By KABS KANU :
The good news from China that President Ernest Koroma delivered to the nation in that major press conference at State House last week clearly showed that good things indeed can come to Sierra Leone . The good news showed what our nation had been missing all along – A productive and RESULT-ORIENTED LEADER ready to traverse the length and breadth of this world to bring socio-economic and political development to Sierra Leone.
Once again, President Koroma braved the hazards of long international travels and went to China where he put his diplomatic , economic and political acumen into action and the result is staggering news that should get all Sierra Leoneans dancing.
Given the chance, President Koroma is able to make Sierra Leone the envy of African nations. The package the President brought from China is so supergenic that it is the handiwork of a leader who knows what his nation needs and and it once again demonstrated a President who has the panache, capacity, moral and political will and the diplomatic spunk to bring top-of-the-art national development to Sierra Leone.
According to AFP , President Koroma and China signed an U.S.$8 Billion package and that ”the business included a $1.7 billion deal with the Kingho Energy Group to build a port, mine, power plant and 250-kilometre (155-mile) railway. He said he had also finalised a $300 million deal with the Chinese Railway International Company to build a new international airport 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the capital Freetown.” You have to hate Sierra Leone to your guts for you not to jubilate at such wonderful news .
Those who thought that our’s was a cursed nation will now begin to re-examine their beliefs. Those who always thought that only bad things come to Sierra Leone can now see that on the contrary Sierra Leone is capable of receiving and rejoicing over good news everyday. There was a time when all that Sierra Leoneans ever heard or expected to hear about their country was depressing, distressing and disappointing news. But since President Koroma came to power in 2007, this has changed and Sierra Leoneans have been choking on good news every now and again to the extent even that some die-hard opposition supporters have conceded that indeed President Koroma is a God-sent leader .No condition is perfect. Sierra Leone still has enormous challenges, but within the 5 years he has been in power, President Koroma has proved that he is able to solve many of the country’s problems. His grandiose
All we ever needed in our country was a leader like President Koroma who , firstly, loves his country and secondly has the moral and political will to transform the country for the betterment of this generation and future generation. While the late President Siaka Stevens, despite all his faults, also helped to bring socio-economic developments to the country, no post-Independence leader has matched what President Koroma has done in 5 years.
Imagine What Sierra Leone would be like when the Chinese would have delivered on the package in full ( And China has a brilliant record of delivery in Sierra Leone ). The new international airport will make Sierra Leone the centre of tourism in West Africa and there will be a tremendous expansion of investment opportunities, international trade and commerce while the 155-mile railway will once more ensure free movement of people and goods and services, especially foodstuffs. There will also be massive infrastructural development , especially road construction.
Under President Koroma, Sierra Leoneans have become proud of their nation once again. We hope they will throw their weight behind President Koroma at this crucial period in the country’s history when the President’s brain is working like a clock to mobilize support and resources for the nation in promotion of his Agenda For Prosperity. Sierra Leone now has the leader she had always prayed for and we beseech God’s continued hand on him as he travels round the globe in the national interest to bring complete transformation to our once-ailing country.
