By Mohamed M. Sesay (Lucky)
Due to her unimaginable love for football, coupled with her readiness to resuscitate Bai Bureh Warriors Football Club to gain its past glories and to save the team from relegation, the Mayor of the Port Loko City Council, who doubles as the Vice President II for the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), with consultation of the executive of Bai Bureh Warriors, appointed Hon. Amb. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima, President of the Bai Bureh Warriors Football Club.
In his pronouncement at the Bai Bureh Warriors Executive Meeting held in Port Loko, the Mayor appealed to Hon. Amb. Pessima to accept the honor as their ceremonial head of the Club. He added that he had also suffered the same pains to resuscitate Bai Bureh Warriors when they were facing relegation some years ago.
He said football is one of the means to unite a nation, adding that Port Loko District could only come together through Bai Bureh Warriors. He called on all and sundry to detach politics from Bai Bureh Warriors. He disclosed that the team has structure, including the executive and the board. He said there has been a gap in the position of the President for the Bai Bureh Warriors, which is the ceremonial health of the team. The mayor suggested that madam Pessima be the president of Bai Bureh Warriors which was joyously endorsed by all and sundry. This now means that, madam Pessima is now the ceremonial head of the team. He prepared the mind of Hon. Pessima that she would be bulleted even within the SLPP for taking up the task as President of Bai Bureh Warriors. The mayor reassured his support for Madam Pessima to take up Bai Bureh Warriors as long as it is geared towards promoting the people of Port Loko. He also called on Hon. Pessima to close her ears, wear bulletproof and prepare for the fight ahead especially from detractors.
The Secretary General of the Bai Bureh Warriors, Mohamed Speaking Kamara, disclosed that the team had existed for years, and in the past years, the team had been successfully participating in the Sierra Leone Premier League. He affirmed that due to the team's promotion to the Sierra Leone Premier League, the Port Loko District had been blessed and is currently benefiting from the refurbishment of the stadium with artificial turf. He highlighted some of the challenges the team faces, including but not limited to transportation and accommodation for the players. He also appealed that concerted effort is needed to redeem the team from relegation in the ongoing Leone Rock Premier League, prompting them to approach Hon. Pessima to be the Team's President.
The Chairman of the North-West Football Association, Abdul Osman Turay, said he was happy with the update from the Secretary-General. He noted that Bai Bureh Warriors and FC Lamoi are the only teams the region is looking forward to in teams representing the region at the highest level of football. He called on the Pessima family to accept the offer to save the team from relegation.
The Presidential Adviser on Youth, who also doubles as the Chairman for the Ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party Chairman Desmond Pessima, expressed thanks and appreciation for appointing his wife as Ambassador for the Northwest Region. He referenced that the Hon. Pessima started supporting football when COVID broke and that she started supporting football in her constituency just after COVID. He said just after the election, they organised the inter-Chiefdom Hon. Pessima Unity Trophy in the District with the supervision of the District Football Association with the motive of easing the rising political tension then. With the successful conclusion of the inter-chiefdoms unity trophy, he said the region honoured Hon. Pessima as Ambassador for female football. Just after that, he said the management of the Bai Bureh warriors approached Honourable to request her to take the team as the President. He lauded the ideal for the appointment of Hon. Pessima as the President of Bai Bureh Warriors. Therefore, he proposed that the team have excellent financial records and good management, review the contract for all players, and provide match bonuses to motivate the players, among others.
In her response, President Pessima graciously accepted the appointment pronounced by the Mayor of the Port Loko City Council. She assured that she would do all it takes to support Bai Bureh Warriors. She added that she would ensure Bai Bureh Warriors compete with Bo Rangers under her leadership. The meeting climaxed with a group photo.
Bai Bureh Warriors FC Stakeholders group photo after the appointment of Hon. Amb. Pessima President of the team.
Commenti