THE CEO OF UTB, JAMES SANPHA KOROMA BECOMES ROTARY CLUB PRESIDENT By Abdul Fonti & Bampia Bundu Jul 11, 2011, 12:24

The Bank of Sierra Leone Complex in Kingtom was full of pomp and pageantry in the evening hours of Friday 8th July 2011, during the induction ceremony of Rotarian James Sanpha Koroma as the new President of the Rotary Club of Freetown, District 9100. The Rotary Club Annual Induction of President and Officers, which took the form of a dinner and dance, was graced by several distinguished personalities including the Minister of Finance, Dr. Samura Kamara, legal luminary Eke Halloway, Adonis Aboud and various representatives from the country’s private sector.

James Sanpha Koroma

Rotarian James Sanpha Koroma, in his statement, expressed elation over the large turnout of guests at the ceremony. “Since I joined Rotary some years back, I have never seen such a scramble for tickets for an induction dinner as it happened this morning. All of us Rotarians are therefore immensely proud at the mass mobilization of our relatives and friends to celebrate with us the work that we do as Rotarians,” the new Rotary Club President noted.

The induction dinner, he continued, symbolizes Rotary’s tradition of annualizing all its events. “At the international level we have the Rotary International Convention where a new R.I President and his executive are inducted in grand style. Last year it took place in Montreal, Canada, and this year it was in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. Next year, it will be held in Bangkok, Thailand,” he disclosed, adding that a good number of Rotarians consider the event as a yearly pilgrimage.

“At the District level, we have just returned from Accra, Ghana where our District Governor and his team were inducted on Saturday 19th June 2011 at the District Convention,” the erudite Rotarian intimated.

He disclosed that the Rotary Club has a strict tradition that does not allow any Rotary leadership to serve beyond one year. “Every President or Governor must vacate office after one term,” he emphasized.

Koroma used the forum as an opportunity to inform the guests that Rotary is the world’s largest group of voluntary foot-soldiers in the service to humanity worldwide. Rotary, he said, responds to natural and artificial disasters, epidemics, traumas, intolerable human conditions and intractable challenges among others.

“And it is due to the changing nature of these human circumstances and responses that Rotary formulates a new and appropriate theme for its work every year. That partly explains the rationale for a new leadership every year for Rotary at the international, district and club levels,” Koroma explained.

According to him, this year’s theme: Reach Within to Embrace Humanity, requires all Rotarians to revisit their goals, renew their commitment, strengthen the Rotary family, enhance, extend and improve their work and tell the world about Rotary and what Rotarians do.
He disclosed further that Rotary exists in more than two hundred countries with over thirty four thousand clubs. “Each and every Rotarian will be fully committed to the attainment of the ideals of this year’s theme,” he assured.

In her statement, the Rotary Club Outgoing President, Rotarian Shiela John, intimated that the club had a great year during his tenure to build communities. “We have given more meaning to community service and fellowship; we undertook huge challenges and through our collective efforts we were able to achieve more than 80% of our targets,” she said.

According to her, the club completed five projects, with five more in progress, plus three major donations.
“Two members retired from active service and one was relocated. The club secretary Rotarian Feima Vandy passed away in May 2010. We welcome four new members who joined the club during the year,” Rotarian John explained, adding that Rotary is now a familiar name with increasing interests being expressed by students, business and professional people in the community. “This enthusiasm should not wane as we enter into another year of service,” she ended.