General News of Thursday, 25 May 2023
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
The Sierra Leone government has reacted to the destruction of a historic and iconic tree that stands in the middle of the capital, Freetown.
President Julius Maada Bio confirmed via a tweet, reports in local media, that the cotton tree had been felled due to heavy downpour in Freetown on May 24.
"The iconic Cotton Tree has fallen due to the heavy downpour of rain in our capital this evening. A great loss to the nation. It was regarded as a symbol of liberty and freedom by early settlers.
"We will have something at the same spot that bears testament to the great Cotton Tree's place in our history. All voices will be brought together for this," the tweet added.
"Freetown’s most iconic landmark is gone. The city’s Chief Administrator, Festus Kallay, says the towering Cotton Tree - hundreds of years old - has just been brought down by a heavy storm. It’s a huge vacuum in the city’s skyline," a BBC journalist, Umaru Fofana tweeted.
Sierra Leoneans on social media have been sharing photos of the fallen tree which according to history dates back to the 1700s, reminding of the country's colonial past, its history and resilience.
The iconic Cotton Tree has fallen due to the heavy downpour of rain in our capital this evening. A great loss to the nation. It was regarded as a symbol of liberty and freedom by early settlers. We will have something at the same spot that bears testament to the great Cotton…
— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) May 24, 2023
The passing of many an iconic Sierra Leonean has been likened to the falling of a big tree. How then do we describe the falling of #SierraLeone’s most recognisable landmark and greatest icon? RIP the Cotton Tree. pic.twitter.com/spekaaHzAr
— Sheka Forna (@tonkolili) May 24, 2023
The world must achieve a sharp drop in global warming in the next 8yrs, if the natural calamities we have seen recently across the globe are not to get worse. The fall of the Cotton Tree in Freetown should therefore reenergize our efforts to address climate change issues in ???????? pic.twitter.com/Z5KSYqJADH
— Babatunde Ahonsi (@AhonsiBA) May 25, 2023