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Gento Calls for Calm, Cleans Abacha Street & Donates 100 Bundles of Zinc

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Mohamed Gento Kamara, popularly known as Gento, the leading SLPP endorsed Mayoral aspirant for the Freetown City Council (FCC) has once more impressed Sierra Leoneans, especially Freetonians, in big time ways, as he continues to demonstrate sterling leadership qualities and his zest to transform Freetown into a befitting capital city with all the trappings or paraphernalia that a truly planned city must possess.

The ambitious businessman, from the initial stage of making his intention known to vie for the position of Mayor for the Freetown City Council, stated that one of the things that propelled him into politics, was the ugly bloody incident that occurred on the 10th August, 2022, during which some so-called protesters took to the streets of Freetown and some parts of the provinces chanting , “ President Bio Must Go”, attacking police stations, vandalizing public properties and cold bloodedly slain about six police officers on duty. As the Police and Military were trying to quell down the violent protest some civilians were killed in cross firing.

Gento maintained that he was partly motivated to vie as Mayor of the Freetown Metropolis to restore the city’s past glory, create opportunities for young people to be gainfully engaged and prevent them from being used by greedy, selfish and corrupt political figures for their own personal aggrandizement.

It therefore came as no surprise when it was revealed that a repetition of what transpired on the 10th August, 2022 will repeat itself that the leading Mayoral Aspirant, Mohamed Gento Kamara, decided to address Freetonians on the 12th June, 2023 to be calm, underscoring that the evil aim of some, because of politics will not succeed, asking Freetonians to go about their normal business activities. In a video message, Gento, appealed to Freetonians not to adhere to the dictates of one Adebayor, said to be residing in Holland and inciting Sierra Leoneans against the SLPP led Government headed by President Julius Maada Bio. He appealed to all to go about their activities peacefully.

Prior to that, the highly respected businessman cum politician, Mohamed Gento Kamara, led a thorough cleaning exercise, targeting Abacha Street.  It must be stated that Abacha Street, a beloved marketplace, has long suffered from mounting garbage, jeopardizing the health and accessibility of this vibrant hub. As a popular street on which street trading is rampant it is most times littered with waste of all sorts. In other words, Abacha Street is a famous place in Freetown that housed most street traders. Peddlers around the Freetown axis that ply that route buy from these traders. The street has been used as a trading ground for over decades in the history of Freetown. The gutters of that street are always filled with dirty of the remnants of the sold items of these traders. The street is most times dirty.

In actual fact, Abacha Street really posed some challenges while the cleaning exercise was ongoing but at the end of the day, with sophisticated machines and a highly determined youth workforce the seemingly impossible was finally surmounted. The cleaning was so thoroughly done in such a way that after it ended the mosquitoes, rats, flies, cockroaches etc had an emergency meeting during which time they decided to stage a protest for trespass.

In another engagement, in his usual philanthropic style and out of consideration bordering on fostering development, Gento donated 100 bundles of zincs to Kissy Brook Market for roofing of the market and other building materials for the construction of a public toilet for, in his own words, “make we mama and sister dem get conducive place for sell”.

This gesture was welcomed by with lots of commendations for the aspiring Mayor.

Gento appears to be fast turning the tide as he recently got the endorsement of all 16 Tribal Heads of the non-Krio ethnic groups in the city.

The result-oriented aspirant is running on a platform to fix the basic problems of the city- starting from water, sanitation and providing public spaces and services for all.

In any way it is interpreted what for now is really certain is the undiluted fact that for now Gento is a crowd puller. Pulling the crowd did not just materialize just out of the blues but rather through hard work, compassion for humanity and sheer social networking. With such a high level of support from the masses, it is indeed a foregone conclusion that Gento will indeed be the popular choice of majority of Freetonians on June 24, 2023 as he is all set “to fix the problem”.

