Sherbro Alliance and Idris Elba’s Dream City in Sierra Leone

The Guardian newspaper reported that actor Idris Elba is working with his childhood friend to develop Sherbro Island, roughly the size of the Isle of Man. The West African nation [Sierra Leone] government gave the island enough autonomy to allow the work to advance as 'Dream City in Sierra Leone.'

This is not the end of the story

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah | Africanist Press

A few months ago, the British media enthusiastically reported that “Idris Elba has shared details of his dream to turn an island off the coast of Sierra Leone, the country where his father was born, into an environmentally friendly smart city.“

The Guardian took the lead in the enthusiasm that surrounded the story. The newspaper specifically reported that “the actor [Idris Elba] is working with his childhood friend to develop Sherbro, which is roughly the size of the ‘Isle of Man’ after the island was given enough autonomy by the West African nation’s government to allow the work to go ahead.”

Chernoh Alpha M. Bah | Africanist Press

Idris Elba’s friend is Siaka Stevens (of course Stevens’ last name is a familiar one in Sierra Leone). In its reporting, the Guardian said Elba and Stevens both grew up together in east London, and they have decided to embark on the ambitious project of turning Sherbro into an eco-city.  The newspaper revealed that Elba and Stevens had set up a joint company called Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP), and they had “reached agreements with the Sierra Leonean government, as well as several major firms, to build an eco-city as a public-private partnership.”

This is not the end of the story.

The Guardian further added that Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens have even “agreed on a deal with the energy company, Octopus, to build Sierra Leone’s first wind farm on the island, which lacks main electricity and is a two-hour ferry trip from the mainland.”

This was exciting news in Sierra Leone. News of these kinds of development projects has often been greeted with enthusiasm in the country. Many Sierra Leoneans, both at home and abroad, applauded Elba’s “dream city project.” Of course, the country badly needs real economic and social development, more so development projects and initiatives that are driven by citizens of the country.

However, Elba’s ideas are not new in West Africa; other African entertainers with new smart and eco-city dreams have been on the news lately.

Not very long ago, US-Senegalese singer Akon had also announced his own plans “to build a futuristic city in his ancestral homeland.” The first phase of Akon’s project was supposed to have been completed in 2023. The Guardian, which featured Elba’s dream project, had similarly reported in December 2023 that Akon’s city project faced “delays and controversy” and instead of the promised futuristic city, “only a youth center and the shell of what is planned to be the welcome center had been built.”

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Africanist Press Updates: Listen! In this audio episode, the Africanist Press Chief Editor explores the proposed privatization of Sherbro Island and its planned transformation into a 'Casino Republic' in Sierra Leone. The legal and political implications of the proposed takeover of Sherbro Island by multinational corporations.

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The Guardian added that “while Akon received praise for the planned city’s Afrofuturistic aesthetics,” skeptics are now asking whether Akon’s proposed city “will ever come to pass.” Disappointment is slowly becoming the dream city’s outcome, the newspaper said.  In the case of the proposed Sherbro city, the Guardian said Elba is unlike Akon: “he has been clear about where his strengths lie.”

“Never in my lifetime would I have thought I could build the foundation for a new smart city. I’m not qualified for that. But I am qualified to dream big,” Elba told the UK-based newspaper.

Nevertheless, the contrast begs the question: what stands between a “dream” and its “outcome?”

Many people say there are various kinds of dreams: good dreams and bad dreams. They say what separates one dream from another dream is similar to the differences between fantasies and nightmares; the reason why people dream whether they are asleep or wide awake.

Certainly, the UK-based Guardian was grappling with these differences in dreams when reporting on, and contrasting between, Akon’s “dream city project” and Elba’s “dream city project.”

To understand dreams of any kind – and perhaps their differences – one might have to consider the place of the dream and the moment(s) that produced the dream itself. What are the dreamer’s conditions and existential circumstances? What are the internal and external forces that drive an individual(s) to dream?

