Hon. Deputy Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma. The Secretary General of the oldest political party in the sub region, *Umaru Napoleon Koroma*, dubbed *’D Poor man’s Lawyer’*, is seen as an embodiment of hope for young hardworking Sierra Leoneans that were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. His life is a testament to the fact that a dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
Despite struggling with school at a very young age, left as a refugee in Guinea, returning to Sierra Leone with little financial support, determined Napoleon never gave up on himself, he became stronger with a focus to beat all odds on his way to the top, and now he has risen! When the war broke out in 1991, Napoleon and his family trekked to Guinea as refugees in a village called ‘Gomandu’. A promising Umaru attended a refugee school in a town called ‘Wounde Kenema’. In October 1991, Napoleon ostentatiously displayed his unquenchable desire to be successful when he walked from Guinea to Kono in order to continue with his schooling. Fortunately, the 12 years old Napoleon was not accepted, the bad news was like many Sierra Leoneans, his uncle wasn’t financially strong to pay his fees, this sad development did not deter Umaru. In fact, he became more resolute to chase his dreams. He went to Kenema and stayed with relatives, luckily this time he was enrolled at the Ansarul Islamic Secondary School from 1992 to 1994.
After a failed attempt of continuing his education in Freetown due to lack of financial support, going back to Madina in Kambia to attend the Government secondary school was his only choice. Umaru became acclimatized with Madina, but the sound of guns from rebels drove him back to Freetown for another attempt. Amidst unfavourable living condition Napoleon was enrolled at the Independence Memorial Secondary School where he sat and passed his O’levels exams in 1996. Napoleon was already determined to become a “diamond digger” in order to fund his college if all possible financial options failed. Above is just a brief synopsis of the turbulent experience Napoleon had, that did not prevent him from becoming one of the most renowned Lawyers in Sierra Leone. His experience prepared him for his future endeavours, and gave him qualities like patience, humility, altruism and philanthropy. No doubt he is arguably the most popular Secretary General the SLPP has ever produced and by popular demand his second term is unstoppable because the grassroots see him as one of them. Today in Sierra Leone thousands of youths are going through similar experiences, but the life of Lawyer Napoleon Koroma has served as a template to follow. Because Napoleon demonstrated that Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
A former refugee who barely had anything to eat has risen to become the Secretary General of the oldest political party in the sub region (SLPP), and served as Chairman of the National Commission for Privatisation and currently the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice. This is enough of a testament to tell all and sundry going through similar or tougher experiences that *NEVER GIVE UP!* because *NAPOLEON NEVER GAVE UP!*On your natal day, I’m wishing you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, we the younger generation are ever proud to have you as a role model, to us you are not a *SURVIVOR* you are a *WARRIOR!*
