By Mohamed M. Sesay
In her quest to revitalize sporting activities and also bring peace and unity among locals of Port Loko District, the People’s Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima, has over the weekend done an official kick-off ceremony which marked the commencement of her maiden Le 50 Million football tournament dubbed as ‘ Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Unity Trophy’.
Addressing stakeholders and football loving fans before the opening match, Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima intimated that the intend for organizing her maiden Le 50 Million tournament was to help address the issue of drugs abuse among youth. She added that the intention for staging the tournament was to also help create peace and unity among the youth and stakeholders across the district.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Rachela Sesay Pessima disclosed that she had been organizing football tournaments year in yea out but exclusively within her chiefdom. She said when she was doing that she was not even thinking of becoming a Member of Parliament. Since she is now Member of Parliament, Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima intimated that she thought it fit to organize a bigger tournament involving all the thirteen Chiefdoms across Port Loko District. She emphasized that the tournament has no other motive other than to promote peace and unity across the district.
‘I have been organizing football but only for my chiefdom and by then I was not even thinking of becoming a member of Parliament. Now that I am a Member of Parliament, I decided to organize this first football tournament for the thirteen chiefdoms across Port Loko which geared towards promoting peace and unity in the district’’, she said.
In his statement of gratification, the Resident Minister for the North-Western Region Amb. Bond Wurie, expressed elation for the very fact that Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima could have such laudable initiative to organize a football tournament with the intention to promote peace and unity in the district. Ambassador Bond Wurie assured that such laudable initiative would engage the youth productively. He added that the organization of the Le 50 Million Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Unity Trophy is one of the means to discourage youth from engaging in dugs abuse. The Resident Minister also urged other stakeholders in the district to replicate the good step of Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima in engaging the youth productively.
On his part, the Vice Chairman of the Sierra Leone Football Association for Port Loko District Alhaji Foday Kamara Labay, confessed that the moves taken by Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima to stage a unity football tournament for the entire district were a novelty. He added that Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima is the kind of politician or representative Port Loko District needs. The Port Loko Football Association Vice Chairman expressed thanks and appreciation to Hon. Pessima for supporting the work of the football administration by staging such a huge tournament for the district. He concluded by assuring the Honourable Member of the Sixth Parliament that all the good works she is doing for the district would be recompensed by God in the not-too-distant future. Alhaji Foday Kamara Labay called on the players to maintain peace and unity throughout the tournament just as the name of the tournament implies ‘Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Unity Trophy.
The opening ceremony of the Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Unity Trophy was well attended by dignitaries in and out of the district. The opening match was between Tainkatopa Chiefdom and Maconteh Chiefdom. The host Tainkatopa Chiefdom secured three points by defeating the visitors Maconteh Chiefdom one goal to nil.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima and Presidential Adviser on Youth Desmond Pessima, awarding Man of the Match certificate.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima doing kick-off to commence the match bentween Tainkatopa and Maconteh Chiefdoms.
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