Message of Peace and Caution Before, During & After Elections

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

As elections approach, it is important to remember that they are a cornerstone of democracy. They provide an opportunity for citizens to have their voices heard and to shape the direction of their country. However, with this opportunity comes responsibility. It is important for all of us to approach the upcoming elections with a sense of peace and caution.

First and foremost, we must remember that we are all members of the same society. We may have different beliefs and values, but we all share a common goal of building a better future for ourselves and for future generations. We must strive to maintain a sense of mutual respect and understanding, even in the midst of heated debates and disagreements.

Secondly, we must be cautious of the information that we consume and share. In this age of social media and online news, it can be difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. It is important to fact-check any information before sharing it with others, and to be wary of sources that have a history of spreading false information.

Similarly, we must be cautious of the rhetoric that is used by candidates and their supporters. While healthy debate is important, it is equally important to avoid language that is inflammatory or divisive. We must strive to find common ground and work towards solutions that benefit everyone, rather than pitting one group against another.

Finally, we must remember that the outcome of the election is not the end of the process. Once the results are in, it is important for all of us to come together and work towards a common goal. We must be willing to listen to one another and to work towards compromise and collaboration.

In conclusion, the upcoming elections provide an important opportunity for us to shape the future of our country. Let us approach this opportunity with a sense of peace and caution, and let us work towards a future that is based on mutual respect, understanding, and collaboration.

Legal Aid Board Executive Director Thrills UN in Articulating Access to Justice

Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles left the shores of Sierra Leone on Sunday, June 11 for the United States on the invitation of the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

The United Nations General Assembly will hold high-level debate on the theme: “Equal Access to Justice for All: Advancing Reforms for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies”. The event is convened in accordance with Resolution 77/237 of 15 December 2022, entitled “Strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme in particular its Technical Cooperation Capacity”.

The high-level debate will be held in person and consist of an opening segment, a high-level segment for interventions from Member States and Observers of the General Assembly, followed by an interactive panel discussion.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles will participate as a panelist among three others in the interactive panel discussion entitled: “Evidence-based Approaches to Ensure Equal Access to Justice for all in Criminal Justice Systems — Centering those facing Structural Barriers” on the 15 June 2023 at 3.00 p.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

She will focus on how access to justice through the establishment of the Legal Aid Board has benefitted people (citizens and foreigners alike)living in Sierra Leone, the positive impact of the availability and accessibility of legal aid services and how it has improved the lives of people. She will bring a different perspective to the discussion by speaking on legal aid outside the criminal justice system in the traditional justice system presided over by chiefs, tribal authorities, and the innovations in legal aid provision.

Ms. Carlton Hanciles will showcase the work of the Board in establishing offices in 29 cities and towns including in all the sixteen district headquarters in the country and in 13 chiefdom headquarter towns. Moreover, the Board has provided services to 833,927people most indigent persons since its inception in May 2015 to December 2022.

She will reference a research by Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in 2021 which found that the Legal Aid Board has scaled up community-based justice advice and assistance and has done so affordably, reducing unit costs by a factor of at least 5 compared to previous foundation and donor-supported programmes. The research also notes that Sierra Leone’s Legal Aid Board has been consistently handling tens of thousands of cases over the last few years with average unit costs of $22 per client, making the Board one of the low-cost models in the world.

The research further notes that the Board is regarded by the public as the best performing legal institution by far: 47% of the population rate its performance as excellent (with the next best institution only scoring 10%).

Ms. Carlton Hanciles will draw attention to the provision of primary justice services in remote communities by paralegals and how this has transformed and increased access to justice and mitigate abuses people are subjected to by the Local and informal courts.

The latter have no judicial powers. Moreover, these courts are guided by customary law and practice which discriminate against women. These courts do not treat criminal offences such as sexual offences and domestic violence abuse with the seriousness they deserve.

She will also talk about the introduction of Child Maintenance Accounts in July 2021 which have helped to improve the lives of children in terms of their upkeep, education and health. Also, securing court orders for Child Maintenance cases have improved compliance.

