Lawyer Cuffie Seeks Parliamentary Return
December 13, 2017 By Memunatu Bangura
Hon. Julius Nye Cuffie is a senior advocate of the Sierra Leone Bar
As the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) prepares to award party symbol to potential aspirants in the multitier elections next year, Hon. Julius Nye Cuffie has stated his firm intention of vying for the position of Member of Parliament for Constituency 126.
The legal practitioner-cum-politician is no stranger to grassroots politician, having served as lawmaker between 2007 to 2012, representing the former Constituency 109, which is now Constituency 126. His constituents were residents of New England, Jomo-Kenyatta Road, Pademba Road and Dworzak Community.
A member of the Sierra Leonean Bar for twelve years now, Hon. Cuffie holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and Barrister-at-Law certificate from the Sierra Leone Law School. The young but experienced practitioner also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law and a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of Derby, UK.
Lawyer Cuffie is proud product of the Prince of Wales School (POW) and completed his Advanced Level education at St. Edwards Secondary School before proceeding to read Law at Fourah Bay College, where he is currently an Associate Lecturer at the Department of Law.
His service to society is colossal, especially the poor and marginalised. He has been a disability rights activist for over two decades and part of his achievement during his first inning in Parliament was to sponsor and defend disability rights issues.
His twin careers as lawyer and politicians presuppose serving humanity, which he has never departed from. Thus, his legacy is unbeatable as he has completed several activities to develop his constituents and constituency.
In the area of education, he has been awarding scholarships to children with disability around the country, while also lobbying for Sierra Leone Government Grant-In-Aid scholarships (SLG) for university students in his constituency.
The aspiring lawmaker has constructed two boreholes – one at Josben carwash and another at Dworzak community. The latter was funded by the Sierra Leone Bottling Company. As both communities suffer lack clean drinking water perennially, the completion of both projects meant thousands could not access clean and affordable water for domestic use.
While serving as lawmaker, he was very instrumental in lobbying government to choose the New England Road, Jomo-Kenyatta Road Junction to Government Printing Department and Dworzak Community Road from Pademba Road Junction to Dworzak Field for rehabilitation, with funds provided by the Government of Sierra Leone.
Residents our reporter spoke to praised his efforts which culminated in to the construction of Dworzak Community Centre, which was funded by Young Men Christian Association (YMCA). The centre has a multi-purpose hall, a day care centre, and Internet cafe with DSTV satellite facility – a major recreation attraction to constituents. It was also during his first inning that the Dworzak Community Market and public toilet was completed, funded by the Sierra Leone Bottling Company.
He disclosed that he expended over Le60,000,000.00 (Sixty Million Leones) of his personal earnings to construct the Philip Street-Rock Lane concrete footbridge, an invaluable by-pass for residents in that community.
He secured funds from Freetown Waste Management Company between 2009 and 2010 to construct five garbage Transit Points (dustbins) in his constituency, renovated Congo Market and installed full electricity, tap water supply and public toilet.
In recognition of the social values of religion and religious tolerance, Lawyer Cuffie has been supporting mosques in his constituency and donates over twenty bags of rice each year to every mosque in his constituency during the ‘Lila Tu Gadri’ feast (Night of Power).
His magnanimity knows no bound; he also donates handsomely to cultural masquerades such as Mission Mary, Sandoka, Arie Britain, Rocky Stone, Life History, Sukisa, and Masianday Jollay in his constituency every year.
He has used his academic achievements and status in society to inspire and mentor others in his community. Hon. Cuffie has been lending both moral and financial support to youth groups, social clubs in his constituency, while also socialising with youths, and sponsoring football galas, athletic competitions, beauty pageants, beach outings, music launchings and street carnivals within and outside his constituency.
He also provides financial support and sometimes bags of rice to bereaved families of his constituency.
Hon. Julius Nye Cuffie is indeed a man of the people and an action man; he has demonstrated that both in Parliament and in the Constituency. He was a prolific debater and keen interest in all issues debated in Parliament between 2007 and 2012.
The zenith of his parliamentary activism was defined by his tabling a motion for Parliament to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He followed that up by championing a Private Members’ Motion that culminated into the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2011. He also served as deputy chair of the Legislative Committee in Parliament.
He replicated his parliamentary prowess abroad when he eloquently addressed international conferences such as UN Conference of Sates Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the African Union Conference on the adoption of the African Youth Charter and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Hon. Julius Nye Cuffie is a down-to-earth personality, an epitome of the concept of grassroots activism and a very receptive and accessible personality. He is convivial to all persons regardless of status, colour, race, tribe or religious persuasion.
He has dubbed his campaign to return to parliament and serve his constituents “Strike Back 2018” and implored constituents to support him by making it happen.