The totality of the circumstances has to be carefully considered when assessing the place and strength of a given dream. In doing so, we bring ourselves to the starting point of asking, and also debating, whether a particular dream is realistic or unrealistic. What are the dream’s real possibilities? Can those possibilities be actualized? If yes, how can they be actualized?

While thinking about dreams and their realities today, we looked up the “dream city project” of Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens. We looked at the various companies carrying out their dream city project: the Sherbro Alliance Limited and Sherbro Alliance Partners Limited; all incorporated in the UK. 

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READ Idris Elba: Why I'm Planning a Move To Africa. British actor Idris Elba has told the BBC that he will relocate to Africa within the next decade as part of his plans to support the continent’s movie industry.

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Sherbro Alliance Limited was incorporated on 10th June 2019 as a private limited company (#12040217) under the UK Companies Act 2006. Idris Akuna Elba and Siaka Stevens are the two listed directors and shareholders of the company. On 13th November 2019, the company’s directors applied to voluntarily strike off the company from the UK Register of Companies, and on 26th November 2019, the Registrar gazetted the application to strike off the company from the register, and the company was eventually dissolved on 11th February 2020.

The second company, Sherbro Alliance Partners Limited, was also incorporated on 27th September 2019 (#12231721); similarly, as a private limited company in England and Wales. Siaka Stevens is the only listed company director, and the company’s shareholders, at the time of registration, are IE7 Holdings Limited and Siaka Stevens; each individually holding 50% shares. IE7 Holdings Limited was incorporated on 3rd April 2019 with Idris Elba as company director.

The unaudited financial statements of Sherbro Alliance Partners Limited for the year ended 31st December 2022 included an unsecured “loan of £2,861,393 due to IE7 Limited.” The loan “attracts an interest rate of 4% above the base rate of the Bank of England for repayments made outside of the repayment dates.” In FY2021, the said loan amounted to £2,227,255 and has since increased by £634,138 by the close of FY2022.

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READ Idris Elba Arrived In His Father´s Native Sierra Leone For The First Time. Idris Elba arrived in Sierra Leone on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, where he is due to receive Sierra Leone citizenship and celebrate Christmas with the President, Julius Maada Bio, according to government sources. 

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What does this tell us about dreams and their complexities, about the differences in dreams, the varied interpretations of dreams, and the accompanying realities of dreams? How do dreams inform our approach to, and understanding of, nation building and sustainable development?

In any case and by any rate, we attach herewith extract pages showing the registration details of the two Sherbro Alliance companies shouldering the Sherbro city dream project.

First published July 17, 2024. Feel free to share it or Post a comment in the Comments section.

Animal Farm as it Relates to Humans and Society

How those in power—Napoleon and his fellow pigs—pervert the democratic process

By Theo Edwards

The theme of the book! Animal Farm is about humans and the politics of society. How those in power—Napoleon and his fellow pigs—pervert the democratic process. An embedded narrative, in which the characters become the story. George Orwell uses a barnyard setting to explore themes of class and power _and how power has swallowed politicians’ common sense

Orwell's theme in Animal Farm is the desire for power. This desire is a closely related theme of corrupt politics. The animals in the story, particularly Napoleon, want more power. 

Orwell's theme in Animal Farm is the desire for power. This desire is the closely related theme of corrupt politics. The animals in the story, particularly Napoleon, want more power. 

The pigs' ever-increasing greed and lust for power are mirrored in their increasing resemblance to the human race. These facts culminate in at least one moral of the story:

when humanity succumbs to acts of greed and oppression, they are even less than animals

The book's final image expresses the animals' realization that the pigs have become as cruel and oppressive as human farmers. The ending makes the argument that political power is always the same. Whoever has it uses whatever ideology to justify it.

Watch a student narrative in the video describing how power has swallowed politicians’ common sense

The theme of the book! Animal Farm, as it relates to humans and society. How those in power—Napoleon and his fellow pigs—pervert the democratic process.

The relevance of Animal Farm symbolizes power and corrupt humans in society—

"Lessons from 'Animal Farm'."