Ms. Carlton Hanciles will underline how the introduction of Citizen Advisory Bureaus (CAB) have empowered people to take ownership of their justice needs at community level by handling community level disputes hence providing an alternative to the informal courts by mediating civil matters and referring serious criminal matters to the Police.

Samura Kamara Dissects One Nation Manifesto at UNIMAK

By Abubakarr Harding

APC Presidential Flagbearer, Dr. Samura Kamara, presented his One Nation Manifesto to staff and students of the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) during which he dilated on the ten key pillars of his One Nation Manifesto  which was warmly  received by the students and all present at the event in Makeni.

Speaking at the event, the APC Flagbearer emphasized on certain things and priority which he believes will be of greater essence to the students and by extension the general public ranging from the need for a small Government, living wage, social mobility, gainful employment, monetary and fiscal stability, national unity, and effective economic zones to spur growth, improve human capital, digitize the economy and make Sierra Leone more competitive.

He added that, he has got a better vision for the nation which he wants to roll out should he be given the mandate in the June 24th General Elections.

The event and sessions created a greater opportunity for the students to interact with Samura Kamara as they were highly engaged in a meaningful dialogue about the future of Sierra Leone and how he can be of a good choice as well as a great leader.

Students at the event revealed deep feelings of seeing the zeal in Kamara to lead the nation. Many of their points towards understanding the ten key pillars and how they work were satisfactory dealt with as was confessed by them.

The All People’s Congress (APC) party manifesto pledges to provide free technical vocational education as a means of investing in the nation’s citizens.

Unveiled on May 29th, 2023, the party’s ‘One Nation Manifesto’ highlights ‘accelerating investment in our people’ as one of its top ten priorities, emphasizing the party’s commitment to skill development.

The manifesto outlines the party’s intention to collaborate with public-private partnerships to secure funding for technical education, thus relieving the strain on public resources. Additionally, the APC plans to review and enhance the student loan scheme to improve access to higher and technical education for children from low-income households.

Furthermore, the party recognizes that investing in citizens’ health is crucial.

The manifesto promises increased access to affordable, high-quality health services, a well-trained healthcare workforce, a reduced reliance on foreign health tourism, lower rates of maternal and infant mortality, and improved sexual and reproductive health for women and girls.

To ensure accountability, the manifesto proposes the establishment of monitoring and delivery teams at the district level to track and address issues within the medical sector.

Addressing food security, the APC commits to increasing investment in agriculture by allocating over 10% of the total expenditure budget. This funding will support initiatives to boost rice production, other food crops, poultry, livestock, and cash crops. Additionally, the party aims to collaborate with financial institutions to design agricultural-friendly financial products that align with the planting cycle, facilitating access to finance for smallholder farmers.

The manifesto also emphasizes the need to collaborate with the private sector to improve rural infrastructure, including roads, storage facilities, and cold chains, in order to minimize post-harvest losses.

Recognizing the people as the nation’s greatest resource, the manifesto underscores the party’s commitment to enhancing productivity through education and skill development, prioritizing good health and healthcare, promoting agriculture and food security, providing social protection for marginalized populations and vulnerable groups, improving housing and informal settlements, and fostering sports development. Women’s empowerment is also highlighted as a key focus of these endeavors.

 Bio Engages Western Urban/Rural Communities on his Big Five Game Changer Agenda

President Dr Julius Maada Bio and supporters have been out on his campaign trail to engage the electorate across the country. On the 10th June, 2023 he met people in the Western Area Urban District, exclusively comprising the entire capital city of Freetown.

The President in his words said: “I’ll be visiting communities in Kroobay, Belgium, Parade ground, Wilberforce, Murray Town, Aberdeen and Lumley. Join us as we articulate our New Direction Agenda achievements in the last 5 years and outline the thematic areas of the SLPP People’s Manifesto 2023 to bring sustainable transformation to Sierra Leone,” he said.

