Thursday, May 27, 2010

Hassan Kamara's Graduation Ceremony

Most of the membership of Tegloma Minnesota chapter and other Sierra Leoneans, including Rev. Dr. Richard Shaka of the All Nations Christian Christian Assembly were at Bethel University in Arden Hills Minnesota on Saturday May 22nd 2010, to Join Hassan H. Kamara as he was awarded two Masters degrees in education and public health from the Baptist university. Hassan is also a graduate of Njala University College in Sierra Leone and North Hennepin College in Minnesota. He has an extensive background in education and health-care and is currently working in dialysis. Hassan is Married with two children, both of whom are academic all stars. Tegloma Minnesota congratulates our president. Bravo Hassan!!!








Saturday, May 22, 2010

Ambrose Bashiru Sidique Lamin

Lamin, Ambrose Bashiru Sidique Born 04 September 1947 in Kandor, Sierra Leone, West Africa, died unexpectedly but peacefully on 25 March 2010 at the age of 62 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Preceded in death by his beloved parents, Alhaji Sidique Lamin and Mommy Musu and Alfred Joseph Lamin and Mama Nancy. Survived by his wife and best friend, Kathy Herman-Lamin; daughter, Amanda Musu Lamin, and son, Sidique Bashiru Lamin; many brothers and sisters; and countless other relatives and friends. Ambrose came to Minneapolis in 1973 to complete his higher education; he received his bachelors and masters degrees in history and education at the University of Minnesota. His intentions were always to go back home to share his extensive knowledge in the Sierra Leone he loved so much, but unfortunately, war in the country kept him from fully achieving that dream. He was a resident of Minneapolis for 37 years. Ambrose taught for 20 years in the Minneapolis Public Schools as both a Social Studies and Special Education teacher, retiring in June 2007. Since his retirement, Ambrose spent part of his time in Sierra Leone, working on a retirement home by the sea for him and his wife Kathy. He was truly one of a kind; a most generous, thoughtful, fun loving, and dedicated man; his family, friends and students always came first. Teaching was his passion (not just his job), and he never missed an opportunity to share a bit of history with anyone he met. He loved music and dancing and could light up a room by his presence. If you met him once, you were a friend forever. Somewhere he is dancing and telling those who miss him so, in a voice like no other, "everything will be alright". The funeral and burial will be on 24 April 2010 at Jaiama Bongor Secondary School, Koribondo, Sierra Leone, a school he co-founded with his father and mentor A.J. Lamin and where he served as its first principal before coming to the U.S. A celebration of Ambrose's life is planned for 12 June 2010 (7pm-2am) at the Miracle Empowerment Center, 5801 John Martin Dr., Brooklyn Center.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tegloma Minnesota Mother's Day Dinner




In recognition of the role women; our wives, mothers, and siters, play in our lives, we the men of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter organized a Mother's Day dinner at the prestigious Red Lobster Restaurant in Fridley Minnesota, where the womenfolk dined on fine shrimp, lobster and other sea food, combined with an amazing array of appetizers, beverages and deserts. We had a wonderful time and the ladies have promised to more than reciprocate in kind on Father's day.




We will hold them to their word. Happy Mother's day to all women around the world, especially my mom Bakissa Bailay and her sister Kadiatu Bailay. May god grant them good health





















































































































































Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Njaluahun Chiefdom Amalgamation Saga



The post-paramount chieftaincy election activities in the Njaluahun Chiefdom, Kailahun District have taken new dimension leading to the creation of another chiefdom in that district.

Since the election of the new paramount chief, PC James Sheriff Coker-Jajua on the 11th December, 2009 at the Chiefdom headquarter town of Segbwema, there has been acts of disobedience from the side of the people of Old Jahn Chiefdom which comprises two sections against the new paramount chief-elect Njaluahun Chiefdom.

Njaluahun has twelve sections and it is a Class A chiefdom which depends mainly on mining and agriculture activities. The Jahn Old Chiefdom and the Old Njaluahun Chiefdom are amalgamated chiefdoms and according to the new Paramount Chieftaincy Act of 2009 which says where the chiefdom concerned is an amalgamated chiefdom, the declaration officer shall ensure that the conduct of the election of a paramount chief for that chiefdom is done on a rotational crowning basis.