Be cautious of false leaders: The pigs in the story may start as champions of equality, but eventually, they become the very oppressors they had fought against. This story serves as a powerful reminder to stay vigilant against those who only seek power despite promising positive change.

Questioning Authority: The animals unquestioningly follow the pigs, underscoring the essence of critical thinking and challenging authority.

Beware the perils of apathy: The animals' indifference paves the way for the pigs to take control, serving as a stark reminder of the risks of ignoring injustice.

The pigs' corruption serves as a grim reminder that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Education is essential: The pigs take advantage of the less educated animals, highlighting the critical role of education in thwarting manipulation and exploitation.

Beware of Propaganda: The pigs use it to control the other animals, teaching us to be critical of information and aware of its power.

Equality is crucial: The animals aim to establish a society where everyone is treated equally. The failure to maintain this leads to their downfall, highlighting the significance of equality in society.

Beware of historical manipulation: The pigs modify the farm's history to fit their narrative, serving as a reminder to remain vigilant about how history can be exploited for personal or political purposes.

Rise Against Injustice: The animals' inability to challenge the pigs' oppression results in their subjugation, underscoring the vital importance of standing up against injustice.

The animals' silence in the face of the pigs' tyranny allows it to continue, teaching us that silence in the face of injustice is complicity.

Yumkella Shocks No One

Op—Ed Culled ‘Rasta Rambles

‘My late wife Philomena and I have always believed that the NGC Party was not meant to be “MY” party but rather a vehicle and an institution for change.'

Former Flag Bearer of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) Honorable. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella finally resigned from the party and switched over to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).

The inevitable can’t be resisted, even in the best of faith. Yumkella formally resigned from the NGC to return to the SLPP. No one’s shocked. What alliances? It was always a game for him and those who did his maneuvering.

Yumkella played and disrespected his colleagues and supporters from start to finish. How can you resign from a junior partner you led into a coalition only to defect to the majority partner with such callousness?

Hurling further insult at those who were prepared to take bullets for him, he wrote, ‘My late wife Philomena and I have always believed that the NGC Party was not meant to be “my” party but rather a vehicle and an institution for change’.

What an ingrate. They sped up, almost put that thing together for him! Now he’s disowned it.

He not only undermined the NGC’s genuine momentum-building efforts but plotted its fatality. The final blow was joining it with the SLPP months before an election. The NGC got wiped out. Three months later, he resigned. He publicly humiliated those who stayed with him when Dr. Dennis Bright and others left the party in disgust at his selfishness.

But, of course, the plan played out as he wanted. He’s got a job in government. The NGC is deceased, and therefore sod his supporters and those who tied their political ambitions to what they thought was a credible party.

To think that a lot of people saw Yumkella as a positive departure from the rotten political class is perhaps the greatest misplacement of trust in Sierra Leone’s politics. 

Suddenly, the realization couldn’t be more pronounced: Yumkella is the archetype, the sample of the Sierra Leonean politician: prioritizing himself and the cult of personality ahead of building and operating within institutional integrity. 

Just like a common sycophant, ‘Enti Fos Lady dae for witness,’ he sought validation from the president’s unelected missus while addressing the party faithful in rhetoric. He knows too well, that the people he’s talking to, out of desperation for better lives, would cheer anything but have zero stake in government. But he’s fooling them anyway. Telling them the government is answerable to them. Until a sentence later, the mask slipped. He title-checked the real boss, the person those in the current government are under oath to submit to: Bio’s wife.

Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (KKY) returns to his roots

Even the visually impaired and the cognitively challenged can read Yumkella’s simplistic rationale for destroying the NGC. He thinks he’s Bio’s successor in the SLPP’s next leadership race and as president after 2028. In his thinking, even the opposition does not exist. Somebody should read him something about Hilary Clinton’s arrogance against Obama and her eventual defeat by Donald Trump. If that’s pushing it, he can read the story leading up to the 2018 elections, where he was a Major protagonist.

But it’s Sierra Leone. The government is the judiciary, the police, the army, and most importantly, the electoral commission.

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