On Friday 9 June 2023 the President was greeted to what he referred to as a carnival on his campaign trail as they were welcomed to Bo District by a sea of people. The mammoth crowd trouped out to show solidarity and to demonstrate their unflinching faith in the SLPP Government’s efforts at leading an all-round transformation across the country.

“Unlike in the past, our national development agenda has been tribe, tongue, religion and region neutral, ensuring that our Human Capital Development agenda touched every part of Sierra Leone.

“With the Big Five Game Changer Agenda, we are committed and determined to do more. We shared the provisions of the recently launched SLPP People’s Manifesto 2023 and received the people’s overwhelming endorsement for the next 5 years,” he said in a tweet after the event.

President Julius Maada Bio Continues Nationwide Engagements, Meets Communities in Rokel, Kossoh Town, Marjay Town and Mile 13.

As he continues to campaign President Bio, on the 5th June, 2023  visited communities in Rokel, Kossoh Town, Marjay Town and Mile 13 in the Western Area Rural District and engaging them on his second term agenda.

“Join us as we articulate our New Direction Agenda achievements in the last 5 years and outline the thematic areas of the SLPP People’s Manifesto 2023 to bring sustainable transformation to Sierra Leone,” the President tweeted just before meeting thousands of his supporters in the four areas that he visited the whole day.

At Rokel and Kossoh Town, President Bio and his people were received by jubilant crowds, chanting different slogans like “5 more years”, “Maada Bio Tok-N-Do”, “the People’s President”, “the game changer” and more.

In his message to the people the Flagbearer of SLPP assured them that his Government would continue in the right direction by adding more value to the country and its citizens, adding that he would create the platforms and spaces for people to grow, survive and be independent.

At Marjay Town and Mile 13 the President was greeted by one of the largest crowds of women to assemble in that community and thanked them for coming out in their numbers notwithstanding the challenging weather.

“Come rain or shine, Julius Maada Bio is with and for the people. My message of hope, peace and prosperity, cannot be dampened. Today, we are in the Western Rural District. Thank you to all my supporters for staying in the rain and for welcoming me into your communities.

“I want to admonish you all to continue to be peaceful citizens so that this election will be a nonviolent one,” he added.

Chief Minister JJ Saffa Takes Njala University Through the SLPP Manifesto

The Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa, who is serving as the Chairman for the Sierra Leone People’s Party Manifesto Committee, has on Sunday 11th June 2023 engaged students, staff and members of the Mokonde community to explain the Big Five SLPP Manifesto.

Holding the engagement at the University Auditorium, the Chief Minister outlined the achievements of the SLPP Government over the last five years and the intentions contained in the 2023 Manifesto to consolidate and expand the progress already made by the New Direction administration.

The document, according to the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee, is divided into five specific thematic areas, with a focus on five areas: agriculture, human capital development, investment in youth employment schemes, revamping the public sector, and accelerating the use of technology and infrastructure as a means to sustained economic growth.

The production of food, he said, is Sierra Leone’s greatest challenge because it accounts for more than half of the nation’s imports, which, in his opinion, has increased demand over supply and resulted in excessive expenditure on the nation’s staple foods. According to him, too much money is being spent on imported rice, which has led to an increase in demand for foreign currency.  “Over 50% of our foreign exchange is used to import foodstuff,” he continued.

He therefore contends that the best way to lessen it is to make investments in agriculture, which will reduce the demand for foreign currency.

Chief Minister JJ Saffa assured the University that “Feed Salone” will begin at Njala University, noting that agricultural graduates from Njala University are no longer going to accept volunteer work at the Ministry as Agricultural Officers for Youth for Agriculture but rather, under the new manifesto, he claimed, they will become agricultural entrepreneurs where students will be given soft loans to start agricultural businesses.

He emphasized the value of research for agricultural development and pledged the University’s and SLARI’s involvement in putting those good ideas into practice. He also said that 500,000 jobs would be created, many of which, he said, would result from the growth of the agricultural industry.

