Many Rivers to Cross

This is the story of Sheku Gibril Kamara from his childhood days in Sierra Leone. It deals first with his parents in the capital, Freetown, and then with his aunt's family in the rural countryside. Educated in Freetown, he gained employment as an accounting assistant in the colonial Daily Mail newspaper in his home town and later at the iron ore mining company in nearby Lunsar, a job he relinquished to pursue his dreams of higher studies in Britain. With great finesse, Sheku provides intimate details about life as a private student in London and the political wrangling among fellow Sierra Leonean students. This culminated in the temporary seizure of the country's high commission at Portland Place in London in 1972 after a mass demonstration. Sheku and his colleagues were sent to the Old Bailey on a charge of treason but were instead found guilty of trespass. On appeal, the House of Lords reached the landmark judgment in British law: a case for trespass cannot hold where the national of a country occupies his country's diplomatic mission since that territory is, after all, deemed to be his home ground. Defended by Sir Dinglefoot, the students were bound to peace for six months... Upon the establishment of Sierra Leone's state-owned insurance company, Sheku was encouraged to return home to help develop the nation's market. When he became the Company's first indigenous chief executive, Sheku was to traverse the gruelling events that accompanied his role in top management. In what follows, the reader will join him in enjoying the exciting experiences with his supervising authorities...