on. At one stage, his exhaustion was clearly evident and I asked to cut the interview short, but the Vice-President told me to go ahead and ask more questions if I wished. I could not pass by such an opportunity. I continued firing the questions and the VP took his time to answer all with calm precision and thoroughness.

After our interview was done, the Vice-President was told that there were many persons outside wishing to talk to him. He never complained one bit.  I was surprised when the Protocol Officer started ushering in the first set of guests and he was heartily received by the Vice-President. I quickly bade farewell and left the room for the crowded foyer where his entourage and APC stalwarts had camped.  

One thing that personalities like Ernest Koroma and Sam Sumana have brought to leadership in Sierra Leone is HUMILITY. And this is the same spirit being demonstrated by the Ambassador, Mr. Bockarie Stevens, who says that one of his main goals will be to bring together Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to one common objective --The interest of the nation. He plans different meetings with different Sierra Leone organizations and personalities.

After New Jersey listened to the Vice-President last night, the people gave their verdict. Most Sierra Leoneans were so impressed that they admitted that Sierra Leone was now in very good hands .Both inside and outside the hall last night, Sierra Leoneans gave high marks to Vice-President Sam Sumana for the fascinating manner he answered questions and for his powerful speech asking Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to return home to help rebuild their country. The Vice-President connected with his audience and they took his plea seriously.

They had listened before to President Ernest Koroma in New Jersey. They voted for him because Ernest Koroma impressed them that he knew what it took to bring Sierra Leone back to her old glory. Now, with this Vice-President, who also impressed when it mattered most last night, it was easier for the crowd leaving the hall to conclude that Sierra Leone is in good hands. Our leaders knew the problems facing our nation and the solutions.  All that remains now is for the nation to throw its weight behind them and for our leaders to continue to turn their ideas into positive action for the betterment of the Sierra Leonean people.

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