JJ Saffa acknowledged the University’s electrical issue, stating that he made an effort to enhance funding to Njala University when he was the Minister of Finance when he saw that the University spent a lot of money on fuel to light its campuses. He promised the university that their next administration would have good internet access and 24 hours electricity.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Bashiru Mohamed Koroma, praised the manifesto, thanked the Bio Government for giving agriculture importance in their next term in office, and informed the Chief Minister of Njala’s capability of providing the expertise needed to make Feed Salone a reality.

Professor Koroma discussed some of his Administration’s quick wins in restoring Njala University’s past esteem as the producer and seller of eggs across the country. He also discussed how his administration has infused transparency, accountability, and disciplined leadership into its operations.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, cited many of the President’s successes and referred to him as the best President of Sierra Leone in history.

He stressed that the President urged they visit the Njala University to discuss the positive proposals in the manifesto for the development of Sierra Leone because he has Njala University’s best interests at heart.

The Information Minister urged the University and the community to cast their votes for President Bio in the general elections on June 24.

 

UK Extols Commitment to President Bio’s Government

The Government and People of the United Kingdom say they are committed to the progressive moves being made by the President Julius Maada Bio-led Government of Sierra Leone.

This commitment came at a time when the UK’s Right Honorable James Cleverly (MP) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs contritely responded to complaints sent to Alicia Kearns MP (UK) by the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) in Sierra Leone.

After receiving a letter from Alicia Kearns MP (UK), dated 12 May 2023 in which the main opposition complained about concerns over the integrity of the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone, among other issues, the Right Honorable James Cleverly (MP) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, replied to her letter in very clear tone that he was totally convinced and confident about the role the President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio and his Government is playing towards the holding of free, fair and credible elections on June 24, 2023.

In his letter to Alicia Kearns MP (UK), dated 25th May, 2023, the Right Honorable James Cleverly (MP) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs wrote: “With respect to the questions you have asked, the UK, through the British High Commission in Freetown, holds regular, frank conversations with senior Government interlocutors and other key stakeholders on issues of good governance, the rule of law and the importance of free, fair and peaceful elections. Stakeholders include members of the opposition, election management bodies, and civil society organizations.

“I raised these issues myself with President Bio and the leader of the opposition, Dr. Samura Kamara, during my visit to Sierra Leone in

March and through subsequent engagements.”

He added: “Where the British High Commission has had concerns over preparations for elections, we have raised those with both the Government of Sierra Leone, election management bodies and the opposition parties.”

He went on to state that: “The UK has launched the ‘Promoting Democracy and Electoral Freedom Programme’, which supports cross-community dialogue among voters in Sierra Leone, with a focus on inclusion and violence prevention. The programme uses a combination of community-led peace promotion interventions and media programming for voter education.”

He further wrote that: “The UK often provides on-the-ground diplomatic observers for elections. In June, the British High Commission will deploy an observation team across a number of locations, working alongside other international missions and partners.”

He maintained that as the elections approach, UK will continue to work closely with the international community to consolidate and cross-check planning.

He concluded by stating: “I trust this (letter) reassures the Committee that the UK is taking a keen interest in the elections in Sierra Leone, and that we are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the process is free, fair credible and reflects the will of the people.”

It is important to note that the response of the Right Honorable James Cleverly (MP) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs came following complaints made by the APC to the above-mentioned UK MP.

In their letter, they complained amongst other things that they do not trust the activities of the security forces as they are restricting the ability of opposition leaders to travel – internally and abroad – and that they are breaking up legitimate political gatherings with violence and detentions without charge.

The APC also in their letter to the UK MP, raised concerns about the political independence of the Electoral Commission in overseeing the issuing of proper ballot papers and allowing the counting of votes at a district level rather than regional level, which is more vulnerable to political interference.

They stated in their letter to the aforementioned UK MP, that they are equally concerned about the political influence on the Judiciary in granting injunctions against opposition parties that inhibit their ability to campaign.

They also questioned the presence of international election observation missions which they said is an important but not necessarily sufficient guarantee that the elections will be seen to be free and fair for potential serious consequences of a disputed process and result.

