Ahead of the General Elections, Sierra Leone’s renowned Sports Betting and Lottery Company has extended its philanthropist tentacles beyond its cooperate social responsibility to consolidating the peace in the entire country, by first financing a ‘non-violence’ football gala in Bo City Southern Sierra Leone with Le 17m.
The competition is organized by Bo District Football Association (BDFA) in collaboration with Mercury International (SL) Limited Bo Branch (BDFA),
The football gala has brought together teams from all ten political parties contesting the Saturday November 17, 2012 multi-tier elections in the four constituencies that make up Bo City.
According to Mercury Int.’l Regional Consultant Rodney Michael before the start of the gala, informed all and sundry that they choose football because it is the number one sports in the world.
“Mercury Int.’l believes football is the shortest route to take any message to the youths particularly and Sierra Leoneans generally,” he said. He also appealled to those candidates who would be fortunate to win in the four constituencies, to promote sports in Bo city.
He also challenged the media to disseminate the relevance of the ‘non-violence’ football gala to the least village in Sierra Leone noting further: “that is why we have involved all the radio stations in Bo and few newspapers and radio stations from Freetown and I believe with such a blend, the information will surely reach every corner in the country.”
For his part, the BDFA Chairman Kofi Deen Nyarko said organizing football matches during the electioneering period is their own way of consolidating and maintaining the peace in Sierra Leone.
Party stalwarts, operatives and supporters of the ten participating political parties spoke with one voice commending the organizers for their timely intervention to preach peace.
The running mate for the Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) who also doubles as the party’s Southern Regional Chairman Sheik A.B.S Tarawally said football brings peace and unity, which he emphasized are needed for the upcoming election. Meanwhile, the gala ended on Monday November 12th 2012
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