• Requires Africa’s financial independence
Linus Aleke in Abuja
A former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Mr Samuel Sam-Sumana, has expressed profound gratitude to Nigeria for its sacrifices in restoring peace to his nation, pronouncing the contributions of Nigerian troops would stay indelible in Sierra Leone’s historical past.
The previous Vice-President also known as for Africa’s financial independence to deter younger other people from migrating to Europe and The us searching for higher alternatives and dwelling prerequisites, regularly on the possibility in their lives, owing to a loss of alternatives at house.
Sam-Sumana made those remarks when the management of the Defence Correspondents Affiliation of Nigeria (DECAN) paid him a courtesy consult with in Abuja.
He mentioned Nigeria had performed a pivotal function in supporting Sierra Leone all the way through its war through offering troops and different kinds of help that helped repair peace and steadiness.
He said that army staff and civilians had paid without equal value within the battle, stressing the want to make certain that their sacrifices had been by no means forgotten.
“As a Sierra Leonean, I want to specific my profound gratitude for the function Nigeria and different nations performed in serving to Sierra Leone regain peace and steadiness,” he mentioned.
The previous Vice-President described Nigeria as a large brother in West Africa, stressing that the rustic’s steadiness and prosperity had far-reaching implications for the subregion.
“When Nigeria catches a chilly, the remainder of us sneeze,” he mentioned, underscoring the interconnectedness of West African nations.
Sam-Sumana additionally recommended DECAN to maintain its engagement with the army and improve skilled cooperation between defence correspondents and safety establishments.
He described reporters as indispensable companions in governance, duty and nationwide building, caution towards the tendency of political leaders to treat important reporting as an act of hostility.
“Positive grievance is very important to making improvements to public establishments and making sure that the ones entrusted with public duties stay responsible,” he mentioned.
In his remarks, DECAN President, Mr Odita Sunday, mentioned the courtesy consult with was once supposed to specific the affiliation’s appreciation to Sam-Sumana for accepting its invitation and taking part within the DECAN Convention and Awards 2026.