The country manager of Bollore Transport and Logistics Sierra Leone Capt Fabjanko Kokan has on Thursday 20th January,2022 fade farewell to newspaper editors who had converged at the Freetown Terminal for the company’s traditional media update hosted at the start of every year with the objective of putting the media to speed with real time information on achievements and challenges recorded in the year under review.
Capt Fabjanko Kokan, the Croatian born sea captain took over the reigns of the company in 2015 two years after Bollore African logistics entered into a concession agreement with the government of Sierra Leone to upgrade the dilapidated and outdated sea port. He came at a time when the company was under the constant bashing of the press.
He took over at time the country Sierra Leone was caught in the middle of anEbola crisis and also at a time the country was less attractive to accept any job offer.
Captain Kokan came in the country at a time when corporate entities are only known for their corporate social responsibilities which is limited to their areas of responsibility.
In seven years of his administration Capt Kokan made Bollore a house hold name across the country ranging from providing leadership that superintended in the rollout of an investment of $120M for the transformation of the quay to an ultra-modern one competitive to any port in world in a record time.
He rolled a human source development drive for local staff which has enabled them to replace the many expatriate staff the company once had to a non-significant number.
Capt kokan made his company’s name prominent amongst the few that stood with Sierra Leone during it post war disasters response effort.
Bollore played a key role in the response effort that ended the Ebola, provide support to the mudslide and flood disaster victims and also supported recovery. The Company was also pivotal in the Corona virus pandemic response in the country.
Capt Kokan is on record as one of the corporate chief executives who refused to be evacuated during the height of the corona pandemic.
On the company’s corporate philanthropic front, Bollore had positively impacted the lives of the country’s destitute communities like home of the aged, the blind, dumb and deaf, the orphans and the abandoned children with unprecedented support in access to clean drinking water, food and nutrition and construction of schools.
The latest of the said support was directed to the Menthagba Community in Sanda Tendaren Chiefdom ,Karene district,North-West of Sierra Leone where the construction of a three classroom block building was accomplished for a community that had been deprived of access to basic education for well over 187years.
Capt Fabjanko Kokan announced his departure from Sierra Leone to editors in an emotionally charged conference hall with many describing the news as shocking and untimely.
Many activities have been lined up in appreciation of his person and character ahead of his departure to take his new responsibility in Guinea-Conakry.
By Ishmeal S Bangura
