Matthew Dingie is the newly appointed Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Principal Adviser on economic and financial policies to the Minister of Finance and the Government. He is a career Civil Servant with an outstanding service record to the Government and people of Sierra Leone.
Dingie started his career in the private sector as an Accountant Trainee at PKF Chartered Accountants in August 2000, and later that same year moved to KPMG Chartered Accountants, where he served as a member of audit teams assigned to carry out audits and other financial advisory services to various private and public sector institutions.
He joined the Civil Service in February 2002 as a Budget Analyst Budget Bureau in the Ministry of Finance, where he worked as a consultant under the World Bank PSMS II project, later funded by the Department for International Development (DFID/UK). He was instrumental in preparing the annual budgetary estimates for the Government of Sierra Leone and the quarterly Fiscal/Budget Monitoring Tables and Reports.
Dingie was appointed Director of Budget in the Ministry of Finance in September 2007, a position he served effectively for over ten years. Because of his outstanding performance, he was promoted to Principal Deputy Financial Secretary in April 2018, a position he held until the President, Dr Julius Maada Bio, appointed him to serve as Financial Secretary in July 2023.
During his ten years as Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Matthew Dingie led the preparation, approval and execution of 13 annual and three supplementary budgets for the Government of Sierra Leone and the migration from line-item budgeting to an Activity Based Budgeting System in 2014.
As Principal Deputy Financial Secretary, he also led and contributed to many economic and financial reforms of the Government of Sierra Leone.
Matthew Dingie holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA and a First Class Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in Accounting and Finance degree from Fourah Bay College, USL. He joined the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), UK and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sierra Leone (ICASL) in June 2005. In June 2010, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA), UK.
Although various individuals in one way or the other contributed to the political success of President Julius Maada Bio, however, the current Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray (aka Rado) was very instrumental during the campaign trails culminating in massive victory for President Julius Maada Bio and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in the June 24, 2023 multi-tier elections.
Throughout the campaign period, in his capacity as Head of SLPP Campaign Communications, Rado judiciously and expansively used the traditional and social media to spread President Bio’s messages throughout the country.
He is on record for being the first Minister of Information and Communications who worked steadfastly with President Bio to raise the standard and moral of journalists in Sierra Leone’s media landscape.
He worked assiduously with President Bio to bring about the expunging of part five of the Public Order Act which before now, criminalized free speech and was used to put many journalists behind bars.
Mohamed Swarray, together with President Bio, was also very pivotal in organizing the first-ever media investment conference that attracted participants from many countries to see how the Sierra Leone media could benefit from international investment and investors.
For the first time in the history of media in Sierra Leone, the umbrella organization for media practitioners, Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) started receiving subvention from the Government as well as rendering assistance to progressive and public interest media organizations – thanks to President Bio and Rado Swaray.
It was him that piloted the first-ever annual Presidential Media Cocktail which attracted journalists from across the country to meet and discuss pertinent issues directly with President Bio.
Rado is the only Minister of Information and Communications that designed an annual media outreach programme for journalists to interact and exchange ideas on governance issues.
Thanks to him, the media landscape under President Bio’s tenure has been very cordial and free from political and other influences which before now undermined the efforts and work of the media in Sierra Leone.
Therefore, most people that have been following Rado’s industrious drives are of the opinion that, he deserves another five years because he has what it takes to develop the information and communications industry in the country.
Since 2018 when he was first appointed to that position by President Bio, the Ministry of Information and Communications has seen massive overhaul and improvement more than ever before in the history of Sierra Leone. It was the initiative of Mr. Swarray with support from President Bio that several media-related laws such as the Cyber Crime and Security Act which seeks to protect the cyber space and users of the internet were enacted.
He has been very vocal and frank in defending President Bio and his Government’s policies, programmes and plans.
In fact, some people actually wonder what would have become of the Information and Communications Ministry had Mohamed Rahman Swarray not been appointed Minister to such an important, sensitive and strategic arm of the Government.
He has a lot of respect for President Bio, the First Lady and his colleagues in and outside of the SLPP.
