By Mabinty Kamara
The people of Kuntoloh and Jalloh Terrace on Saturday last week blasted the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) for abandoning a road project in their community.
Kuntoloh and Jalloh Terrace are intertwined communities located in Wellington in the east end of Freetown. These communities have long been deprived of basic amenities like good road network, water and electricity supply. Some angry residents told Politico that they are only considered as a part of the country when it was time for elections.
“The community has been monopolized as APC do or die. That is what they are taking advantage of,” said Abubakarr Tejan Mansary, one of several people who came out to protest last week over the delay in the construction of the road that runs from Brima Lane Junction to Portee, angrily. The road in question constitutes a distance of about two kilometers.
“They know, politically, the impact of this community to the APC government when it comes to elections but the President normally come to the nearby communities but has never thought of visiting or to know about the plight of the people of this community,” added Mansaray.
Work on the road reportedly began in June 2014. That was the period for a crucial bye- election in Constituency 100, of which the community is a part. It was occasioned by the appointment of Shekou B. B. Dumbuya as Speaker of Parliament which left his seat vacant. The community people saw an advantage to exploit. They demanded that the road be constructed or they would not vote. The government gave in to their demand and started construction works two weeks before the elections. Work on the road however stopped halfway after the elections. The APC’s candidate, Mohamed Jawara Kamara, had been elected. Since then the workers have not been seen by the people.
Quite recently in 2016, the Chinese contractors showed up and the people were very happy, hoping that their trouble associated with the bad condition of the road was about to end. But soon it became apparent that the project was at its conclusion.
When the community people confronted the workers, they said they were told that that was where the contract stopped. This got them frustrated. Their confrontation of the workers led to the government dispatching the National Organizing Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Mohamed Dondondoh Bangura, to the scene.
Bangura’s presence in the community sparked the protests. By the time he arrived at the scene, the street was full with people. And the youths were busy making unfriendly pronouncements, some of them directed at President Ernest Bai Koroma himself.
Some of the protesters vowed not to vote for the APC anymore.
Adekali Dumbuya, a resident of Kuntoloh, said stopping the road work half way made it look as an indecent work.
“Stopping the road half way is no work done because the mud from the unfinished side is going to cover the tar. And this time we will ensure that it doesn’t happen like it was during the bye-election period,” he said.
Mbalu Lansana, resident of Jalloh Terrace, asked: “How can we be treated this way? How long is it going to take for this one project to be completed? But this time round, our views will be reflected through the ballot box. No development no vote,” she said.
Dondodo though assured the people that he was going to take the issues they raised to Koroma not only as the president of Sierra Leone but as the chairman and leader of the APC.
“I cannot promise you now as to when the road is going to be completed but I can assure you that it is going to be completed because for anything that starts, it must come to an end,” he said.
“The president and other authorities concerned will be informed about your plight. Just count on me.” he added.
Youth leader Mansary said the communities had a lot of other needs but that basically the road was their priority.
“We need the road because it is the road that would bring development in the community. This is the major road leading to and from the two communities. The other route through which we use to enter the community is being closed by the Methodist Boys High School despite the numerous pleas by the community,” he said.
“If they do not make the road, we will not fight government but we will express our views through the ballot box. It will be only me and the box. And this time round, we will also sensitize our people about what they ought to know. We will not campaign against them but we will campaign for development. Think wise and vote wise.”
(C) Politico 17/05/16
