If the out-going President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Koroma, has his way, he would want his successor to continue with the level of cooperation his administration maintained with Nigeria. Mr. Koroma made this known when he unveiled his would-be successor and flag bearer of the ruling All Peoples Congress, APC, Matthew Kamara, to the Nigerian community in Abuja.
He said he chose to unveil his successor in Abuja due to Nigeria’s involvement in the economy and private sector in Sierra Leone. In an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Abuja, President Koroma expressed his gratitude to Nigeria for supporting his administration, describing Nigeria as an important part of Sierra Leone which has been assisting his country over the years.
The Sierra Leonean leader stated that his visit to Nigeria was to bid the country farewell as President because his second term would expire on March 7, 2018.
While introducing Mr. Kamara to Nigerians, the President said: “After dissolving the Parliament on December 7, 2017, I immediately started a road show in the country to thank the people of Sierra Leone for giving me the opportunity to serve as president and to also introduce my successor and I say it in definite terms.” President Koroma pointed out that the ruling party endorsed Mr. Kamara because of his experience in governance especially after working with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank.
He stated that Mr. Kamara had also served as Financial Secretary, Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Minister of Finance and until recently, as Foreign Minister. “As I am leaving office, I believe he is the most appropriate person to continue with the Sierra Leone-Nigeria engagement. He has been part of what we have done and I believe whatever challenges we had in some of the relationship, he has the experience to address them, so that we can have an excellent relationship, not only at governance level but also at private sector and people-to-people-level”.
President Koroma acknowledged that during the recent crisis in Sierra Leone, Nigeria supported his country and saved it before the United Nations and other agencies stepped in. He declared that as the country was developing and positioning itself for Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, the government was looking forward to more of Nigeria’s participation in that regard.
In his remarks, the presidential hopeful, Mr. Kamara, described Sierra Leone as a limited liability company, stating that he was in Nigeria to urge the people to partake in the country’s share capital, which was endless. “I know what it means for any country to have Nigeria behind it. President Koroma had built the necessary foundation for private sector investment with strong economic base, social part and a secure environment,” he said.
