By Amin Kef Sesay
In order to achieve its commitment to make their products and services accessible to all, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited has on Sunday 28th March 2021 commissioned an Ultra-Modern Filling Station at Kamem Village, within Port Loko District.
The aforementioned Filling Station was named after the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Koroma, whose names were given to the new Filling Station, (David & Adama Gas Station).
In his address, David Koroma expressed appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL Ltd, Kobi Walker and the entire Management of the company as well as those of Sierra Fishing Company for their support in ensuring that the establishment of the Filling Station became success.
He also extended gratitude to the community stakeholders of Port Loko for their support since the start of the project on to its completion, stating that he is gratified that they stood by them.
David added that at present the Filling Station has created job opportunities for residents of Port Loko and beyond noting that it will also address the problem of easily accessing fuel in Port Loko underscoring how there had been constraints in securing fuel within the district especially in times of crisis stating that with the commissioning of the Filling Station those constraints will be reduced.
He called on residents to take ownership of the Filling Station maintaining that it will not only benefit his family members but also majority of the residents of Port Loko District and even beyond.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker, assured residents of Port Loko that with this new NP-SL Fuel Station the issue of timely accessing fuel will be a thing of the past.
He said the commissioning of the new filling station in Port Loko is a clear testimony that NP-SL is committed to empowering Sierra Leoneans in every part of the country.
On behalf of the Management and staff of NP-SL Ltd he congratulated David & Adama for believing in the mission and vision of NP-SL, adding that as a company they will ensure that they remain firm in optimizing customer care.
The CEO said with this new filling station in Port Loko such will not only make fuel available for residents at all times but will also provide job opportunities and called on residents of Port Loko District to take ownership of the filling station which, he said, will not only service residents of Kamem but the entire Port Loko District and its environs.
He extended appreciation to His Excellency, President Maada Bio, for making a great decision when he was Head of State in 1996, by not allowing various international companies that showed interest to take over NP-SL.
The CEO intimated that His Excellency, at that time, said the company should be left in the hands of Sierra Leoneans furthering that the President knew that if NP-SL is operated by Sierra Leoneans they will in turn empower other Sierra Leoneans which, he said, that is what they are doing currently as a company.
AIG North West Region, Port Loko, of the Sierra Leone Police, AIG Samadia expressed appreciation to the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP-SL Ltd) for the construction of the new Filling Station in Port Loko adding that it has changed the face of Port Loko District further noting that such an investment is not only important but timely for the residents of Port Loko.
He stated that since the commencement of the construction of the Filling Station they have been providing proper security in order to ensure that everything is intact and the work went according to procedures and processes.
The Police Officer also encouraged members of the public to take the investment as their own, further stating that in that regard they will serve as a watchdog for NP-SL.
In her keynote address, the Resident Minister North, Haja Abdulai Kamara, expressed appreciation to NP-SL for bringing such a development to the district, adding that there had been undesirable issues relating to the accessibility of fuel in Port Loko especially in times of crisis but said she is with the strong conviction that with this new fuel station those will be things of the past.
She further thanked David Koroma, his wife and family members for rolling out such a brilliant initiative and for bringing development to the town.
Osman Conteh, a bike Rider of Port Loko expressed gratitude to David Koroma and his wife as well as NP-SL for the commissioning the Filling Station in Port Loko, noting that as bike riders they have been faced with a lot of constraints in securing fuel furthering that they had to go to nearby villages to secure fuel but said with this new NP-SL Filling Station it will surely address those fuel constraints.
The event was climaxed by the cutting of the tape by Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker and a representative from the community marking the formal opening of the Filling Station.
