Township Council Celebrates Sierra Leone, Welcomes West African Mayor

West African Foundation’s Foday Mansaray, Mayor Phil Kramer, Mayor Bruno Loglo, Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka and Atchade Assongba, (left to right) during the Council’s welcoming of Mayor Loglo.

West Africa was front and center at the April 23 Township Council meeting, with proclamations and a welcome for a visiting mayor.

In separate proclamations, the Council recognized the township’s Sierra Leone population – said to be the most dense outside of Sierra Leone – and the Republic of Sierra Leone, both for the country’s 58th independence anniversary.

The Council also welcomed Bruno Kossi A. Loglo, mayor of Tsevie, a city in the Togolese Republic of West Africa.

Mayor Phil Kramer gave Mayor Loglo a key to the township during the welcoming.

Mayor Loglo’s visit has been under discussion for about two years, since the visit of Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, King of the Yourba people in Nigeria, in 2016, said township resident Foday Mansaray, who organized the visit.

Mayor Loglo came to the township with a mind toward establishing a sister city relationship with Franklin, he said through his interpreter, Atchade Assongba.

Mansaray, who is the IHRC- Ambassador and High Representative to United Nations and Africa, said one of his tasks is to promote sustainable city development in Africa.

“We are supporting Tsevie, which has a four-year plan,” he said. “So what they are doing here is seeing how they can partner with cities to achieve that four-year plan.”

He said members of Mayor Loglo’s entourage have expressed interest in coming back for the Franklin Day festival in September.

“If they come here, they will come with trade, they will come with culture,” he said. He said there would also be a meeting to discuss what Franklin Township could gain through a sister city relationship.

Like King Chu, Mayor Loglo did a tour of the township on April 23, and was impressed with the Franklin High School football stadium, Mansaray said.

“They saw what they can do over there,” such as build a stadium similar to FHS’s, he said.

Your Thoughts

comments