Officials of a credible company based in Sierra Leone, the Blue Line Construction and Investment Limited situated at 94 Bai Bureh Road, in the East End of Freetown, is rolling out a commendable initiative that will ease the transport constraints which school going pupils have been facing to and fro school.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Line Limited, Mohamed Fornah, Sierra Leonean based in the United States of America they saw the need to give back to their country through humanitarian gestures.
“We decided to avail free bus services to school going pupils free of cost, not paying a single cent,” he disclosed.
This revelation came in the wake of an erroneous publication giving credit to Dr.Tunde Marcarthy, a business mogul, who has no hands in the provision of the free bus services. “I want the whole world to know that the offering of forty buses to convey school going children to and from school in the morning hours to the evening hours on every school day is the sole prerogative of Blue Line Construction and Investment Limited,” he underscored adding that as long as a school pupil is in uniform he or she will definitely benefit and it is open to both public and private school going pupils. He noted that the drive is geared towards complementing the Government Free Education initiative which is ongoing “The buses are not only meant for Freetown but will be rolled out to other parts in the provinces,”he furthered. He intimated that the company is responsible for all running costs.
One of the flagship initiatives of the Maada Bio led SLPP Government; Free Quality Education is presently targeting pupils in primary and secondary school making provision for non-payment of fees, benefitting from free core textbooks with a component of free feeding in the package but still to be implemented.
Many have applauded the Government for rolling out the scheme maintaining that development is enhanced by having more educated and enlightened citizens. It goes without saying that a high percentage of human capital is inextricably linked to rapid development. Attention could not be only focused on gaining academic qualifications but rather attaining education in technical and vocational enlightenment is also highly significant.
Considering the payment of exorbitant fees by parents created the unpalatable situation where we had a huge chunk of school drop outs which did not augur well as it led to involvement in various vices by the unfortunate boys and girls whose future are definitely very bleak.
Since its implementation the Free Education has been going through some challenges one of which include lack of enough classrooms to accommodate the increased number of pupils in school, lack of enough teaching materials among others.
Quickly and timely access to affordable transportation is seriously affecting pupils who live in distant places sometimes causing them not to reach school on time and even make them return home late ,not giving them enough time to study at home.
It is therefore very laudable for Blue Line Construction Company, under the capable and astute leadership of the charismatic CEO, Mohamed Fornah, for them to take the bold step to provide these forty buses which will definitely help to alleviate the constraints faced by pupils to quickly access transportation.
Fornah also pointed out that on the 21st June 2019 ten (10) buses will start to ply the routes, five (5) from/to the east and five (5) from and to the West. From East it will be Jui to Regent Road and from Lumley to Regent Road from the West end.
It must be reiterated that the 40 buses will undertake this venture and no fee will be charged.
Most parents have expressed profound gratitude to the providers underscoring that it is not only timely but a humane gesture that should be well embraced.
They further admonished school going pupils to behave themselves well and ensure that they must refrain from doing things that will destroy the free buses.
In a related development Blue Line Construction Company and Investment Limited is currently constructing eight bus stops in different locations meant for school going pupils to wait for the buses with the consideration that we are now in the rainy season.
The company is also undertaking construction of a school in Kabala and is also facilitating cleaning exercises in Koinadugu District.
Sulayman Condeh is the Managing Director of the company and he also made very salient points about the gesture.
The CEO is poised to do more in terms of development in the future.
