The handing over ceremony for the improvement and construction of culverts along the Ebola Cemetery Junction-Mamki, Pate Bana and Rogbom feeder Roads (4.4 kilometers at Mamaki village in the Bombali Shebora chiefdom took place over the weekend.
Handing over the contract to the contractor, the Chief Administrator of the Bombali District Council (BDC), Madam Vivian Senesie informed that the ceremony is to handover the project to the contractor and the people and advised them to form a Project Management Committee to help supervise the project, protect the materials and ensure quality work, support the contractor and appealed to the contractor to utilize the people and complete the work on time i.e. within three months.
The representative of the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) enlightened that one of their core functions is to finance road maintenance through the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), that the project is part of the President’s agenda to make rural areas more accessible, encouraged the people to ask the contractor questions revealing that a small amount would be disbursed to the BDC to supervise the project and appealed to the people to own the project and ask salient questions for the project’s sustainability.
The representative of Civil Society Organizations, assured that they would ensure thorough and effective service delivery and commended government for the support adding that they would also ensure that the project is sustainable but informed the people that the money would be paid in tranches and that in some cases the contractor has to pre-finance the road works.
The BDC engineer, Mr. Abdul Kanu revealed that 11 culverts would be constructed along the 4.4 kilometres road, that the success of the project is the collective responsibility of all and guaranteed quality work.
The Deputy Minister of Political and Public Affairs, Mr. Lusani Kallon underscored the importance of education and appealed to parents to send their children to school reiterating that the importance of the road cannot be overstate.
The representative of the community, Dr. Philip John Kanu recalled that President Maada Bio was once travelling to Magburaka when he stopped at the junction leading to the community and saw the deplorable state of the road and thereafter decided to rehabilitate it but that they lobbied the RMFA to fund the project.
He said he wants to be grateful to the SLPP that gave him respect by appointing him Principal of the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET), that the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) educated him to the highest level, that he is getting the full support of the President and his wife in executing his duties and revealed that public toilets would soon be constructed in the community in addition to the rehabilitation of other roads asserting that the President means good for Sierra Leone.
In his keynote address and handing over of the project to the contractor, the Mayor of the Bombali District Council, Mr. John S. Koroma asserted that he is delighted that all the developments in the community are taking place during his tenure, an indication that he has served his people well that is also a good foundation for him.
He continued that today the feeder road is being rehabilitated but that tomorrow it may be a tarmac road and that the Ebola Cemetery may be transformed to a monument underscoring that the community is experiencing rapid development and that the community would soon join Makeni City.
The contractor, Mr. Sorie Kargbo assured quality work but appealed to the people for support.
Government has also constructed a church, Court Barry and water well (borehole) in the community.
Other stakeholders who made statements at the ceremony promised to effectively monitor the project for sustainability.
The ceremony was also witnessed by the Special Advisers to the President on Local Government and Political Affairs, Dr. Emmanuel Gaima and Dr. Patrick Brima Kapuwa respectively.
The vote of thanks was rendered by a member of the community.