In fact, a diplomat described Swarray as an eloquent enigma and orator who has contributed immensely to the successes of President Bio’s Government in his first five years, adding that Swarray will add fodder and the necessary ingredients to make President Bio’s five more years in governance another five more successful years, if he is re-considered for cabinet position by His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), through its Directorate of Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness together with the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA) and the Engineering Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have on July 4th, 2023 completed a joint assessment of a drainage at Beccles Street said to be 6 meters deep and has narrowed the road making it very dangerous for motorists and pedestrians residing at Wellington in the East End of Freetown who are using that road.
The assessment was precipitated by a distressing report received by the Agency from a resident within the community on the deplorable status of the road and its environmental exposure to lives and property and other critical infrastructures within the community.
Speaking on the purpose of the visit, the Director of Disaster Risk Reduction at NDMA, Thomas Lebbie, stated that the visit is aimed at doing a thorough assessment in order to holistically understand the various risks, exposures and vulnerabilities residents and critical infrastructures are exposed to within the Wellington community.
“The joint visit brought together different professional perspectives leading to a more holistic assessment for onward decision making on the current state of Beccles Street and its associated risks and inconveniences to residents within the community,” he added.
During the assessment, the team held a couple of discussions with residents in the area. Detailed questions were asked to get an in-depth understanding of the cause(s) that led to the current status of the road and its attendant effects. It was observed that there has been massive degradation up the hills in the Wellington community which in turn has negatively impacted Beccles Street, Philip Street and Melon Street.
It was also observed that several electrical poles with one major transformer are critically exposed to slope failure in the events of flooding and put the lives of residents and school-going pupils in danger at the Municipal Primary School in Wellington as the transformer is situated right inside the primary school compound.
The assessment team is expected to submit a comprehensive report and engage MDAs that are crucial in addressing the risk at Beccles Street for prompt action.
It could be recalled that the NDMA, through its Directorate of Disaster Risk Reduction, commenced some major flood mitigation activities across Freetown in October 2022 which have helped greatly to minimize the occurrence and impact of flooding in Freetown.
President Dr Julius Maada Bio was part of Heads of State and Government in Guinea Bissau on Sunday 9th July, 2023 that succinctly addressed sub-regional issues pertinent to peace, security, stability and regional integration as well as using the occasion to extend thanks and appreciation to the ECOWAS Observer Mission to the 24 June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone.
The 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) also looked at maintaining growth momentum and consolidating socio-economic gains for its people and the well-being of the Community.
“Sierra Leone unequivocally welcomes the Community’s strides in education, agriculture, mining, water, energy, and infrastructure development. We remain committed to translating these strides into meaningful and gainful employment, especially for our youth, that will improve the quality of life of our people and positively impact the region,” said President Bio.
He also used the occasion to particularly thank the outgoing Chair, His Excellency Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of Guinea-Bissau, for his excellent stewardship as Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and for being a gracious host to this year’s session.
President Julius Maada Bio also received a congratulatory message from the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, through his Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, H.E. Leonardo Santos Simão, on his re-election and thanked the Government of Sierra Leone for the successful conduct of the June 24th multi-tier elections.
In his remarks, President Bio expressed his profound appreciation for the many congratulatory messages and warm fraternal felicitations on his well-deserved re-election and seized the opportunity to formally congratulate and welcome his brother and colleague H.E Ahmed Bola Tinubu who was attending his first ECOWAS Heads of State Summit as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I welcome my elder brother, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the Authority of Heads of State and Government and congratulate him on being elected as Chair of the Community,” he said.
On the political governance and security within the Community, President Bio reaffirmed his commitment to support the ECOWAS transition agenda for the restoration of democratic constitutional rule in the sister countries of Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
“Excellencies, Sierra Leone just concluded free, fair, credible and peaceful elections on the 24th of June 2023, with an overwhelming victory for me and my governing Sierra Leone People’s Party. This resounding victory provides us with the unique opportunity to consolidate the progressive socio-economic development gains we have achieved over the past five years, consolidate peace and strengthen our democracy.
“For decades, Sierra Leone’s electoral process has stood the test of time to guarantee the constitutional rights of every eligible citizen to vote and be voted for. Following the successful conduct of our multi-tier elections, let me convey my nation’s gratitude to Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas and the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission Team to Sierra Leone for their professionalism and diligence in observing the elections,” President Bio stated.
Malik Malik Bah, a well-known figure in Sierra Leone, convened a gathering of influential political bloggers with the aim of maximizing the potential of social media for the country’s development at Lagoonda, Sierra Leone on Saturday, July 8, 2023.
