By Alhaji Haruna Sani
On Friday, October 11th, as part of the International Day of the Girl celebration, FIFA Council Member Madam Isha Johansen addressed a youth leadership event at the Freetown City Council Auditorium, delivering a powerful message to young people about the importance of integrity in leadership.
Speaking to students and pupils from universities and schools across Sierra Leone, Johansen emphasized that without integrity, one cannot truly be considered a leader. “You cannot call yourself a leader if you don’t have integrity. Once you compromise, you lose that integrity,” Johansen declared, urging the youth to uphold moral principles in all their endeavors.
The event, organized in partnership with the Freetown City Council, aimed to inspire young people to embrace leadership roles while adhering to ethical values.
Addressing a broader audience, including senior members of the communities, Johansen called on the elderly to lead by example, warning that compromising integrity sets a damaging precedent for younger generations. “If young people grow up witnessing us compromise our integrity, as we did seeing our elders do the same, their approach to leadership will be diluted,” she stated.
In sharing her personal journey, Johansen recounted how she founded the FC Johansen Football Academy in 2004, a project that provided education and football opportunities to boys affected by the civil war.
With no initial intention of becoming the president of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), her work with the academy grew into one of the most successful football clubs in the country. Johansen credited the club’s achievements to the selfless sacrifice and unwavering commitment to integrity she embraced from the outset.
She further revealed that she has now handed over the management of FC Johansen to her 28-year-old son, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the club. “In the next ten years, some of us will be there only to offer moral advice based on experience, while you, the youth, will take charge as I have done with my son,” Johansen informed the audience filled with young people and teenagers.
Throughout her address, Johansen stressed that true leaders must be willing to navigate challenges without compromising their principles. “Good leaders are those who face adversity head-on and make sacrifices, not for personal gain, but for the greater good,” she said, urging the youth to adopt a spirit of service and integrity in their leadership journeys.
The event was capped by a panel discussion featuring youth influencers, innovators, and motivators, along with the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, who reinforced Johansen’s message.
Aki-Sawyerr encouraged the audience to be problem solvers in their communities and to hold fast to their integrity, as it is the foundation of impactful and transformative leadership.
