By Amin Kef Sesay (Ranger)
In a bid to complement the efforts of Government in the fight against the coronavirus, the country’s foremost oil marketing company, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd) has on Thursday 2nd April, 2020 donated one Billion Leones to the Covid-19 Fund as its own contribution towards combating COVID-19. The donation was done at the forecourt of the Emergency Operation Centre at Cockerill in Freetown. Present at the occasion were ministers of, Defence, Health and Sanitation, Water Resources, Youths, Sports, and Trade and Industry.
In his address, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NP-SL, Mike A. Carroll, stated that indeed the virus is very deadly and it is on record that we have reported two cases furthering how we must collectively join hands in complementing the efforts of the Government in its strides towards scaling up the fight against the virus stating how it is only by doing so that the common enemy will be defeated.
“As a responsible company we thought it fit to make this donation on behalf of the shareholders and Management. We are doing so with the strong belief that such could be helpful especially at this decisive moment,” he said before presenting the cheque of one Billion Leones (Le 1 Billion) to the Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, who represented the Government of Sierra Leone.
Mike A. Carroll added that we must adhere to all the precautionary measures that the Government and its partners have put in place also underscoring that it is only when strict adherence is maintained that we could stay safe.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL, Kobi Walker, stated that the gesture by the company is a clear manifestation that NP-SL cares for the nation and its citizens pointing out that they ready to make all sacrifices in order to contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation. He added that they are determined to stand by the side of the people of this country during good and bad times furthering that indeed we are now going through challenging times. He also admonished to strictly practice what the Government, through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other stakeholders have put together in terms of the protective measures that have been outlined stressing how we must treat with all amount of seriousness the advices that the experts are churning out.
In another development on the same day, Bankole Richard, who is a Board Member of Leoneoil Petroleum Company, made a donation of Le 750 million, to the Coronavirus Fund as the contribution of the company to assist Government in the fight against the deadly virus. He was accompanied by the company’s Managing Director, Ibrahim D. Cole.
“No donation should be considered small as these contributions to the Fund will go a long way in scaling up the fight,” he stated.
Receiving both donations on behalf of the Government, the Chief Minister, Professor David Francis expressed profound thanks and appreciation to the shareholders and Management of both companies adding that it is a step in the right direction. He appealed for more support to the Government also maintaining that collectively we could defeat the killer virus. Chief Minister, after receiving the cheques from the Oil marketing companies, handed it over to the Minister of Defence, who is the interim head of the body responsible to combat the deadly virus.
It is on record that one thing that is indisputable is the undeniable fact that NP -Sierra Leone Limited is a major contributor to the socio-economic development of this country. In any nation there are certain Non- State actors that do, in diverse ways, complement Government’s development trajectory and in this country the successful petroleum business entity has been commendably doing so.
