By Abdul Malik Bangura
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of QCELL Mobile Network has assured that his mobile company is coming to Sierra Leone to compete in a very healthy manner.
Mr. Mohamed Jah who was speaking to newsmen on Friday 4th August, 2017, at his company’s headquarters in King Harman Road, Freetown, said: “QCELL commenced operations in The Gambia in 2009 as the fourth operator, coming into the market some 13 years after the then leading operator. Many observers and players in the market did not believe that we stood a chance in what was a market dominated by two major players. However, due to our excellent quality service, deep concern for the interest of the consumers and strong corporate social responsibility, today we are not only recognised as the number 1 operator in The Gambia, but we are also the biggest employer, the highest tax payer and the most compliant operator in the country.”
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Hence, he submitted that the Government of Sierra Leone has given them the license to operate in the country. Therefore, he assured that they are starting work within the shortest possible time. He said that already, his team of technicians is in Sierra Leone to underscore the terrains of operation, so that QCELL would be able to cover the entire country within the shortest possible time.
Expanding on his personal choice for choosing to operate in Sierra Leone, Mr. Jah further stated that Sierra Leone is a personal journey for him, and that he chooses Sierra Leone because he wants to give back to the country from which he and many of his compatriots have taken so much from. Therefore, Mr. Jah added: “I have only one University degree-a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering specialising in Electronics from Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone. I include my compatriots, because the two members of my team present here –Mr. Essa Faal (Lawyer) and Mr. Nuha Marenah-Banker, like me are also graduates of FBC. It is that education that I obtained from Sierra Leone that has prepared me for my achievements in life.
Sierra Leone is also a second home for me and for many Gambians. In here we were never seen or treated like foreigners. In fact, at the University of Sierra Leone Gambian students were treated like home students paying the same fees as Sierra Leoneans. So we are part of you. Sierra Leone is home for us”.
Furthermore, Mr. Jah said that he believes that Sierra Leoneans deserve a better mobile telecommunication service than they are getting now. He said he is determined to contribute in changing the aspect of poor network in Sierra Leone. He stressed: “I also promise you that pretty soon you will notice a big difference from what you have now. I have done it in my native Gambia. I am now fully committed to do the same thing in my second home-Sierra Leone; not just in telecommunication, but also in other businesses.”
“It is my way of giving back to this country that I owe so much to. It is also my way of trying to inspire young Sierra Leoneans to be hard working and become high achievers. I believe that if a young boy from The Gambia can come to Sierra Leone and acquire the education that helped him succeed to the extent of owning a multinational company among many other companies, then young Sierra Leoneans can also rightly believe that they can do the same. I dared to dream big and have achieved. They too can,” Mr. Jah assured.
In addition, Mr. Jah ended by thanking President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the entire Government of Sierra Leone for the opportunity accorded to them. He also thanked President Adama Barrow of the Gambia for his unflinching support to their efforts in contributing to Africans developing Africa.
Meanwhile, it could be recalled that QCELL was the first GSM Company to launch the fourth generation mobile technology, 4G LTE Mobile Service in The Gambia. This was a ground-breaking product that changed the way people access the internet and ensure the continuous development of the ICT sector in The Gambia.
Thus, Mr. Jah promised similar goodies for Sierra Leone.
