By Amin Kef Sesay
Gento Group of Companies continues to bag widespread commendations from many quarters in the country for being one of the most effective indigenous road construction companies that has exemplarily impressed so many Sierra Leoneans, in and out of the country, for what many have described as the company’s successful undertaking and execution of state of the art road construction and reconstruction works including the 34 Military Hospital Roads.
On a daily basis, people from different walks of life, including military officers and their relatives, seek medical treatment for various debilitating health conditions at the 34 Military Hospital but until the commencement of reconstruction work the road network leading to the facility had been in a deplorable state.
The road network was in such a bad state that military officers were inevitably forced to drive vehicles on dusty roads with so many pot holes that shorten the lifespan of the affected vehicles.
Ambulances and patients found it extremely difficult and strenuous to access the facility due to the deplorable roads leading to it.
Such was the unfortunate plight encountered by those trying to access the health facility until Gento Group of Companies came on-board in order to rescue the ugly situation.
Speaking to this medium, Commanding Officer of the Joint Military Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (JMU-RSLAF), Col. Dr. Stephen Sevalie, expressed gratitude to Gento Group of Companies for its timely response to their call in terms of undertaking the commencement of the reconstruction of the roads leading to the 34 Military Hospital.
He described the hospital as a public facility that is providing medical services to Sierra Leoneans and other nationals from different stations in life across the country and not just limited to military personnel.
Col. Dr. Stephen Sevalie further revealed that in October of 2018 there was a terrible road accident on Spur Loop that left those affected in critical and emergency cases furthering that in the process of taking the victims to the facility, because of the bad conditions of the roads, it turned out to be very challenging maintaining that as a result of most of the victims did not survive.
The Commanding Officer also intimated that when he assumed command of the JMU-RSLAF they started a self-help project which took the form of breaking stones to first fill in the pot holes around the hospital area, as a quick fix, before approaching several State and private entities, particularly road construction companies, including Gento Group of Companies, with the later responding promptly to their call.
He said before Gento Group of Companies commenced the reconstruction of the deplorable roads, SALCOST offered them 32 drums of bitumen in addition to the stones they had already acquired and they then presented their case to the Gento Group of Companies in order to support them with equipment to start the reconstruction of the roads adding that they also secured 2000 liters of fuel to run the equipment disclosing how the funds they were able to generate amounted to the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Million Leones ( Le. 150, 000,000) which he said they presented to Gento Group of Companies for the commencement of the reconstruction process.
Col. Dr. Stephen Sevalie also used the opportunity to commend Gento Group of Companies for being proactive and committed since the start of the reconstruction work stating that the company also contributed its resources.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Gento Group of Companies, Mohamed Gento Kamara, stated that the entity is an indigenous road Construction Company that has been rendering both material and financial support to the country as part of fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility.
He said Sierra Leone is a great nation and as young as he is he has the privilege to own a road construction company that undertakes the construction of roads with well-equipped machineries in order to give back to society with or without the nation’s call for help as he wants to be there to provide his expertise towards the development of the nation.
Mohamed Gento Kamara further disclosed that he is expecting a payment of about 2.3 Billion Leones and the 34 Military Hospital will provide 300 Million Leones stating that the reconstruction work covers a total of 1.3 Kilometer road project that should cost Thirteen Billion Leones, stating that the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Finance, has accepted to pay 2.3 Billion Leones for which he said he is grateful furthering that the road work is part of their Corporate Social Responsibility with a discount of over One Million United State Dollars.
The Director General of the Local Content Agency, Fodeba Daboh, said such a move by the Gento Group of Companies should spur other companies especially those owned by Sierra Leoneans to do likewise in supporting Government’s development strides.
He said they have been consistently creating the space in order for local content to speak to patriotism and nationalism, pointing out that the Gento Group of Companies out of their wisdom thought it fit that Sierra Leone is the only country they have, stating that supporting State institutions such as the 34 Military Hospital is worthy of commendation.
Fodeba Daboh called on other Sierra Leoneans to emulate the kind gesture of Gento Group of Companies in supporting Government’s development drive.
It must be noted that the Gento Group of Companies has now taken the lead as the most incisive indigenous road construction company that is complementing the Government’s strides in achieving the construction of well-constructed roads in the country as well as reconstructing those that are in bad conditions.
Sierra Leoneans have heaped praises on the company for the qualitative works done so far on the 34 Military Hospital, Jomo Kenyatta Road, King Harman Road and Hill Cut Road respectively.
From a random interview conducted by this medium, most whom were contacted spoke in glowing terms of the highly qualitative works that have been done so far by the Gento Group of Companies on the roads leading to the 34 Military Hospital expressing the view that many are now heaving sighs of relief to easily access the facility.
