President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has congratulated and commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat for their contributions towards the development of Sierra Leone in the areas of education, health and overall development of the country.

He was speaking at the 52nd Jalsa Salana annual conference of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Sierra Leone in Bo City, last Friday.

The Head of State thanked the people of Bo and more especially the Muslim community for their efforts in the just concluded elections in November last year. “In my second term, I hope to implement the “Agenda for Prosperity”, but prosperity will not come from the Heavens, wake you up and deliver prosperity on a silver platter”, he said, adding that “discipline is needed to make this happen”.

Without discipline, he went on, progress will not be made, saying the Muslims are an example of a disciplined institution, particularly in their behaviour during the Convention, and the way they comport themselves during prayers.

He thanked the traders, okada riders and all those who have cooperated to ensure that lawlessness is relegated to history.

“We must follow the example of the traders and Okada riders by being disciplined in our offices, in the medical sector, in the educational sector and in every sector as no country can transform by magic” the Head of State urged.

President Koroma further maintained that when Sierra Leoneans travel to the US or UK, they behave very disciplined because those societies are disciplined and relatively have no place for lawlessness. “But immediately when they land at Lungi, they start to show traits of indiscipline and lawlessness”.

This, he said, must stop if Sierra Leone is to move forward.

Earlier, the President said the Ahmadiyya Mission continues to play a pivotal role in spreading love all across Sierra Leone, adding that the nation appreciates the good work they are doing in the health and educational sectors in the country.

President Koroma also said that the Ahmadis have contributed immensely in spreading the truism that Sierra Leone is indeed a religiously tolerant country in the world.