This section of the Act was implemented by the Provincial Secretary East, S.K. Brima and the two Assessor Chiefs, P.C Alhaji Momoh Fowai of Dama Chiefdom in the Kenema District and PC Musa Ngombu Kla Kallon of Jawie Chiefdom Kailahun District.

During the declaration of rights on 9th November 2009 symbols were only awarded to the rightful candidates from the Jahn Ngbortor ruling house.

According to the Provincial Secretary, East, he was only been guided by the new Chieftaincy Act of 2009.

Jahn and Njaluahun, he said, are amalgamated chiefdoms and that it was the turn of the Jahn chiefdom to hold the crown.

The decision by the Provincial Secretary did not go down well with the Njaluahun people who, according to source, have ruled for more than 110 years.

The disgruntled Njaluahun people reported the matter to the government through the Minister of State, East, Hon. William Juana Smith who emphatically stated that the two chiefdoms were not amalgamated but that Jahn with only two sections were added to the Njaluahun.

Later, the Jajua, Gbow and the Betuwai ruling houses were also given symbols in Kenema for them to fully participate in the paramount chieftaincy election which was rescheduled for the 11th December 2009 in Segbwema.

Before the election, the people of Jahn, upon discovering documents confirming the amalgamation of Jahn-Njaluahun chiefdoms went ahead and petitioned the action of the PS in the High Court of Bo which was presided over by Justice Naomi Tunis while Sahr Quee Kamanda served as their solicitor.

According to the findings in the high court, the people of Njaluahun won the case because there were no proofs that the two chiefdoms were amalgamated.

The high court threw the case out of court and ordered the electoral commission to go ahead with the Njaluahun Paramount Chieftaincy election.

One of the brains behind the acts of disobedience who is also a human right activist, Foday Musa, told our reported in Kenema that their lawyer was influenced by politicians such as John Benjamin and others for him not to say the truth in court.

According to investigation mounted by this press in that chiefdom, the people of Old Jahn Chiefdom with two sections, Jonga and Fallay, on 26th December 2009 held a meeting at their chiefdom head quarter town of Gbeika to reflect on the history of their existence.

Appreciative of the provision of the Chieftaincy Act of 2009, confident of the fact that Jahn was a chiefdom in it own right and with its own paramount chief up to 1927, concluded that the Old Jahn Chiefdom was blended/Amalgamated with Njaluahun Chiefdom.

In that meeting the people of Jonga and Fallay sections expressed their dissatisfaction about the inconsistencies of the provincial secretary, East, S.K Brima. They also expressed their disgust over the undue influence of some politicians into the paramount chieftaincy election procedure.

“We were equally appalled by the unfriendly treatment meted out to the Jahn people,” they said.

A resolution was also taken in the meeting at Gbeika Jonga and Fallay section (Old Jahn Chiefdom) in the Njaluahun Chiefdom that effective 26th December 2009 they would cease to consider/regard themselves as part of Ngaluahun chiefdom but rather Jahn Chiefdom; that they shall henceforth have no chiefdom political/administrative relationship with Njaluation until the issue of amalgamation of Jahn and Njaluahun Chiefdom is addressed; that just as they did not participate in the paramount chieftaincy election, they do not recognize the defacto n paramount chief as a ruler for them and that any request, information or communication from old Njaluahun to Old Jahn chiefdom will not be considered important or valid.

The resolution further stated that they will not allow any team from Old Njaluahun to assess them for tax payment neither pay tax through them, that any chief (section village headquarters) who does not take instructions from the caretaker committee of the Old Jahn Chiefdom shall be replaced with immediate effect; that a committee of a nine- man including the two section chiefs is set on the day of the meeting headed by chief J.B Fobay, Section Chief of Jonga to oversee the old Jahn Chiefdom and that the paramount chief of Njaluahun Chiefdom with which Jahn is amalgamated stand petitioned until the amalgamation issue is resolved in a court of law.

According to sources close to the chiefdom, the 3 candidates from Ngbortor ruling house of Jahn Chiefdom and the one hundred four (104) chiefdom councilors boycotted the 11th December 2009 Njaluahun Paramount Chieftaincy election at Segbwema.

