The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington, has repatriated a deprived Sierra Leonean and her daughter from Jamaica.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Thursday, 4th March, 2021, presented the repatriated Sierra Leoneans to the Ministries of Social Welfare and Higher and Technical Education at a brief ceremony held at Tower Hill, OAU Drive, Freetown.
In her welcome statement, the Director, Directorate of Americas and the South Pacific, Ministry of foreign Affairs , Mrs. Isha Sillah, said that the roles of Foreign Service officers are not only limited to diplomatic engagements with accredited countries but also seeking and protecting the interest of vulnerable compatriots.
This role, she said, has been executed by the Ambassador, Head of Chancery and staff of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington, USA who did all they could to repatriate Ms. Etta Findley and her daughter from Jamaica where they had stayed for about two decades in challenging and deplorable circumstances.
Mrs. Sillah said that after Ms. Findley and her daughter arrived, the Foreign Ministry embarked on outreach meetings with the Ministries of Social Welfare and Higher and Technical Education, the two Ministries that would be charged with the responsibilities of resettling them into normal society.
Presenting the two Sierra Leoneans from Jamaica to the Director General and Ambassador-at-Large, Mrs. Florence Nyawa Bangalie, Mrs. Patricia Syl Kamara, First Secretary at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington, USA, narrated that, upon receipt of a social media news about the deplorable state of Ms. Etta Findley and her daughter, the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the USA, H. E. Sidique Abu Bakarr Wai set up a team headed by the Head of Chancery, Mrs. Rakie McCarthy to reach Ms. Findley and find ways of salvaging her situation.
Mrs. Kamara said in a telephone conversations held that, Ms. Findley had asked to be repatriated.
The Washington Embassy, she maintained, had facilitated exactly what she had asked for.
The Representative from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Mr. Sheka expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the support and efforts in repatriating Ms. Findley and her daughter to restore their welfare with dignity.
This, he said, is a mantra in Foreign Service, and added that he is pleased to hear that Sierra Leone is a country that ensures the welfare of its citizens is supreme in whatever condition. He pledged the Ministry of Social Welfare’s commitment to collaborate with the Foreign Ministry to restore the dignity of Ms. Etta Findley and her daughter.
He assured the Director General and Ambassador-at-Large, Mrs. Florence Nyawa Bangalie that the Ministry of Social welfare will give the two the appropriate psycho-social support and other required welfare services and reintegrate them with their family and into society.
A representative from the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education, Mr. Sidney Sankoh, assured the Foreign Ministry of the Education Ministry’s duty to provide quality education to the citizens of Sierra; and that the Ministry will enroll them into higher institutions of learning for them to actualize their dreams.
In her statement, the Director General and Ambassador-at-Large, Mrs. Florence Nyawa Bangalie expressed thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Minister and staff of the Foreign Ministry to the Ambassador and staff of the Sierra Leone Mission in Washington for facilitating the repatriation of Ms. Findley and her daughter.
She called on Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to be effective in collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on issues of great concerns.
The Director General emphasized that, intra ministerial cooperation is pivotal in nation building and must continue.
She appealed to the Ministries of Social Welfare and Higher and Technical Education to support and provide the services required by the two Sierra Leoneans in the areas of psychosocial support and education.
She concluded by commending the Director of America, Mrs. isha Sillah and staff for coordinating with the ministries in this instance.
Ms. Etta Findley in a delightful mood, thanked His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sierra Leone Mission in Washington for their immeasurable support in repatriating her and her daughter back home.
By Sallieu S. Kanu
09/03/2021. ISSUE NO: 8016