By Foday Moriba Conteh
During a well-attended ceremony held on Wednesday 21st December, 2022 at Freetown Golf Club, Lumley Beach, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) officially inaugurated the “Kushe en Kabo” event.
Professor Alpha Wurie, who was deputizing President Bio as the Guest of Honour, cut the tape to officially inaugurate the one day Kushe en Kabo event which, it was learnt was held in continuation of the 230 years celebration of the founding of Freetown, where former slaves, who worked on rice, corn, sugar and cotton fields during the 15th and 16th century, after gaining their freedom, settled.
Further pointed out during the event was that it has been 230 years now since the descendants of slaves from England, Nova Scotia, the America’s and the Caribbean were brought to the Province of Freedom, which is present day Freetown, that generations of slaves repatriated back home who are known as Krios have been coexisting with other tribesmen from the hinterland and those they met after they returned.
Professor Wurie after officially cutting the tape to open the one day programme of events moved around the various stalls imitating the original Krio style of living, which is like the Whiteman’s way of living, that was imported back home with regards to food and clothing, but said despite the struggles they went through, the Black Poor, as they were called, never forgot their roots, which is the African tradition and culture.
He admired at the print clothing commonly called Cabaslot and the shoes to match, known as canvas slippers made by using a special hand craft done by grandmothers as a way of passing time while transacting trade in their small shops.
Professor Wurie, while sipping homemade ginger beer, said despite he the fact that he hails from the provinces, Gbinti in the north, the Krio culture and tradition is partly responsible for what he is today and called on all descendants of the Krio Society across the country and the Diaspora to embrace unity citing that lack of togetherness has affected the unity of a people once admired for pursuing education as well as for their involvement in trade and commerce.
Professor Wurie recalled days during and after the colonial era when Krios were highly recognized for the roles they played in the day to day administration noting Krios were at the helm of affairs in different state institutions, both in Freetown and the hinterland.
He underscored that the new generation of Krios are no longer keen to serve in the public sector because many prefer to become professionals in various disciplines away from direct public service.
Professor Wurie said he is delighted that the new customary land rights now gives every citizen to own land anywhere across the country, and appealed to the Krio Diasporians present to repatriate back home and own land to invest and contribute towards sustainable national development, through public, private partnership. “We are One Country and One People, and no should be left behind. It is time for all ethnic groups to rethink and buckle up to serve the land that we love, in order for posterity not to judge us,” he concluded.
Kobi Walker, a member of the Krio Descendant Union (KDU) intimated that this is the first “Kushe en Kabo” event that has been organized by the Union in recognition of the 230 years of the founding of Freetown as a result of the abolition of the slave trade by Sir Mansfield, William Wilberforce and Granville Sharp who thought that the black poor have toiled and tilled lands enough and it was time to let them go.
He added that the items displayed on stalls for sale were for fund raising and at the same time reminded members that their fore parents were entrepreneurs and despite acquiring professional knowledge and skills, they should not forget the sources that paid tuition fees to make them what they are in society.
He assured that the Kushe en Kabo will now be an annual programme and highlighted the many development plans lined up to be implemented for the further growth of the KDU including a bank to assist those in trade and commerce and also to re-create a Krio village museum, to complement tourism.
Local Community Head at Regent, Rev. Leonora Jokobi Metzeger also appealed to Krios in the Diaspora to come back home and rebuild citing that their absence is a cause many colonial traditional structures are losing value and land are being lost to non indigenes.
She added the old tradition of communal living is quickly fading away including the collective efforts to bring children up in the manner they should grow.
The climax of the event was the reading out of Goodwill messages from both the KDU President in Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