Malik Malik Bah, renowned for his extensive reach of over 34 million Facebook users, joined forces with other influential bloggers to play a pivotal role in utilizing social media to support the progressive agenda of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), ultimately contributing to President Bio’s successful re-election.
Under the chairmanship of Tony Morgan, the seminar provided a platform for participants hailing from different regions within Sierra Leone to exchange ideas on strategies for promoting President Bio’s development initiatives. The collective goal of the group is to accelerate Sierra Leone’s progress under the leadership of President Bio.
It is worth noting that this group of dedicated bloggers is entirely self-funded and united by their unwavering belief in President Bio’s ability to deliver a prosperous Sierra Leone for its citizens.
During the seminar, the participants generated practical and innovative solutions, which will undergo further discussions at the national level before being presented as actionable recommendations to His Excellency, President Bio.
The unwavering dedication and exemplary coordination demonstrated by these bloggers have set a new benchmark for future effective online media campaigns. Their efforts hold the potential to shape the landscape of social media utilization in Sierra Leone and contribute significantly to the country’s development goals.
Renowned political analyst Tony Konomanyi has delivered a scathing analysis of the All People’s Congress (APC) also shedding light on the party’s internal struggles and the dire need for immediate reform.
In his thought-provoking piece, Konomanyi emphasized the significance of self-reflection and honesty within the party’s ranks to avoid further disappointment and restore public trust.
Highlighting the deep-rooted issues plaguing the APC, Konomanyi unveils a party afflicted with long-standing weaknesses that have been ignored by its members. He criticized the morally flawed narrative the APC adopted during its time in opposition, pointing out the party’s association with individuals tainted by corruption allegations and divisive behavior.
Konomanyi’s scolding extended to the party’s failed campaign strategies and the abandonment of key regions in Sierra Leone. He went on to accuse the APC leadership, led by Dr. Samura Kamara, of disregarding the efforts of loyal supporters and betraying alliances crucial to the party’s success. The analyst also focused former President Ernest Bai Koroma and his inner circle, accusing them of holding the party hostage to their personal agendas.
It must be noted that the article underscores the urgent need for a complete overhaul within the APC, advocating for a change in attitudes and the rejection of past missteps.
Konomanyi called for the party to distance itself from individuals, such as Koroma, who threatened its very survival pointing out that by addressing those issues head-on he believes the APC can begin the healing process and regain credibility.
Konomanyi’s scathing critique did not stop at the party’s past failures as he highlighted the party’s post-election response, characterizing it as a repetition of the same mistakes.
He then cautioned against the APC’s inclination to cry foul and rely on international intervention, stressing that the international community is unlikely to support a party that rejected national inclusion and embraced the policies of a former leader tainted by corruption.
Konomanyi concluded by warning that without immediate and comprehensive reform, the APC is destined for failure and posited that reformation is the only path forward for the party to reclaim its lost integrity and secure a more promising future.
During a Press Briefing that was hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communications on the 6th July, 2023 in its Conference Room, the Minister, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, voiced his deep concern over the All Peoples Congress Party’s (APC) impending boycott of the 2023 governance activities referring to the APC’s decision as a “betrayal of trust” further expressing hope that the Party would retract its stance.
Addressing both stakeholders and the Press, the Minister also outlined the potential fallout from the APC’s proposed actions and also underscored the party’s critical role as an opposition as well as emphasizing that the Party’s engagement in governance is vital for the healthy operation of democracy.
The Minister of Information and Communications indicated that the APC, should it proceed with its boycott, would be betraying the voters who had elected representatives into various positions, from the Presidency to Local Councils.
He reiterated that the position of the APC in tandem with boycotting the various levels of governance in which they were elected to represent the populace will be a big betrayal to voters.
He called on the APC to reconsider their stance further highlighting the potential implications for the electorates who have backed and voted for the party stressing the vital importance of upholding the mandate given to them by their supporters, saying.
The Minister expressed a wish by saying that: “It is my hope that the APC reconsiders their position because it will be a big betrayal of trust to their people who voted for them.”
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, the Vice President of Sierra Leone, has on Thursday 6th July, 2023 chaired a meeting of all the Twenty Two (22) Local Councils held at the New Freetown City Council Conference Hall in Freetown.