However, the response to the APC’s letter addressed to Alicia Kearns MP (UK), has been succinctly addressed and their fears allayed by the Right Honorable James Cleverly (MP) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

Skye Bank Promotes Staff

Skye Bank SL Ltd has announced the promotion of 30 professional employees following a transparent and robust performance management review in line with global best practices.

According to its Managing Director, Abiola Bolaji, the Bank’s consistent growth over the last 12 months has been due to the immeasurable effort and sacrifice of its employees. He explained that promotion is one of the numerous incentives employed by the Bank to reward employees and boost their passion as they work towards the accomplishment of their individual career goals as well as the delivery of the Bank’s strategic objectives.

The beneficiaries of this whole scale performance review exercise spanned the Bank’s senior, middle, and junior management levels even as the management strives to continuously put employees in the best position to grow and be successful in today’s highly competitive work environment.

Over the past months, Skye Bank has demonstrated that employee performance and rewards remain a critical pillar of the Bank’s business operations. The Bank has consistently provided adequate resources to deepen core job skills while entrenching a culture of high performance among employees.

This announcement comes as the Bank continues to expand its presence in the provincial area of the country to increase the Bank’s service coverage for its customers. The Bank’s Management has obtained the Bank of Sierra Leone’s approval to establish a branch along Station Road in Makeni City. The construction project will commence this June and operations are expected to commence before the end of the current year 2023. This will be the second provincial branch after the official opening of the Bo Branch located at 148 Mahie Boima Road, on May 25, 2022.

The bank has also successfully launched its corporate internet banking, retail internet banking and mobile banking app to serve the convenience of its customers. This will help to drive the cashless and financial inclusion policy of the Bank of Sierra Leone. The Bank’s Automated Teller Machines and Point of Sales services will be launched before the end of this month.

Bank of Sierra Leone Trains Journalists on ‘Salon PementSwich’

By Millicent Senava Mannah

The Bank of Sierra Leone has trained Journalists across the country about the ‘Salon PementSwich’, on the 8th June, 2023. The Salon PementSWich is part of the Sierra Leone Financial Inclusion Project, which aims at making banking very easy and comfortable for customers. The training was held at the Sam Bangura Building Auditorium in Freetown.

The National Switch of Sierra Leone is being executed under the Sierra Leone Financial Inclusion Project which the Government of Sierra Leone is implementing through a loan from IDA/World Bank. The Project intends to increase the interoperability of digital payments and access to financial services.

The National Switch is expected to play a critical role in the socio-economic development of the country through promotion of digital financial services.

The process is further expected to drive volume, customer needs and overall national interest in the uptake of digital financial sector.

The Acting Bank Governor intimated that the more Journalists are educated about the PementSwich the better they will be able to sensitize the public further maintaining how they need to sensitize the public about the importance of the Switch.

‘’The implementation of this strategy is therefore essential to increase visibility, public awareness and status of the switch among members of the general public and other key stakeholders in order to maintain stakeholders’ confidence in the switch platform and financial sector,’’ he underscored.

‘’The fundamental purpose of the Salon PementSwich is to increase financial inclusion. Our second financial project will start in August this year and it will complement this one, ‘’ he disclosed.

Alfred Samah, Director, Banking Department, during his presentation said that the Switch comprises of three components, firstly to ensure interoperability of digital payments, finances the hardware, software, and consulting services required to implement a switch successfully.

He maintained that, the other component is to ensure the viability of the payments system through increasing usage thereof by financing access points for the switch, including Point of Sale (POS) terminals, mobile wallets and Government payments with particular emphasis on rural areas.

According to him, the third component is to ensure support for project implementation by financing a Project Coordinator and oversight mechanisms for the project to ensure private sector stakeholder involvement.

The Salon PementSwich (SaPS) comprises of three service lines that will be progressively introduced, the first line is a Card Switch where SaPS connects all card-issuing banks with all domestic local card to be used in any local device.

