By Amin Kef Sesay
Mercury International, Sierra Leone’s leading Premier Sports Betting and Lottery Company’s contribution to Education, Sports, Entertainment, CSR and other humanitarian ventures are unmatched with any other in the country.
The Management of the company has always been akin to align their company’s aspirations with that of the Government and People of Sierra Leone.
They have always been around even in the most trying times of the country. From the Ebola period to that of the mudslide, Mercury has always been around to support Government and other partners in their response.
Mercury International has contributed to every facet of human endeavour since its establishment in the country.
In the sports arena, the company is a household name in supporting the country’s prestigious premier league.
The company has severally rescued the country’s national team, Leone Stars, the Sports Writers’ Association (SWASAL) and many other sporting disciplines in the country, especially with regards meeting their commitment to international competitions.
They have also been involved to get SWASAL to provide commentaries on international matches, especially away matches.
Mercury was the first company in 2014 to commit hundreds of millions of Leones to support former President Ernest Bai Koroma’s Government when the dreadful Ebola struck the country.
On the entertainment front, their footprints are also on the sands of time as they have supported several if not almost all major entertainment events hosted in the country since they started operations in the country.
Their support has not known political colours, party affiliations, regional or ethnic considerations.
They have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that their loyalty is to the people of Sierra Leone, especially their esteemed customers.
Despite their resounding support to almost all sectors in the country, they have also remained hugely compliant to the tax and labour laws of the country.
The disclaimer around the age of consent with regards accessing the ‘RED BOX’ has always been emphatic within the company’s media strategy.
Mercury has always supported strides to get the Sierra Leonean child educated.
Their massive scholarships across all levels in the country’s educational system, is also immeasurable.
Sierra Leonean people always run to Mercury International whenever they are deeply constrained.
The company has always been supportive in collaborating with other partners to rescue children in need of critical surgical operations abroad.
Mercury has remained a sustainable avenue to respond to critical situations in the country. Their offices and doors are always open to respond to critical situations in the country.
When President Bio introduced the Free Quality Education in August, 2018 Mercury International was the first to approach the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education with a proposal to invest USD1.5 million dollars towards the construction of eighty (80) classrooms.
The Management of the company while announcing the package, noted that its support for education in Sierra Leone in the past has mainly focused largely on providing scholarships for qualified Sierra Leoneans to pursue professional courses overseas and the payment of school fees for over one thousand primary, secondary, tertiary and university students every year.
Mercury International also noted that supporting education was a right step towards nation building.
The support to the Free Quality Education will involve the building of 80 single classrooms in four (4) phases of twenty (20) classrooms each.
The first phase runs through October 2018 to September, 2019.
Mercury International has also been supportive to the media in Sierra Leone.
Their footprints towards providing support to newspaper houses and radio stations to get them up and running against a very low subscription rate, is very glaring.
This is why they have remained a household name to the youth in Sierra Leone who continues to enjoy from hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the country.