In his address during the meeting, the Honourable Vice President stated the gathering could be described as a stocktaking exercise designed to prepare the Councils for the roll out of the new administration.
He used the occasion to highlight the key achievements of the Government and the role of the Councils in the Manifesto commitment of President Bio.
The VP further underlined the importance of the meeting as a platform and opportunity to share experiences and position the Councils in the coming years particularly in view of “Revamping the Public Service for Efficient and Effective Management of the state”.
Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said following the General Elections, his first engagement is to kick-start Local Government infrastructure. He stated how he chaired the Stocktaking Meeting of Local Councils to prepare for the new administration.
The status of the 22 Local Councils was evaluated and a framework was established in order to continue to work in view of their role to execute the manifesto commitments of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
“It is reassuring to learn that the Chief Administrators continued the effective implementation of their respective development plans as we prepare to roll out a new plan in the coming years,” the Vice President expressed delight and commended.
As various organizations took turn to congratulate President Julius Maada Bio on his re-election as President of Sierra Leone, on Thursday, 6th July, 2023 at State House in Freetown, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio received a congratulatory message from the entertainment industry. The industry pledged its unwavering support to the President and promised to work for the transformation of Sierra Leone.
The Ambassador of Entertainment, Denis Amara Turay, alias Kao De Nero, informed that they were gathered at the presidency not only to extend their congratulations on the resounding election victory of the President but also to the Electoral Commission and the security personnel for conducting free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections. He underscored that their efforts in upholding the principles of transparency, integrity and equal representation have accorded the electoral process trust.
“Today, we commend our President for his remarkable achievements in the last five years and his plans to consolidate sustainable peace in the next five years, along with his plans, and vision that have won the hearts of citizens.
“Your dedication and commitment to promoting creativity have paved the way for countless individuals, including myself, to pursue their passions and share them with the world. We are grateful to your presidency, sir,” he confessed.
Popular female entertainer, Linda Samai, alias Star Zero, said, “I want to thank the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) for conducting peaceful, free, and fair elections. I want to thank all voters for voting in the June election peacefully.”
She said, “His Excellency, we are here to extend our congratulations to you in a peaceful and ‘saful’ way. Your support for our industry cannot be overemphasized, but because we trust and have confidence in you and your presidency, there is absolutely no doubt that you will deliver on our promise and aspiration for total development and transformation of our beloved Sierra Leone.”
President Julius Maada Bio, while accepting their congratulatory message, said, “I want to personally thank all the entertainers in the country for the tremendous efforts by various groups in the sector and the transformation of not only your sector but the country in particular.
“On that note, I want to assure you that we need a national dialogue to get the information we need to transform the sector.”
The President assured that: “We should discover your potentials and assist in transforming your sector to ensure we provide a future for all those in the industry. My Government is committed in that direction.”
The significance of having well constructed road networks that will fast track socio-economic development cannot in any way be overemphasized in the light of facilitating the swift movement of pedestrian and vehicular movements and in the transportation of goods of varying sorts from one place to another. Road construction and rehabilitation form an integral part of infrastructural development which any development oriented political administration would like to roll out in order to lay the foundation on which various development projects could be sustainably implemented.
As the country is just emerging from peaceful multi-tier elections with the re-election of President Julius Maada Bio, a new Government will soon be formed to continue to map out and implement various programmes that are geared towards checkmating inflation and revamping the economy.
One area which the SLPP led Government, headed by President Julius Maada Bio, made significant gain during its first tenure in office was the road sector. Certain vital roads and bridges were constructed, rehabilitated and maintenance in different regions across the country.
Through the interventions of meaningful development partners, one of which is Pavi Fort Road Construction Company, the President’s development aspirations were and are still being solidly and seriously carried out in order to produce the desired effects or outcomes that suit His Excellency as far as fostering development is concerned.
It could be recalled that in his 2018 Manifesto, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio made an electoral promise to the citizens of Sierra Leone that when he becomes President of the nation he will endeavour to give real meaning to his road construction projects at minimal costs contrary to the colossal sums of money of which it accused the erstwhile Government led by former President Ernest Bai Koroma to have wastefully or corruptly expended.
In translating its road manifesto agenda into reality Pavi Fort Road Construction Company, an indigenous civil engineering entity with a distinguished reputation, won contracts that were advertized and awarded by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Works and the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA).