The second line is an Instant Payment Platform, where SaPS connects bank and mobile operators together to allow instant payments across all bank accounts and mobile money wallets.

The third line is a Hosting Service, allowing smaller financial institutions to issue cards and deploy ATMs and POS devices, and connect to the card switch, at low cost.

Albert Boima, Assistant Switch Division, in his presentation noted that one the benefits of the SaPS is that customers can use the nearest ATM, not just their own bank’s ATM, continuing that, this will also reduce travel and other costs and gives greater convenience.

He furthered that banks can issue more cards to more customers; and  can earn extra revenue from deploying ATMs.

Boima stated that, with the SaPS there will be lower payment system costs, increase in trade and commerce, and greater financial inclusion in the country.

Correcting Freetown’s Water Crisis the Gento Way

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

It is no secret that the capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, is in dire need of transformation. The reality is that Freetown has been administered by various Mayors at different times in the history of this country.

Be that as it may, there are now different candidates from various political parties and some independent candidates vying for the position of Mayor of Freetown.

Therefore, Freetonians must be well informed about the plans and promises being put forward by the various Mayoral candidates as to what they will actually do in the event any one of them is elected Mayor of Freetown.

It is against this background that the seemingly most popular and leading Freetown Mayoral candidate, Mohamed Gento Kamara, is not making his dream, aspirations and wishes for the transformation of Freetown a secret.

He has come out to explicitly state that when he is elected Mayor of Freetown, he will address the challenges in the water ecosystem in Freetown (problems of water shortage, storage and distribution).

Gento further states that he will lead the Freetown City Council (FCC) to work with all stakeholders to significantly increase access to safe drinking water from its abysmally low 30%.

In the same vein, he adds that it is clear that the Guma Valley Dam around River No 2 area can no longer meet the needs of the city’s residents. And therefore, he believes that it is important to make good use of our topographical surroundings.

According to him, almost all areas of Freetown have a mountain at the top; this natural resource should be harnessed with water catchments for the benefit of Freetonians. He promises to pursue certain town planning concepts and work collaboratively to aggressively enhance and protect these catchment areas, and where the need arises, he will construct mini-dams with a pipe connection running downstream, in order to create a grid that has natural velocity and can supply water direct to houses.

Through collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Gento says that the Freetown City Council will ensure that new requests for building permits will consider the environmental impact of projects prior to approval because this will help preserve forest reserve areas around the existing dams and gravity schemes that will ultimately enhance the capacity of dams to store and provide more water

It is a fact that Freetown boasts of high rainfall levels, several water catchment areas, and a long coast-line. These blessings of nature should make it easy for all one million plus residents of Freetown to have access to potable water.

However, this has not been the experience for most Freetonains, as access to safe drinking water is estimated at less than 30% of households in the city.

According to Guma Valley Water Company, the demand for pipe borne water in Freetown is 30-35 million gallons a day while the production is only 16.5 million gallons a day. This situation is compounded by the frequent cutting of water pipes by residents who do not have their own water, leading to an estimated loss of 4 million gallons a day. In the densely populated areas where access to pipe borne water is very limited, residents resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms to access water. For example, they may fetch water from dirty and unprotected wells and streams causing an increase in water borne diseases like typhoid, dysentery, and cholera.

In most instances young children have to go miles from home and queue to fetch water in 20 litre containers for their families. These problems are exacerbated by prolonged dry spells and flash floods of an increasing frequency and intensity.

To salvage the above crisis situation, Gento states that he will install sub mains water pipes in areas that already have direct access to pipe borne water. This will reduce the leakages and wastage of water significantly.

Meters will be installed in every household to ensure that the services are paid for on a regular basis. This additional revenue collection will enable continuity of services; and incentivizing and supporting residents to harvest rainwater. During heavy rainstorms, households should be empowered and trained to collect run-off from structures and other impervious surfaces in order to store it for later use.

Need we say more?

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