Umaru S. Jah-Berlin

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come

Those were the lexis of one of William Shakespeare’s celebrated characters, Julius Caesar when Calpurnia was trying to warn him about the dangers that would besiege him should he go to the capitol. This apparently tells us that when the time comes for one to leave planet earth, neither power nor aptitude could stop that sad episode. An everlasting and inevitable end indeed!

The thing that is left of a person who departs to eternity is memories of his or her excellent past. Though dreadful memories also exist, but they are mainly to the detriment of the deceased. Therefore, good memories are necessary to represent the living-dead.

This is what our late son, brother, friend and colleague, Japian Stevens has left with us. He has left an indelible mark that continues to linger afresh in the minds of not only his family but also friends, teachers, and heads of his Alma Mater – the Berlin British School in Germany.

Because of his smart character that encompasses friendliness, hard work and commitment, it has become extremely difficult for his family and friends to bury his existence on earth. In loving and heartfelt memories of his brilliant past, his friends and school teachers have planted an oak tree in the school compound.

The solemn and historic event which took place at the school yesterday saw the attendance of his family, friends and relatives.

A sudden grief enveloped onlookers when the head of the school Mr. Graham Lacey, made this somber proclamation:

“This tree will stand as a lasting symbol of all the virtues which Japian embodied and which we so cherish and value at BBS: Commitment, hard work, friendship, cheerfulness in adversity, support for others, altruism, in general, a love of life and living it to the full. These are the characters for which Japian will be remembered”

He disclosed that the idea of the tree planting was borne out of the desire to show their deepest love and respect for Japian.

In her remarks, the head of the secondary school, Sian Schutz had this to say:

“We hope that in the years to come, everyone who passes the tree, and the plaque, will have their day brightened a little-not only by the beauty of the tree itself as it matures, but by lasting memories of Japian, and how he, too, brightened our lives in so many ways.

His former tutor and friend, also paid tributes and made soothing statements about Japian Stevens.

Before the tree was planted, his father, Ambassador Jongopie S. Stevens thanked the school for their love and compassion.

The new nation was born at the stroke of midnight, when its green, white and blue flag was unfurled. A huge crowd, gathered at Brookfields Playground in Freetown to watch the historic moment, broke into tumultuous cheering.

Independence Day formally began as the Duke of Kent handed over royal instruments recognising Sierra Leone as an independent nation.

Sir Maurice Dorman, Governor since 1956, was then sworn in as Governor-General by Chief Justice Beoku Betts.

Messages of welcome to the new government, led by Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai, came from the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, and from the Queen.

Her Majesty is due to visit Sierra Leone during her tour of West Africa later in the year.

State of emergency

Independence festivities have been taking place all week, mainly centred on the harbour area of Freetown. Three days of public holiday have been declared, and the city is in party mood, with streets decorated with bunting and the new national colours everywhere.

But the build-up has been overshadowed by the state of emergency, declared ten days ago following a campaign of sabotage by the opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC).

The party has been urging that independence should be postponed until free elections have been held.

The leader of the APC, Siaka Stevens, was arrested just over a week ago, along with his right-hand man, Wallace Johnston, and 16 other party members. They had been planning a general strike to coincide with the independence celebrations, and it was feared riots would break out if the strike went ahead.

The government in Freetown is insisting that elections will be held next year, as agreed under the terms of independence. Ministers say the arrests were made to protect those visiting the country for the ceremonies, and, they say, there is every intention to release those detained as soon as the ceremonies are over.

Source: BBC

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Since 1971 until the overthrow of the APC by the NPRC in April 1992, Sierra Leone under the APC had always celebrated April 19th as its National Holiday. April 19th 1971 was the date that the Siaka Stevens led Government got the assent from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to declare that Sierra Leone was now a Republic.

In this article, Awareness Times Newspaper is taking a look at the events leading to this declaration from the perspective of top insider of that Siaka Stevens APC regime. Read more on Awareness Times

The Stevens Family.