Concord Times (Freetown)
Mohamed Massaquoi
17 May 2011
Freetown — University don and chairman of the 50th independence anniversary planning committee will today launch a cultural heritage and Nationalist History of Sierra Leone as part of the country’s golden jubilee celebrations.
In an exclusive interview with Concord Times, Professor Cecil Magbaily Fyle said the connection between the presentation of the proper history of Sierra Leone and a strong sense of nationalism and patriotism in relation to the country’s independence was significant for the younger generation to better understand their historical facts.
He said prominent in his revision were the history of the Thaimne and Krio ethnicities as well as issues of the historical links between various ethnic groups in the country.
“Most significantly, the book brings the history of the country up to the post-civil war period of the new millennium, a factor which is largely absent in the extant histories of Sierra Leone,” he said, adding that the independence of Sierra Leone was part of the devolution of power by the colonial authorities which was attained peacefully without any major confrontation between the colonial administration and the people of Sierra Leone.
Prof. Fyle noted that the leader of the country’s independence, Sir Milton Margai, was very courageous and persuasive in bringing the country together to present a unified force to the British colonial administration for independence.
“We need to celebrate as a people because of our religious tolerance; it is easy for somebody to move from one part of the country to settle among other ethnic groups without any hindrance. Common marriage and respect for cultural heritage are very key to our success in the past 50 years,” he noted, adding that the book will serve as a lead document in portraying the actual history of the country.
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