The Board Chairman of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Sorie Fofana has called on youths in Manjoro, Kamasikie, Katumpu, Kamathun and Kanikay towns in Biriwa Chiefdom, Bombali district to take active part in the voter registration exercise and remain law-abiding citizens. He hails from Manjoro town, Biriwa Chiefdom in the Bombali district.
In an engagement with youths and stakeholders in the various towns separately on Saturday, 27th August, the NCRA Board Chairman appealed to them to refrain from violence and exercise their franchise peacefully. He noted that peaceful co-existence had been the culture of their forefathers.
“I have only two messages for you today: non-violence and voter registration…You all know the voter registration process has been launched by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone…It is therefore the right of every eligible Sierra Leonean to register and vote when elections are due in June 2023….Violence has never been part of our culture and we must do everything to be non-violent and uphold our moral valuesโฆLet us remain peaceful, calm and be respectful as we are all one peopleโฆThere should be no need for us to be divided because of politics or tribe”, he admonished.
Chairman Fofana admonished the youths to embrace the gains Sierra Leone has made under the leadership of President Dr Julius Maada Bio especially in the areas of the free quality education program, the school feeding program and the rural electrification project and jealously guard government institutions and properties as nothing can be achieved through violence.
“We should tolerate and respect each other as that is the only way we can develop as a country…I therefore appeal to our religious leaders, youth leaders and politicians to take this message far and wide so that we all will live in peace and harmony” he emphasised.
The Mammy Queen of Kamasikie Town, Madam Marilyn Barrie, called on the youths to embrace peace and tolerate each other. “When you come to Kamasikie or Manjoro, you will never see divisive politics or tribalism because we have Mandingos, Fullahs, Limbas and Lokos living together and doing things in commonโฆWe appreciate what your annual ‘Sicco Trophy’ has been doing for our youths especially in promoting peace, co-existence and sports,” she said.
Mohamed Sesay, a youth in Kamasikie called on others to learn from the recent violent insurrection that took place in some parts of the country where no politician came forward to sympathize with protesters that were arrested around the country. “We must not die for ungrateful Politicians,” he warned.
Various town chiefs, religious leaders and elders appealed to the youths to take the non-violence message to their various communities in and around Biriwa Chiefdom in the Bombali district.
