By Amin Kef Sesay
The proposed feeder road Project from Sembehun 17 to Tallu in the Bongor Chiefdom in the Bo District estimated at costing Le 1,739,875, 200 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand, Two Hundred Leones) to be implemented by the Bo District Council has been cancelled by the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA).
A document dated 17th June, 2021 from the RMFA to the Bo District Council gave the Council the go ahead to proceed with the necessary procurement and send a copy of the contract documents when the procurement process is completed and the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) endorsed the process.
According to sources from the Bo District Council the bidding was a National Competitive Bidding and it was won by ASSIL Trading Company in Kenema.
However, the RMFA decided to cancel the project though the company that won the bid has prepared to go ahead with the implementation.
It has been deduced in certain quarters that the Chief Executive Officer of RMFA has a person of interest among the bidders who was unfortunate to meet the requirements of the contract.
RMFA Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Kallon ,denied the allegation stating how he has no person of interest in relation to the implementation of the said project as the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) provides 70 percent and RMFA provides 20 percent funding in all road project nationwide, noting, “there are some priority roads like the Bo-Mattru that need over Le 40 billion, so RMFA is not part of any bidding process just to approve projects and has no interest in any bidder”.
Mohamed Kallon disclosed that the Bo District Council sent the request in May 2021 and it was approved in June 2021 and the Council sent the completed bidding documents in October, 2021, adding “so there were lapses as there were other feeder roads that needed funding”.