Speaking to the paramount chief elect through his phone line number 076-623688, P.C James Sheriff Coker Jajua said he was presently residing in Freetown because of those ugly developments in the Njaluahun Chiefdom.

He said since his election as the new paramount chief of Nualuahun Chiefdom he has not performed any official functions.

He said he has ordered the former Regent Chief who doubles as Chiefdom Speaker Chief Alhaji Sheku Senesie to take care of the chiefdom until the president Hon. His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma recognizes him as paramount chief of Njaluahun Chiefdom.

He described the act of the Jahn people as inhuman and enemies to the development of their beloved chiefdom and disclosed that the regent chief and the treasury clerk of the chiefdom have made written report to the Local Government and Rural Development minister, Alhaji Dauda Kamara through the Minister of State, Hon. William Juana Smith for the attention of the Government.

He called on his people to embrace peace and be law abiding and to forget about those petty jealousies that can hinder the growth of the chiefdom.

He disclosed that the Permanent Secretary of Local Government ministry Alhaji Lansana Koroma has instructed the provincial secretary, East to thoroughly investigate the matter by inviting the Jahn people to Kenema.


Written by Amadu Barrie in Kenema Wednesday, 20 January 2010


Getting Rid of Cable and my House Phone once and for all


Over the years I have been stuck with hundred of dollars in cable bill, mainly because I'm a movie buff who needs premium channels like Showtime and HBO in addition to my basic cable channels. My cable company has made it an annual exercise to jack up my rates, leaving us with monthly bills in the low hundreds. Another parasite in the wallet has been my local phone company. They charge for everything; call waiting, voice-mail, conference calls, local fees, etc, you name them.

I've have signed up for bundles, discounts, promotions and every conceivable scheme, just to clamp down on these astronomical bills with little effect; the bills just kept growing from month to month. I bundled my cable, house phone, and high-speed Internet into one package, instead of reducing my bills, they were all just rounded up into a convenient single expensive bundle after the promotions expired.

Today I am happy to say that I have finally kicked these guys in the rear and kicked both my telephone company and cable company out of my house while still pretty much enjoying most of the services I once had with these fellas. How did I do it?

The answer is simple; as long as you have a high speed connection in this technological age, you do not need a phone company or even cable!

Lets start with the house phone. I simply replaced my house phone with a magnificent little device know as the Magic Jack. I bought this device at best buy, simply connected it to the USB port on my computer and hooked up my house phone to it. There are no CDs that come with it or no technical computer knowledge involved. This wonderful device allows you to make free calls to USA and Canada for just $19.99 a year!!!. I was doubtful of the claims made by the device manufacture at first, but after having the Magic Jack for 6 months now, I can safely say it is one of the best investments I have ever made. The only drawback with the magic jack is that you should have a fast internet service and your computer should always be on. As my own computer is always on anyway, it suits me well. Another wonderful thing about the Magic Jack is that if you have a relative living in overseas with access to fast internet services, you can actually send a Magic Jack to them and you can call them or they call any number in USA and Canada for free any day and anytime. I am praying that fast internet soon goes to Sierra Leone on a wide scale.

So how did I get rid of my cable service. I got a high definition Roku box which can be bought at www.roku.com The Roku box is a Netflix streaming player. If you connect this box to your TV and sign up for Netflix $7.99 a month service, you can have all of Netflix's extensive movie library stramed live to your TV through the Roku box. These guys have more movies than Starz, HBO and Showtime combined. You can also listen to Pandora radio service free, listen to free International news, Have your facebook pictures and those of your friends streamed directly to your TV and many more services. The Roku box is just $100.00 one time purchase. This by all standards is a good deal. The Roku box is also very easy to set up, just like setting up your video or Blu Ray to work with your TV.

Though I am a technophile (I love new technology), you do not need to know a lot of technology to set up to set up these wonderful gadgets, and they will surely save you money in the short and long term. To day I have a phone service that calls free to USA and Canada and have access to thousands of movies streamed directly to my TV all for less than $14.00 a month, including taxes. What can beat that?

Sheku Sheriff
Brooklyn Park
Minnesota USA

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