By Aaron Bundu Lahai-Head of Media & Public Relations
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh-Vice President of Sierra Leone has on Tuesday 23rd March, 2021 formally launched the centenary celebration of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Sierra Leone. The launching took place at Family Kingdom, Aberdeen in Freetown. During the launching ceremony, Vice President Jalloh commended the Ahmadiyya Mission for the dedicated service to the people of Sierra Leone in the areas of education, health, agriculture and religion.
The Mission, Vice President Jalloh stated has provided education to thousands of Sierra Leoneans. Dr. Jalloh commended the Ahmadiyya Mission for the construction of over three hundred schools and over one thousand and four mosques across Sierra Leone.
Vice President Jalloh again lauded the Mission for the construction of clinics that are catering for the health and welfare of Sierra Leoneans. Vice President Jalloh noted the expansion of the Mission’s activities into the agricultural sector. The Honourable Vice President referred to the Ahmadiyya Mission as an Ambassador of the Human Capital Development, which is the key element of the Bio’s administration. He explained the Mission’s support towards education, health, agriculture among others as the reason for conferring the Ambassadorial status on the Mission.
Vice President Jalloh highlighted President Bio’s dedication of 22% national budget to education; including payment of school fees to over 2.6 million pupils, provision of teaching and learning materials, and provision of transportation for the pupils. Dr. Jalloh further highlighted the increased in budget in the health sector from 6% in 2018 to 11.4% in 2021; including the recruitment of over four thousand additional health workers, Government decision to make hospitals in the districts viable and functional to prevent people travelling to Freetown for minor medical services, and the construction of clinics to new areas.
Vice President Jalloh maintained that the achievements of Ahmadiyya Mission are numerous, and therefore called on Sierra Leoneans to celebrate the missionaries who came to Sierra Leone to establish the Mission for their heroism. He thanked the Mission on behalf of President Bio for the support to the people of Sierra Leone.
Bishop Tamba Charles of the Catholic Diocese of Freetown lauded the Ahmadiyya Mission for contributing to health care services and nation building. Bishop Charles praised the Mission for making available their health and school facilities to Sierra Leoneans irrespective of their religious affiliation. He congratulated the Mission for their joyful occasion of launching the centenary celebration for the active present services and development in education and health in Sierra Leone.
Victor Bockarie Foh-former Vice President of Sierra Leone described Ahmadists as humble people, and Ahmadiyya as a Mission that teaches morals. Victor Foh encouraged Sierra Leoneans to throw away violence and tolerate peace. He further encouraged Sierra Leoneans to stop tearing themselves apart and embraced peace. “Democracy is a beautiful political philosophy and theology” former Vice President Foh stated, but cautioned not to over play democratic game; this is to ensure that political players do not find themselves in an unexpected destination he warned. Victor Foh assured the participants of his continuous humble demonstration that power comes from God, and called on politicians to play politics well when it is their turn and give others chance when it is their turn. Victor Foh was the first Sierra Leonean and black to teach among the Pakistanis at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Freetown in 1969. The launching ceremony was chaired by the Amir and Head of Ahmadiyya Mission in Sierra Leone Saeed Ur Rahman.
