By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The man of the moment, the engineer of roads, promoter of football sporting competitions and the compassionate helper, all laced as “the grassroots dem paddy”, Mohamed Gento Kamara, is still living his dream alive of the emerging as the next Mayor of the Municipality of Freetown in the wake of the 2023 Presidential, Parliamentary and Municipal Elections after contesting under the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
As elections are expected to be very competitive, there are other individuals who have shown keen interest in also vying for the same position. What this portends is that there are bound to be criticisms from various angles but it must be noted that they must be constructive, tenable and speak to the truth.
One of the criticisms that left most in the newsroom and even those outside found very absurd and very untenable is that it was erstwhile President Ernest Bai Koroma who favoured Gento by awarding him road contracts thereby making him rich but has now turned his back against him and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party to contest as Mayor under the banner or aegis of the SLPP. To them, that is ingratitude to the highest degree.
Though that may sound plausible, however, it is hollow and untenable as it is full of sound and fury signifying nothing. It must be hammered at this juncture that Mohamed Gento Kamara is a specialized road contractor who is on record for reconstructing the Hill Cut Road to international standards apart from the previous impressive works he has completed.
It must be noted that State funds meant for developmental programmes are not just distributed according to the whims and caprices of the then President but rather are allocated to certain Ministries, Departments and Agencies by the Ministry of Finance, after Parliamentary approval for the rolling out of various development programmes.
Road construction and rehabilitation are most times put up for bidding, whether it is National or International bidding, for which various interested entities bid with only one emerging as the winner.
Gento Group had bid and won certain road projects because he had all what it takes to undertake the works. With the technical skills, networking, standard equipment and available human resources at his disposal fantastic completed state of the art roads have been rolled out. The funds utilized were public funds and not presidential or party funds and so it is unjustifiable for some to say that it was the APC that gave him money simply because he won contracts during the tenure of Ernest Bai Koroma as President of the nation.
Mohamed Gento Kamara is currently craving and yearning to secure the symbol of the SLPP to qualify him to contest for the Mayoral position. He is poised to change the face of Freetown and ensure that it regains its past glory. Besides, he is determined to redirect the energies of many young people into productive enterprises by creating opportunities for them to add value to their lives and avert the loathsome outburst of the August 10 violent protest that erupted in the Metropolis leading to fatalities.
Gento wants to come from behind the scenes to the open in order to crystallize his development initiatives into more tangible realities that could positively impinge the lives of the vast majority.
No amount of negative criticism will dampen his zeal to occupy the Mayoral Seat and serve the residents of Freetown judiciously by ensuring that the city gets what befits it.
For now, let it be known that it was through hard work that Gento first came to the limelight and through his kindly gestures these young people, who is working towards bringing all the tribes in Freetown together.
As the situation now stands let all know that this time is Gento’s time. He needs our support as he deserves it.
