By Angelica Adama Mansaray
Antonio Rudiger, that blessed son of a proud African (Sierra Leonean) woman, after winning the 2024 Champions League cup with Real Madrid, instead of holding the flag of the nation he was born, Germany, proudly waved the Green, White and Blue flag of his Mother’s land, Sierra Leone.
This simple action by Rudiger has gone viral among his brethren in Sierra Leone and across the diaspora for showing and demonstrating national pride and celebrating the nation.
Among other things, this action by Rudiger has put the small but significant nation of Sierra Leone back on the map, reminding the people of Sierra Leone of the importance of putting country first over all else.
The overwhelming response by the suffering but hopeful people of Sierra Leone is that we cannot be forgotten and that we can only win when we consider the Green, White and Blue over self or partisan interests.
This seemingly simple action by Rudiger has a bearing on what is currently going on in Sierra Leone today where the nation oscillates between a past and present of stark realities and a future of untold possibilities, which will only work when we work for and consider the national interest, the national tribe and national party.
All across Sierra Leone today there is widespread fear that June 19 will go down as another national day of infamy as with January 6, when a ragtag group of rebels marched into the sacred capital and laid it to waste.
There is call for nationwide protest action against national excesses bordering on impunity by a small group of people that would put their interest over those of the people and state.
It is also the day the Tripartite Committee, made up of representatives of the ruling party government, the main opposition and the international community established to look into the discredited 24 June 2023 presidential election. In a speech that has sent shockwaves across the country and wherever Sierra Leoneans are in exile, including among members of the international community but more especially ECOWAS, the president, speaking on the expected protest, threatened that protesters will be met bullet with bullet.
There is an atmosphere of fear that we could descend back to the dark days of the 90s, but much more devastating this time around.
The recommendations of the Tripartite Committee, no matter what they end up being, should not and never be a matter of do or die. In other words, no one should have to die as a result. Since they will be in the interest of Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans, they shouldn’t lead to a bloodbath but should instead lead to national introspection and the desire to do what is right for our society to be considered a mature and cohesive country that is working in the interest of peace and national reconciliation and prosperity.
Sierra Leone is a country of promise and untapped potential where the citizenry has never worked together and has not realised her true potential, all because of the selfish and narrow minded ambitions of a few people who put the interest of a part of the society over and above the collective interest of the whole.
Since Independence from Great Britain we can safely say that we have never worked together as a people belonging to one national tribe, that is, Sierra Leone.
This is why this simple action by Antonio Rudiger is one for our present situation, where those who don’t want us to move forward would want to see us in running street battles after the announcement of the Tripartite Committee that is working for the collective interest of the people of Sierra Leone, and not one region, party or tribe.
To reiterate, June 19 is the day the Tripartite Committee is expected to release its findings into our June 24, 2023 election and make recommendations for them not to ever be repeated again.
Therefore no matter what the Committee reveals, discloses or recommends, it will be based on what is good for the national tribe, Sierra Leone, and our national political party, Unity, Freedom and Justice, which is the ambition and hope of every human being walking this earth.
Instead of pushing us to take sides, the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee will save this nation as they will be based on the truth, nothing else.
Sierra Leone is rising. We are moving away from the labeling of the 90s and the pre-multiparty democratic years. We are also going past our bloody past to take our rightful place, our expected place among the comity of nations.
This great nation that was founded on the principles of freedom and justice to end impunity can never be allowed to be subjugated under the weight of disdain for and bastardisation of the rule of law.
On June 19, let us all consider putting Salone Foss (Sierra Leone First). Like our brother Rudiger let us take pride in the Green, White and Blue and do whatever will promote Unity, Freedom and Justice for our ‘Land that we love’.
It must be noted that for as long as we have never worked together as one to promote our national interest, it is interestingly during football games, during the time when our Leone Stars are playing international competition that you see the people of Sierra Leone coming together as one to cheer on and celebrate our boys.
That is when you as a stranger will know that, yes these people sure love their Green, White and Blue as all and sundry is decked in one or all of these our national colours.
Therefore June 19 will not be another January 6. As a matter of fact June 19 will vindicate January 6 as the day of our coming together as one people. June 19 will be the first day of our new direction as a land of Unity, Freedom and Justice, just as it was originally intended. It will be the day we finally decide to put national over personal interest, the day of our new dawn. Lonta!