Swift Response from Security sector, saves Central of Freetown from Calamity By: Kembay Central Business District (CBD), Thursday 21st September, 2023 The security sector in a move to restore not only law and order but peace and calmness in the Central Business District (CBD) of Freetown gun down a notorious criminal, Mohamed Massaquoi commonly known as Big Fish. Eyewitness account states that Big Fish accompany by two others in an unknown intention grabbed the weapon of a female Operational Support Division (OSD) officer by on Charlotte Street by UBA Bank and an attempt by members of the public to disarm him resulted to rapid shooting both on the ground and in the air. The sounds from the gun shots attracted the attention of the security sector, mainly the Military and Police who traced the sound and caught up with the desperado on Lightfoot Boston Street where he was gun down, an action that yielded public jubilation and commendation of the security sector. Meanwhile, i
Let me be clear about something. Nobody denies that former President Koroma initiated the construction of the Adikali Madu Bridge, formerly known as the Magbele Bridge.
But first, let's look at what transpired.
The European Union is working on an initiative to improve access to West African countries. And the European Union has been a partner to West African states for over 40 years, and the European Union is West Africa's largest trading partner, supporting the region in a variety of ways with the goal of improving people's living conditions and ensuring long-term development.
Despite the fact that West Africa's global trade has more than tripled in the last decade, and the integrated West African economy is estimated to be worth more than €1 trillion in commerce, industry, agriculture, services, and other sectors, serious development challenges such as peace and security, a growing young population in desperate need of new economic opportunities, and migration within the region and to neighboring regions remain.
The European Union agreed to step in to help in these sectors in order to keep West African countries' economies growing.
The EU had the following strategic objectives for the region.
- Peace, security, and regional stability must be established.
- Regional economic integration, trade, and the private sector are all being promoted.
- Food and nutritional security resilience building
- Preserving natural resources and encouraging the use of renewable energy
- Cross-border crime, human trafficking, terrorism, and violent extremism must all be addressed.
- Support the private sector and infrastructural development, as well as trade facilitation.
- Combat trade restrictions
- Manage regional public goods and increase food and nutrition security resilience
- Maintain and improve biodiversity, natural resource governance, and forest and water resource management
- Lessen the region's climate and environmental vulnerability
To summarize, most of these activities should have started during the APC government, and some did, but the EU delayed the funds due to the extent of corruption discovered in the EBK's administration.
When the Magbele Bridge was awarded illegally to a substandard company called MSF Engegneria in 2015, the EU project inspection team visited the scene and noticed that the said company was not up to the task. After the feedback was sent to the EU, the funding was withheld until the SLPP arrived, and President Bio had to lobbie hard to convince the EU to resume funding the project.
Because of a lack of funds, the company that the APC granted the contract had to stopped operating before 2017.
The SLPP government was ultimately able to persuade the EU to resume funding for the Magbele bridge, and real work on the bridge began in 2018 under President Bio's leadership and completed this year, 2022.
So, if someone claims that Former President Koroma launched the project, that is correct; however, he awarded the contract to a mushroom company for a kickback, and the EU ceased supporting the project as a result.
The New Direction Government built the Bo-Bandajuma to Liberia border route, the Moyamba junction to Moyamba road, the Gbangbama Moyamba Bridge, the Mabang bridge, and the Magbele in just four years.
Comments
Post a Comment