Founded and being judiciously managed by a competent Management team led by its Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Alimu Barrie, Pavi Fort has commendably and positively contributed in actualizing the President’s road agenda that mainly borders on enhancing infrastructural development .
This result oriented and highly productive company, Pavi Fort, is at this current moment or stage seriously engaged or involved in the maintenance of township roads right across the country, with particular reference to Freetown, Lungi, Port Loko, Kenema and Kabala among other areas where major road works had been undertaken and completed.
Pavi Fort, has in recent times being involved in the maintenance of roads in Freetown , mainly in the Eastern and Central parts,comprising Kissy By Pass -Old Road, City Road – Old Road, Main Motor Road -Old Road, Bai Bureh Road (P.M.B Junction), Bai Bureh road (Portee Junction to Rokupa Junction, Bai Bureh Road (Texaco Junction), Bai Bureh (Texaco Junction to Old road Texaco, Bai Bureh Upgun Junction, Jenner Wright Road (Upgun Junction), Cline Town Round About, Fourah Bay Road (Kennedy St Junction), Kennedy Street, Fourah Bay Road (Bombay Junction), Fourah Bay Road (Clock Tower Junction), Circular Road (Model School Junction), Rokel Street -Model Junction to Parliament, Sani Abacha Street and the Regent-Jui Road.
As at present, concrete work is now in progress on the Regent Road by the Police Checkpoint.
What exactly the company is doing is the priming of the roads and overlaying of tar or asphalt and in some cases undertaking patching. Significantly, since it commenced work, some of the targeted roads have been successfully primed and overlaid whereas work is ongoing on others. Also, some of the drainages are sometimes cleared as was the case on the Regent Road where concrete work was done instead of using tar because of technical advantages and durability.
Lamentably, the long neglect and dilapidated state of the aforementioned roads really reduced them into seemingly death traps and caused various unsuspecting individuals to incur serious bone fractures or injuries as a result of mistakenly falling into gutters with broken slabs.
The good news is that due to the foresight and development ambition on the part of President Bio and the professional civil engineering works carried out by Pavi Fort Road Construction Company the risks posed by the bad state of these roads are now becoming things of the past.
Cognizance must be taken that prior to undertaking the maintenance of major township roads, Pavi Fort, was engrossed with the implementation of a World Bank funded programme known as the Integrated Resilient Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP).
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation on the 23rd July, 2020 signed an 11 Million Dollar World Bank funded Contract Agreement with Pavi Fort Construction company for the implementation of an aspect of the project.
As learnt, the project is geared towards improving the quality of public transport, address climate resilience, improve road safety in selected areas and enhance institutional capacity in the transport sector.
Pavi Fort undertook the implementation of the project in three areas or corridors namely: Kissy Ferry Junction, Congo Cross and Lumley and the works involved comprehensive corridor improvements that covered complete traffic management measures including intersection improvements, coordinated traffic lights, improvement of sidewalks for pedestrian movement, drainage, etc.
The company expanded the road from two lanes, on both sides, to three lanes, fixed a new drainage system to replace the old small clogged ones which will curtail or drastically reduce flooding on the road during the rains, and made provision for a traffic light to be fixed at the Ferry Junction intersection to control the traffic flow, fixed street lights, guard rails as well as convenient bus stops or parking spaces.
Similar construction and engineering works were also done by the company at Cong Cross and Lumley under the same project, IRUMP, and as it now stands, works in the three areas has reached 85% completion stage. What now remains for the company to do in those three locations is the installation of traffic lights, a work that was delayed because the company was waiting for the experts to jet-in in order to provide the service. However, the company has assured that it will embark on in the shortest possible time from now
Also, the road signs or furniture will also be rolled out and it is expected that by the end of July, 2023 that last aspect of the IRUMP will mark the final completion by Pavi Fort.
The company was also awarded the contract for the rehabilitation or maintenance of major streets in Lungi including the Maada Bio Street which is mainly used by Sea Bird passengers and Sea Coach officials. In that locality the company was involved in stone basing and tarring of damaged roads with the aim of minimizing the number of pot holes which by extension has greatly helped in minimizing the occurrence of accidents.
