By our news analyst
I crave the indulgence of readers to preface this piece by a rare correction in the article titled ‘’Killing Hunger’’ .The reference to the WHO should have read World Food Programme.
Our topic today is about what Sierra Leone as at now and what it ought to be after independence for 58 years. We are about to benefit from an infrastructural investment for the Lungi bridge to be financed by foreign investors. What I want to underline is that with prudent use of our mineral resources there would have been no need for donor or investor money for our projects at this point in time. Our forensic audit revealed that $1 billion was unaccounted for and we are told that our projected Lungi Bridge would cost about $ 2 billion so it would be easier for half of that cost to be financed from monies recovered from corruption. If the recovery trend continued it is possible that repayments to the consolidated fund could be enough not only for a diagnostic center but also for the financing of the Lungi bridge. This brings us to what we have been deprived of in other spheres of life since independence by APC predators.
Is it conceivable that Sierra Leone have no Airline at this point in time? The present generation of Sierra Leoneans would not know this country ran an internal airline known as Sierra Leone Airways. They see air strips as places for new aircrafts to operate rather than a defunct airline.This is not to talk of an international airline.
The evil regime before the Paopa progressives simply phased out the railways without adequate reasons and consideration for replacement. They found a continuing and well regulated road transport bus system that served the public better. The fact is that most of the government buses were deliberately scrapped and later used for private transportation or poda podas.
Sierra Leone was an exporter of rice and imported rice was unknown in the country. The native rice sometimes known as Walla rice is more nutritious with vitamin B than the polished rice. Most youths have never seen or or eaten native rice all because of its scarcity and therefore its expense. Government mail boats used to run regularly from Mallen, Jong to Bonthe.
Since Low Cost housing was established at Kissy at Independence time there had been no effort to expand the scheme for the common man. A few buildings known as OAU flats were constructed for the upper class and their relatives.
And lately NASSIT came in for the upper class and some of those flats had been empty because they were not within the reach of the common man.That was the approach of the APC that classified themselves as a grassroots party.
The thrust of this article is that there are enough of resources in this country making it unnecessary for loans to carry out our projects.Most of our resources found their way in real estate buildings in London and other places by the out gone APC regime. The paopa regime have the hall of a task.