I would like to introduce myself first by giving some of my personal history. After that I will expand this introduction by giving some of my thoughts about Sierra Leone and what changes I will bring to improve our country.

Personal Profile:

A citizen of Sierra Leone, Professor Abdul Kady Karim, CPA is married and has four sons and two daughters. The first three of his children, Alhassan, Fatmata and Idrissa reside in Sierra Leone and the last three, Haja, Ibrahim and Abdul Jr. are residents of the United States of America. Alhassan, Haja, Ibrahim and Abdul Jr. graduated from Fourah Bay College in Freetown - Sierra Leone, University of Maryland Eastern Shore - Maryland, USA, Widener University - Pennsylvania, USA and Wesley College - Delaware, USA respectively. Idrissa is working to become a Chartered Accountant and Fatmata is a Sierra Leonean businesswoman. His wife, Haja Adiatu Sahid-Karim is a graduate from Strayer University - Maryland, USA with a Masters in Public Administration and is currently employed by the US State Department - VOA African Division. Professor Karim's professional career has included a position as a controller for a multimillion dollar retail company and academic appointments at Bowie State University in Maryland, USA, Southeastern University in Washington DC, USA and Strayer University in Maryland, USA. He also owns and operates an accounting firm in Washington DC. Professor Karim also has worked as a chiefdom administrative court clerk in Kambia District, in Sierra Leone from 1969 through 1974.

EDUCATION:

BSC - Accounting (George Washington University) Washington DC - 1978................................................. MSC - Financial Management (George Washington University) Washington DC - 1981
CPA - Certified Public Accountant (DCICPA) Washington DC - 1984

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

Adjunct Professor - Bowie State University (USA) School of Business and Accounting ................................. 1987 - 1988 taught accounting courses.
Adjunct Professor - Southeastern University (USA) School of Business and Accounting ............................. 1992 - 2001 taught accounting and business courses
Professor - Strayer University (USA) School of Business and Accounting
1993 - Present taught accounting and business courses
Associate Dean of Accounting and Business - Strayer University (USA)
2005 - Present

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Fellowship - District of Columbia Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member - American Institute of Certified Public Accountant
Member - Institute of Internal Auditors
Member - Institute of Management Accountants

My vision for Sierra Leone

The greatest asset a country has is its citizens. And the greatest asset the citizens have is time. When this time is used productively it generates jobs. Jobs provide the citizens with food, housing, roads, schools, medical care facilities, automobiles, well stocked grocery stores and many more amenities previously denied people of 3rd world countries. It is what makes and keeps the citizens of a country free. Yes, freedom can only be achieved by using time wisely and productively. Time is what God gives us here on earth. Governments must allow and protect this asset, this resource.
.....America has a very large "middle class" of citizens that hold most of the country's wealth. This natural resource is used wisely in America. Until now no president of Sierra Leone has shown the courage to alter the institutions that will allow the vast majority of Sierra Leonean citizens to hold the majority of the wealth in their country.
....Using time this way is not something that just happens. Productive use of time is the result of creating an environment of cooperation between, business, education and government with minimal interference from the government. Banking, infrastructure, natural resources, foreign exchange, monetary systems and education must be examined and changes put in place to allow for the creation of a large "middle class" of Sierra Leonean citizens. This group will have jobs that will allow them to work for and hold the major portion of the country's wealth.
....Until now no president running for office, no president elected to office, has attempted to make, or even understood, the required structural changes necessary to make this happen in Sierra Leone. This is what my government will do for the people of Sierra Leone. We will make the required changes to generate this wealth and through the productive efforts of the citizens the wealth will end up in the hands of the people of Sierra Leone.
....To achieve this new wealth my government will put into place a new approach to several existing systems and institutions. These are steps that have been taken by other countries and can be understood in great detail simply by exploring recent world history. There is nothing to invent, we only need to find out by using recorded history to see how changes were made by other countries and utilize the positive results of these changes.
....First the problem of crippling debt must be dealt with. From Proverbs 22:7 "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender" illustrates how debt and the constant borrowing of assets cripples the people and their countries. Sierra Leone has just such a crippling debt due to an endless series of loans from the World Bank and other NGO's.
....Right now Sierra Leone finds itself nearly $2 billion in debt to various institutions, of which include the World Bank. And how is this crippling debt to be dealt with? Pay it! This may seem impossible, but this is the only workable approach. Not debt forgiveness, debt repayment. It may seem impossible but think of this debt in terms of the amount of debt per each Sierra Leonean national. This debt amounts to less than $400 per person, not at all unlike the debt faced by Americans at the end America's revolutionary war and the first sitting of their new government in 1790. This debt was recognized, amortized and completely paid off by America, every last penny. And so can Sierra Leone achieve this small miracle, with the proper use of our citizen's greatest asset, time.
....I will do this in Sierra Leone by making changes to the existing institutions. First the national bank must be restructured and controlled by Sierra Leonean nationals. This new bank will issue currency that will be controlled using a technique that will end the inflationary tendencies so often pursued by third world governments. This new currency will maintain a position of respect in the international community and put Sierra Leone in a position to trade in the world market.
Sierra Leone needs energy. No country can compete in today's economy without industry. And no industry can survive without energy. As good as the Bumbuna Hydroelectric project will be when completed, it is but a drop in the bucket when it comes to supporting industry. Power plants need to be built in Sierra Leone to support industries that will allow the citizens to turn their time into products that can be traded on the world market. Industries will be induced to come to Sierra Leone by sharing the start-up costs.
Again this need not be something new and clever; it is simply getting into the manufacturing business by supplying trained and willing workers for production of goods that sell on the world market. This will be achieved by supplying a highly trained and motivated skilled labor force. Remember time is the only commodity that can be sold on the world market. Time that the people of Sierra Leone put into production is what will bring foreign exchange to Sierra Leone. This is how we will pay off the enormous debt now held over the head of every person in Sierra Leone.
....Agriculture production is an absolute requirement of any country. As a country, if we must purchase our food on credit, we are doomed to remain in debt forever. Sierra Leone must produce what we eat and export the excess to the world market. Beyond food there are many other agricultural products available to export to the world market that we can put in place with very little investment.
We are asking for support from people everywhere; help us make a difference for the people of Sierra Leone. Together, united, we will change the future in Sierra Leone.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Professor Abdul Karim (UNPP)