If all the falls were one fall what a great fall it could be! You will all agree with me that this single fall is certainly a great fall.
My wife and l were driving home last evening in the Northern Hemisphere, when l heard so many messages popping into my phone and l said to her, that's the why don't like joining social media groups as they are so annoying.
As the messages rapidly continued bulleting in, l had no option but to check ready to delete so that the life span of my armset would be prolonged. Upon having a glance at it there was an indication of over 100 messages on the Sieromco-Rutile Forum within seconds, announcing the death of Uncle Alex or ABK as he was fondly called.
I turned to my wife with teared eyes and asked why all these worldly hassles and hustles of life, telling her that the cold and cruel hands of the inevitable Uncle Death have snatched my secret mentor, Alex Bai Kamara. A man whom l had admired most, from the very day I set eyes on him at Sierra Rutile and l had always wanted to be like him in many ways.
His devotion to the mines and dedication to work, left me for a very long time with the perception that this gigantic and charismatic elderly man was the owner of the company little did l know he was also an employee.
I could still figure him in my mind's eyes in the early 90s swiftly moving at the Plant Site in his blue jeans with his brown Toetector. His coloured Rutile Lacoste neatly tucked in with a handful of Parker pens outwardly fixed on his t-shirt’s chest. He was all around to see that everything was running on oily wheels, ensuring effective productivity to exceed target in production. He could drive to dredge and back within a twinkle of an eye. He would check at the dry mill, the power house, geology, the drawing office all at a goal to see that supervisors were on top of situations.
On his way to his Mobimbi resident during lunch time or after work Alex Kamara would suddenly re-route to the plant site to put things in order.
Even when socialising at the Mobimbi Bar Uncle Alex would abruptly abandoned his drink, jump into his Hillux and head for the plant site or the dredge to fix things up at any time of the night.
His driver said that Alex spent more time in his office than his house noting that he was a workaholic.
He was feared by lazy and deceitful workers especially drivers who used company vehicles for their personal gains and worker who syphoned company properties.
Thought very disciplined and no non-sense personality he was liked and highly respected by majority, from plant staff to senior staff.
He was away at one time when some groups of disgruntled plant staff went on strike and work came to a standstill for a couple of days. All efforts to calm them down was fruitless. On his arrival and intervention with other colleagues- kamoh keili and Sahr Wonday the workers saw reasons and went back to work.
ABK wasn't a man of too much words but when he talked people listened and he was a man of his words. Alex combined work with play and fun. His best sport was Tennis which he played during his leisure. It was also fascinating to see this colossus, well-built magnificent man rocking to his favourite music of yester-years during senior staff parties and dinners at the Mobimbi Community Center.
In order to keep the Sierra Rutile family working team together after the invasion of the company ABK and his family friends and partners, AKK and Tani established CEMMATs which again brought many of his Rutile colleagues under one umbrella. According to him, it was not much of a profit-making organisation but rather to elevate people from their trauma. This is another confirmation of his humanity and concern for all as mentioned in most of the tributes that continue to shower in about my mentor. Indeed, Alex had put smiles on the faces of so many.
During my first year in university, I didn't get the Rutile Grant in Aid neither vacation job. When l told Uncle Alex about it the following day Maada Kangbai and his personnel staff were busy looking for me to start my vacation job and my name was included on the Rutile Scholarship list.
He had always said to me whenever we met, "Paco my Barman, I am following your journey keep it up."
If news of his death came to me yesterday like the hammering of a five inches nail in ears l wonder how Junior, Bull and Saweda are feeling. Then my mind went to Tani and Kamoh Keili with whom he had been together for over four decades, the Sieromco and Rutile family! All l can say is the usual, take heart and do not mourn much. Your father, your friend and my mentor had lived his life to the fullest, every second of his 80 years on mother earth were healthily utilised to serve his country and humanity as he had said to Alusine Jalloh that he has lived a good life. Uncle Alex died well fulfilled. He left his foot print on the sands of time. His life was gentle and the elements so mixed him that Rutile -Sieromco family, CEMMATs group, friends, relatives and Mama Salone would always remember him.
Sleep my great mentor, sleep well and take your rest. Because of your virtue l'll ever continue to emulate you and l have no doubts that you are in the precious hands of Father Ibrahim in heaven, where you have met other Rutile fallen heroes -Kamara Bundor, Albert Manley, Ben Joe Amara, Joe Senessi, your senior driver- Daniel Musa, Uncle Tunde, Sheku Kawa, Mike Johnson, my own real brother from a different mother and father - Mohamed kamoh Bockarie fondly known as MAN KAMOH, the list goes on. May all your souls and those of the faithful departed rest in perfect peace.
