The All Peopleโs Congress (APC ) Government will start celebrating its third year in office this weekend. Talking with top officials of State House today, COCORIOKO learnt that President Ernest Bai Koroma and the Government are in celebratory mood ,ย because they have many achievements toย rejoice overย as they look forward to aย thrill-packed ย anniversary .
One of the Presidentโs top men at State Houseย , Mr. Mohamed Gibril Sesay , told this newspaper that President Koroma, on assuming office, promised the Sierra Leonean people that he would start to turn the country around in three years and he has achieved it. In just three years, the President has not only fulfilled many of his promises but he has done exactly what he promisedโย startย ย turning ย the country around.
One of the biggest turn arounds in Sierra Leone after President Ernest Koroma came to power was the movement of the country ย from darkness to light. Before President Koroma came to power , Sierra Leone had the dishonorable distinction of having the darkest capital city in the world . But within 90 days of ascending the throne, President Koroma restored electricity in Sierra Leone with his thermal energy project andย before his second anniversary ย he completed the Bumbuna Hydroelectricity Project.ย This is a flagship achievement by President Ernest Bai Koroma because it has laid the basis forย industrialization in Sierra Leone.
An excited Mr. Gibril Sesay said : ย โGovernment vigorously pursued the completion of Bumbuna Hydro Electric Project. The project that had been delayed for over two decades was completed and launched by His Excellency within two years .โ
Under the APC Governmentโs electrification scheme, President Ernest Koromaโs administration achieved the following :
Electricity to Freetown Within Three Months of taking power
โขย Soon after coming to power, President Koroma, as a short termย emergency measure to provide electricity to the capital Freetown until the completion of Bumbuna, engaged the services of an Independent Power Provider This was done within three Months
Completion of Bumbuna
โขย Government vigorously pursued the completion of Bumbuna Hydro Electric Project. The project that had been delayed for over two decades was completed and launched by His Excellency within two years. Bumbuna generates 50 mg of electricity
โขย Extension of Bumbuna electricity supply to other towns โMakeni, Lunsar and Bumbuna Town is ongoing
New Thermal Plants
โขย Government installed a 16.5ย thermal plant at Blackhall, to further increase the supply of electricity to Freetown
More Electricity in the South East
โขย The BKPS in the South East is also been expanded to provide affordable electricity to more communities. Power generation has been doubled from 2 to 4 megawatts;and plans to expand the Dodo Dam to ensure all year round supply of electricity is on going.ย and the moribund thermal plant has been refurbished and now produces 1.5mg. By April 2011, power generation will increase to 6mg
Electrification of provincial cities and towns
โขย A program of electrification of provincial towns and cities has commenced. This project will cover Kabala, Bo , Makeni, Bonthe , Pujehun, Port Loko , Moyamba, Kambia, Lungi Kailahun, Magburuka, Koidu and kenema
Bumbuna II
โขย Plans are underway to increase the generating capacity of Bumbuna from 50mw to 500MW through the construction of a second dam
Solarization and rural electrification
โขย Embarking on the provision of solar energy to light uo city streets and homes in rural communities.
โขย Government is providing funds for the construction of the Bare Foot Solar Engineers Training Centre at Konta Line Village, the first ever in the continent of Africa.
โขย homes have been solar electrified in several villages, including Mamusa, Blama Massaqoi, Kissy Koya, Makandeh and Mambioma Villages.
Another achievement by President Koroma that will be cause for much jubilation during the Third Anniversary celebrations will be the the turn around in Agriculture (ย farm for business) . Agriculture is currently priority number one in the Presidentโs ย Agenda for Change. The government ensured increased Budgetary Allocation to Agriculture .
โขย From paltry 1.6% in 2007 to 7.7% in 2009 and now stands at close to 10%.
โขย President is champion head of state for Agriculture in Africa!
In keeping with its commitment to make Sierra Leone self-sufficient in food productions , the government launched a Tractorization ย scheme, which has the capacity to turn agriculture in Sierra Leone from subsistence farming to business-oriented farming.ย ย ย ย Under this scheme :
โขย 265 tractors and other agricultural machinery were acquired last year and deployed
โขย A landing craft capable of moving 12 tractors along the coastline of Kambia, Port Loko, Moyamba, Bonthe and Pujehunย was provided
Rehabilitation of Inland Valley Swamps
โขย A total of 2,500 hectares of inland valley swamps have been rehabilitated and developed
Also to be toasted during the anniversary celebrations is the Governmentโs Small Holder Commercialization Programme
โขย The SCP will support the Smallholder farmers to move from subsistence to commercial farming โ โfarm for businessโ
โขย Farmers in every District will be provided with improved planting materials, and machinery including power tillers, rice threshers and rice cutters, rice mills,drying floors, fertilizers, assorted livestock, drying floors, packaging, storage and input/output marketing outfits
โขย 50 Agricultural Business Centres (ABCs) which will house the agro-processing facilities
โขย 30 Rice Mills will be constructed. Two of the mills with a capacity to mill 20 bags an hour are being completed in Torma Bum and Makeni
Rehabilitation of Feeder Roads
โขย Rehabilitated over 1,000 Km of feeder roads country-wide, but mostly in the South and the East.
WE WILL BRING YOU A FULL LIST OF THE APC โS ACHIEVEMENTS INย SUBSEQUENT ISSUES
ยฉ 2010,ย COCORIOKO. All rights reserved. โ Discuss this and other related articles on theย Salone Forum
One Response to โThird Anniversary : President Ernest Koroma and APC Government in celebratory moodโ
His Excellency is playing a great roll in the development of our MAMA SALONE.MAY GOD BLESSED HIM AND GIVES HIM ALL POSSIBLE AIMS HE WANTS TO IMPLEMENT IN OUR LAND THAT WE LOVE OUR SIERRA LEONE.
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