Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio Attends Funeral of Former Driver of First Lady, Says the Late Man Was a Patriot Who Liked His Country and Committed to His Job

Waterloo Community, Western Rural District, Thursday 23 March 2023 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio, First Lady Fatima Bio and senior government officials have joined family members and friends in mourning the death of the late Kellah Sillah, the First Lady’s former driver, at the 555 Cemetery in Waterloo.

President Bio addressed the bereaved family and the Muslim Jaamat present, saying, “I am here as President and as the late man’s father. I won’t say we are happy to be here today because of the funeral, but I’m here to express my condolences to the family and the community for the loss of a young patriotic man. I am joining you in prayer as we ask for forgiveness. May Allah continue to forgive and show mercy on him and to all of us on earth.

“Let us not let politics divide us as a people and a nation. We are all brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone. We should love one another as citizens, just as Allah loves us as His children. So, on election day, I urge all citizens to vote their conscience for the candidate in whom they believe and trust, and to refuse to be used by politicians to undermine the nation’s peace and stability”.

The President also noted that he appreciated the Muslim Jaamat in that community for allowing them to give their last respect and say their final prayers to their brother before he was laid to rest, adding: “We pray that Allah will forgive him with mercies for his wrongs committed while on earth and that his soul may rest in perfect peace”.

The Imam, Alhaji Abdul Rashid Kamara, thanked the President for his efforts to ensure Muslims in that community benefited from the scholarship to perform the previous Hajj Pilgrimage. “His Excellency, we the Muslim community in Waterloo appreciate you for the Pilgrimage scholarship, and I also want to inform you that we have been praying for you since then,” he said.

The man of God also noted that although they were bereaved and they sympathized with the First Lady for the death of one of her security personnel, and also for the death of their brother, Kellah Sillah. He recalled that the late man was part of the Muslim Jamaat in that community, adding that he would join the people of Waterloo to extend their heartfelt condolences to the families.

“The late man was important and vital to this mosque and the Jaamat. We are aware of the fact that we are bereaved but, today is the first day in Ramadan, and we should appreciate the work of our President for visiting our community, and for also championing development in our country. May you depart in peace, and may Allah grant you more wisdom as you continue to lead this nation,” he prayed.

Resident Minister of the Northwestern Region and Presidential Spokesman, Alhaji Alpha Bakarr Sahid Kanu, observed that the President had wanted to visit the community in a happier time than in a moment of grief.

“His Excellency, your visit today demonstrates that the country has a leader, and if we let you go, it will be difficult to have a leader like you because your type of leadership only occurs once every 100 years in our country.

“Allah says, I made all mankind, but before that, I made death first, to show that every human being will return to Allah one after the other one day. The foundation laid by President Bio is what the country is enjoying today, and his coming back as a civilian president has resulted in the many developments and recognitions of the country at the international level,” he informed.

For more information: State House Media and Communications Unit

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