By PEL Koroma
Information Attache’
Embassy of Sierra Leone
Washington DC
Question 1:
Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai you were appointed as Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Washington, DC in 2018. How have your journey been since you took over the seat?
Answer: Ambassador Wai
First of all, the journey has been inspirational and the inspiration comes from my President, H.E Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio. Anytime I sit with the President one on one, I look at him in his eyes and we exchange ideas. He inspires me more. President Bio believes in what he is doing, and I am blessed and humble to be a part of his team. Though the journey has been challenging, it is one of an opportunity. As a challenge, I inherited a system totally broken. Before I took over the Embassy as Ambassador, Sierra Leoneans did not visit the Embassy. They mostly said the Embassy did not care about them. My job was to find out why the people in the Sierra Leone community in America were not coming to the Embassy. It became clear that the previous administration ran the Embassy as an extension of the political party that was in power, just serving people with party cards. To me, that was unacceptable as the Embassy of Sierra Leone is supposed to serve Sierra Leoneans irrespective of their affiliation. With the mandate from my President, he told me to come to the United States to represent the interest of the people of Sierra Leone, and to promote the New Direction agenda. I decided to take the Embassy to the people. Do not take my words, go out and ask the people. We serve with fairness and compassion in any way we can. With that prism of openness, and moving the Embassy to the people, the Sierra Leone diaspora community opened up. When tragedy occurred in our country, the Sierra Leone diaspora community supported the COVID-19 initiative, the recent oil tanker explosion, and the 60th Independence celebration of our country.
There are 54 African Ambassadors accredited to the United States. ECOWAS constitutes 15 countries, and it is a privilege and opportunity for my colleagues of the ECOWAS Ambassadors Group in the United States to elect me as Secretary-General. And I am also serving as the Co- Chair for Diaspora Engagement and Public Affairs of the African Union Group of Ambassadors in the United States of America. The opportunity I have to serve my colleagues have triggered them calling me ‘The 911’ for the ECOWAS and AU Groups.
Also, working closely with my diaspora country men, they have recognized the work of the Embassy under my leadership, and now call me ‘The Peoples Ambassador’, and I am humbled by that.
Question 2:
How have you improved on the bilateral relations with the countries you are accredited to as Ambassador.
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
Several of our government’s signatory accomplishments – MCC, World Bank, IMF, USAID, FDC, the Congressional Representatives of the United States and State Department – these entities and organizations have not only supported the government of President Bio, they are also appreciating his leadership in the sub-region of Africa. I can state without hesitation that President Bio has become the go-to – person for wisdom and guidance evolving political drama that is unfolding in Africa. I have seen President Bio in meetings with the relevant stakeholders in the United States.
During the height of COVID-19 pandemic, United States did not only supply 113,490 vaccines to Sierra Leone when vaccines were scarce, the government of Sierra Leone has very recently during the oil tanker explosion received donations of medical supplies from the United States.
On February 19th, the largest concentration of American legislators will be descending on 8 countries in Africa. Sierra Leone will be the first entry point by the United States of America bi-partisan Group. This is happening because of the leadership of President Bio who had extended an invitation to the Chairman Gregory Meeks who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Hon. Gregory Meeks has responded more by taken along his colleagues. Being that February is celebrated as Black History month, Sierra Leone will pay a welcome tribute to one of their own, whose DNA shows being a Sierra Leonean. Thanks to the brilliant foresight of President Bio.
As an Embassy, we have visited Canada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and also the Embassy of Brazil, and we are now talking seriously about inter-country trade. The Embassy is now putting together a team of African- American trade Executives to invest in Sierra Leone. The delegation will be in Freetown this year.
Question 3:
What have your leadership achieved in the last four years?
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
I have made the Sierra Leone diaspora to feel good about their country again. Last year November and December, the Embassy experienced the largest inflow of Sierra Leoneans in the country. They feel good about their country now. And the Embassy staff are much involved with the diaspora community by attending community functions, awareness raising, creating and working in partnership with all political parties, youth organizations, social groupings to work together for their country. Through this collaboration, we have raised close to US$50,000.00 for the establishment of the Free Quality Education Basket Fund, in alignment with President Bio’s New Direction agenda.
The Embassy with support from the Sierra Leone diaspora community and friends of Sierra Leone were able to raise US$ 7.5 million in material and cash for the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone. We have also recalibrated our social support as an Embassy by working with Brennan Center at Rutgers University for the creation of the first private partnership to build the Burnt Center that will not only serve Sierra Leone, but also the Mano River Union.
After bringing the Embassy in compliance with the United States Homeland Security, the Visa sanctions on Sierra Leone have been lifted.
The Embassy also repatriated Etta Findlay and her daughter Scarlette who were stranded in Jamaica for several years but opted for the Embassy to repatriate them to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The Embassy has increased its working relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, and other sectoral institutions in Sierra Leone.
Question 4:
You are a humble leader, as projected by most of your country men in the United States of America. How did you navigate in making the Embassy a comfortable home for all Sierra Leoneans in the United States of America?
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
It happened by letting my brothers and sisters know that they are all welcome. The Embassy is here to serve their interest – rich or poor, educated or illiterate, we will fight for them, and we are here for them. The team at the Embassy do so with honesty. That policy of commitment into welcoming everyone that enters into our door has now become a common practice of my staff.
Question 5:
Mostly, Sierra Leone has projected her business-friendly environment, and its drive against corruption. Is this transparent business environment yielding any dividend to the country?
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
Oh absolutely. Transparency, good governance, and accountability have yielded so much dividend to the country. Sierra Leone has now become the destination for business.
President Bio has just been exalted to Chair the C10, to help reform the Security Council, and Sierra Leone is the sole candidate for the non-voting permanent category of the United Nations. That is huge. And if you look at all the work of Mr. Francis Ben Keifalla as Ant- Corruption Commission boss, he is frantically striving to recollect all ill-gotten wealth from corrupt officers. And Sierra Leone is rated highly in Africa in the fight against corruption. Sierra Leone government is now an experiment and it evolves over time and it is going to be you and me to move our country. We have to work together to take our country forward. I am privileged, blessed, and proud to be a part of that experience.
Question 6:
I witnessed for the first time, a Sierra Leonean to be given an honor and award by the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Department based on your former role as Policy Advisor to three Police Commissioners in New York City in the United States of America.
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
I give a lot of credit to Inspector General, Dr. Ambrose Sovula, whose leadership is gradually reforming our Sierra Leone Police Men and Women to improve public safety in our country. It was not just an honor that I appreciated, it provided me the unique opportunity to engage the Sierra Leone Police into a constructive and open dialogue between senior members of staff regarding training and professional development. Since that event, I have engaged top level high law enforcement agencies in the United States of America to consider collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police in advancement of training for their personnel.
Question 7:
What are your plans for the new year 2022?
Answer: Ambassador Wai:
Since mobilizing my colleagues, my country men and women to support any course that benefits our country – material supply, financial assistance, creating awareness, shedding light on the beautiful culture of Sierra Leone in the United States and the world.
I am determined to advance public and private partnership so that we could also involve the people of Sierra Leone into it – to lower the tension between the J-Cees or Just – Kam who assumed to have more advantage. And sometimes this brings problems, but our people should see us as true partners in development.