By Amin Kef (Ranger)
After speculations were put to rest that Eid-ul-Fitri or Pray Day will fall on Friday, the 21stApril, 2023, thousands of Muslims from various walks of life in Freetown, dressed in colourful and attractive attires, went out to offer prayers in Mosques and playing fields to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, which was characterized by fasting, from dawn to dusk.
They converged at various mosques and fields, in the early hours of the morning, to offer prayers, thanking Allah for seeing them through the Holy Month and to ask for His forgiveness, provision and protection.
Among those in Freetown who left their residences to offer prayers was the officially endorsed, highly acclaimed, revered SLPP Mayoral Aspirant and well known philanthropist, Mohamed Gento Kamara, his wife, who is a Christian, and entourage who joined other Muslims at the Masjid IImo Zike or Old School Masjid on Hill Station in the West End of Freetown to end the Month of Fasting.
Dressed in a beautiful white embroidery gown, Gento, as he is popularly known, exuded peacefulness, charisma and authority as he and his wife interacted with others present , exchanging pleasantries and cracking jokes just at the same time as more people were thronging outside the Masjid , some not really to offer prayers but just to have a glimpse of him and to manifest their acknowledgement and support for his political bid of contesting for the Mayoral position of the Freetown City Council in the forthcoming June 24 Multi Tier election . The atmosphere was buzzing with noise coming from milling crowd that was growing larger as more and more people were coming for prayers and converging within the precinct of the Mosque.
Probably, unknown to some, it could not be a coincidence that His Excellency, the President, Dr Julius Maada Bio, the First Lady, some Cabinet Ministers and other public officials headed on that same day to the same Old School Masjid to join hundreds of Muslims to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan and to offer prayers to Allah.
As the President , the First Lady and entourage alighted from their vehicles they were received and welcomed by Mohamed Gento Kamara , who together with the Imam of the Masjid, accompanied them inside the Mosque where they all offered prayers making supplications for peace and national cohesion, economic prosperity on behalf of the nation and more especially for Allah to make it possible for the country to go through a very peaceful elections, come June 24 and for violent eruptions not to mar the conduct of an election which is expected to be transparent as well as for the outcomes to be acceptable to both the winners and losers without any fuss and fight.
While addressing the congregation, after prayers, President Bio said indeed it is a great day to see the end of Ramadan as people from different backgrounds come together without expressing any form of differences and not out of any political affiliation further demonstrating that all are one people.
The President underscored how it is only out of faith in God that they ended the month of fasting expressing his satisfaction to see such transpiring. He further expressed the wish of the country having a peaceful election further underpinning that everybody has his or her inalienable right to his or her political choice stressing that there is no need to hurt someone because of his or her political choice or leaning.
As the President, First Lady, Gento and other dignitaries were exiting the Masjid, a large crowd of Gento’s supporters who were milling around the vicinity of the Masjid could not restrain their emotions but to expressed them outwardly in the form of Koranic songs, chants and songs of praise, support as well as thanks for all what they say the philanthropist has so far done for them as a way of showing gratitude.
One thing that was spectacular and audibly evident was when some of them were heard telling others that he, Gento, is the very man who donated 2,500 bags of rice, 500 bags of sugar and a handsome amount of money, precisely Le 500 Million Old Notes to Muslims of different Mosques in the East and West Ends of Freetown for the purpose of breaking the fast.
It was underscored that it is not only because he has manifested interest in vying for the position is the main reason why he has been so generous firmly underscoring that to selflessly give to others is part of his nature and it is ingrained in his DNA.
Others spoke loftily of his firm conviction that as a nation for national cohesion to prevail which is important in laying the foundation for solid economic development religious tolerance must be embraced pointing to the fact that though he is a Muslim by religion, however, his wife is dedicated Christian and they are getting along fine. They maintained that such is how Sierra Leoneans must co-exist in a manner that would jeopardize the country’s hard earned peace and fragile state.
They also mentioned his fulfillment of a promise to rehabilitate a bridge at Kroo Bay, electrifying a whole community and of his numerous acts of generosity with the aim of lifting people out of poverty.
It was visibly seen how those learning of his deeds were highly impressed, heaving sighs of relief and making positive comments about him like stating how he may be the God sent saviour to deliver the Freetown Metropolis from its shabby state reiterating that he has all the qualities of becoming the right the Mayor to lead the Freetown City Council stressing how as a result of him having a golden heart he is someone they will not hesitate to entrust with authority out of the confidence and firm belief that he will leave indelible footprints in sands of history and take Freetown to a level that will make it an envy in the West African Sub-Region maintaining that it could only be wise for Freetonians to vote massively in support of him come June 24.