In Port Loko, the company is engrossed with landscaping, roofing and fixing of pillars on a one hundred bed hospital which was once used by NaCOVERC during the COVID-19 and transformed into a hospital. The company has successfully constructed 2 Kilometre of the projected 2.2km road, according to our reporter, who conducted an inspection and an interview. The company has also 100% the perimeter fence, the car park and tiling of the hospital facility as well as the laying of asphalt in demarcated areas within the facility. Work so far done on the 2.2km road has reached a stage of passing the hospital facility leading to a nearby village and had it not been for the rains it should have been completed by now. As at this material moment, the hospital is 99% completed only awaiting commissioning which is projected to take place at any given time from now.
When this medium caught up with Ing Momodu Jalloh, who is a Project Engineer of Pavi Fort Construction Company in Kenema, Eastern Sierra Leone, he articulately revealed that the entire project involves the rehabilitation and maintenance of 30 Kilometre stretch of roads within the Kenema Township.
He further disclosed the company is currently involved with asphalt work adding that work is expeditiously ongoing as there are no plans of them shutting down maintaining that recently they just took a one day break in order to give workers the opportunity to vote in the June 24, 2023 elections after which they resumed work.
Ing Jalloh also intimated that drainage work is also ongoing furthering how the work is divided into three phases.
“We have completed phase one which is a 10 kilometre of roads that we completed work on and at this stage we are on phase two with almost completing 5 kilometre out of 10 kilometres the phase encompasses,” he stated adding that hopefully, all things being equal, during this same period in 2024 the entire targeted 30 kilometres will be completed.
He pointed out that though the company is an indigenous entity their work output matches match international standards further assuring how their qualitative works always stand the test of time.
It could be recalled that on the 19th May, 2023 in Dogoloyia Town, Koinadugu district, a 261-kilometer road project linking Koinadugu with Falaba and Kono Districts was re-awarded to Pavi Fort with a view to reduce travel time and cost, improve service delivery time and promote the health condition of residents in that part of the country. The road is also known as the 261km Kabala-Krobola-Kono Road.
Interestingly, Pavi Fort Road Construction Company was first awarded the contract of constructing that road during the tenure of the erstwhile APC Government under the leadership of former President Ernest Bai Koroma but work came to a halt when there was a change of Government and funds were not forthcoming despite the fact that the contractor (Pavi Fort) had pre-financed the project.
Construction work was around 40% to 50% when the halt took place as a result of a change of Government and it negatively impinged the company.
According to the CEO of Pavi Fort, Alimu Barrie, if there is one thing for which he will remain grateful to President Bio for it is the re-awarding of the contract to his company especially as he had already spent hugely in pre-financing the project.
Work is earnestly in progress and according to the Public Relations Officer of Pavi Fort, only known as Dabor, culvert work is ongoing further revealing that priming and tarring work are being done. He debunked the false information that the company has terminated work saying they only stopped work for three days because of the elections also divulging how they recommenced work afterwards.
Dabor disclosed that because of the heavy rains they will have to stop work in August and resume on the 15th September, 2023 adding that for now stone pitching is taking place and the quarry is operating as well as the asphalt plant functioning well.
“90% of the culvert work has been completed,” he confidently reiterated.
In an engagement with Pavi Fort’s Director of Operations, Juel Bernard Lawson, he frankly informed that the secret behind the successes of the company hinges on the fact that though Pavi Fort is an indigenous company that employs local staff yet sometimes they hire the services of experts if the expertise could not be secured nationally furthering that when it comes to equipment the company has fleet of machines at its disposal to undertake various tasks.
Lawson also mentioned that they have asphalt plants at different locations as part of their decentralization strategy also disclosing how they have the best paver which is an electronic device with an expert controlling it and Sierra Leoneans understudying him.
Random interviews conducted by this medium, targeting residents within the different project sites where Pavi Fort is involved in the implementation, they gleefully and sincerely commended the company positively for delivering qualitative road works maintaining that the initiative taken by the Government, under the leadership of President Bio was indeed a right step taken in the right direction.
They further expressed delight that the works, after completion, will greatly enhance pedestrian and vehicular movements, lead to the longevity of vehicles and minimize flooding from taking place on some of the major roads due to poor drainages.
They extended gratitude to President Bio and Pavi Fort Construction Company for improving road networks right across the country maintaining that such will largely enhance national development at all levels.
