By Mohamed M. Sesay
Lokomasama Chiefdom in Port Loko District has, on Saturday, the 6th of January 2024, crowned Champion of the just concluded Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Le 50,000 Unity Trophy. The tournament's Grand Finale was a battle for supremacy between Lokomasama Chiefdom and Tainkatopa Chiefdom. The derby match was played for ninety minutes (90) with a goalless draw. The two teams went into a penalty kick, and Mother Luck smiled at Lokomasama to be crowned tournament champions by defeating Tainkatopa Chiefdom by 5:4 on penalties.
The keynote speaker at the ceremony, Hon. Alpha Kanu, lavished excessive praises on Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima for such a thoughtful move in promoting peace and unity in the district through football. He intimated that football is one of the activities that brings people together irrespective of their political affiliation. He called on other stakeholders to replicate Hon. Mariatu Sesay Pessima's laudable initiative to promote peace and unity in the district.
The Deputy Minister of Fisheries, who doubled as the chairman of the occasion, Haja Isata Abdulai Kamara, also commended Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima for bringing the youth together with a football tournament. She called on the youth to maintain peace in the district. She also called on the stakeholders in the district to come together for the generic development of the district. She specifically called on stakeholders of the Main Opposition APC party to work with stakeholders in the ruling regime so the development would be visible in the district.
On his part, the Regional Chairman of the Noth-West Football Association Amb. Abdul Osma Turay also lavished praises on Hon. Pessima for promoting football in the district. He confessed that Hon. Pessima is the one sitting Member of Parliament in the modern history of Port Loko to have organized such a colorful football tournament in the district. He presented football and other appreciation awards with a cup to Hon. Pessima in appreciation of her quest to promote football in the District. He intimated to all and sundry that the Regional Football Association would soon organize a Female Regional Football Tournament, which would be named the Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima Trophy.
The Presidential Adviser on Youth Affairs, who also doubles as chairman of the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party North America Chairman Desmond Pessima, admonished the youth of Port Loko District to continue to be peaceful. He said organizing the tournament promoted peace and Unity in the district. He disclosed that January 6th had been an unfortunate day in Sierra Leone, which citizens use to commemorate the rebel war that hit Freetown. The Presidential Adviser on Youth said they premeditatedly decided to organize the tournament on January 6th so that such a day would be used to preach peace and unity among the youth.
On her part, Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima expressed thanks and appreciation to all stakeholders in the district for accepting her invitation to grace the occasion. She also thanked the leadership of the Port Loko Football Association for their tremendous support in organizing the just concluded tournament. She said the tournament aimed to unite the youth and stakeholders to promote the district's peace and unity. She assured that the Hon. Pessima will be an annual event for the youth in Port Loko.
The ceremony climaxed with the Presentation of medals and certificates to stakeholders in the district for their role in promoting peace and unity. Another set of medals was presented to both teams, with other cash prizes to the best-performing players in the tournament.
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