By Nasratu Kargbo
The Chairman Council of Paramount Chiefs for Kono District, Bamba Emmanuel Foryoh IV, has expressed hope for a boom in businesses following the turning on of the CLSG electricity in the district.
Speaking to Politico on the 11th of October 2022, a day after President Julius Maada Bio commissioned the Kono CLSG Electricity, Foryoh said it was “welcoming news to the business sectors”.
He said one of the reasons why the district hasn’t got a supermarket was due to the running cost one can incur due to use of a generator for such a business venture, but is now optimistic that this will help boost the minimarts operating there, especially in ensuring that perishable products are preserved.
PC Foryoh spoke of how the uninterrupted electricity will be of great help to those in the fishing business and how women would now be able to engage in home businesses such as selling of yoghurt, cold water and ice cubes.
He explained that the generator they had been getting power supply from is of a high capacity and consumes a huge quantity of fuel thereby providing them electricity for a few hours and that they usually go for weeks or months without electricity.
Responding to whether other areas in the district are parts of the October 10th CLSG electricity generation, he said that Koidu has been turned on but that Gold Town, Bompeh and Njayama Nimikoro are among the areas that also have power but whose switches are yet to be turned on.
On behalf of his people, the chief expressed appreciation and noted that residents are overwhelmed about the power supply which he said they have yearned for so long.
In his address at the commissioning ceremony of the CLSG electricity in Kono President Bio encouraged the residents to meet their end of the bargain, by ensuring that they recharge their metres. President Bio explained that the electricity is imported from Côte d'Ivoire and that the government will use these monies to pay CCSLG for their services.
In addition, he advised them to be guards and protectors of the infrastructure and narrated instances wherein in some people in Freetown destroy transformers and other developmental projects, noting that such actions create backwardness.
The President called on residents in the district to use the power for productive purposes, explaining that women can now be able to economically help their homes by engaging in petty businesses. Highlighting the importance of electricity, Bio noted that a country cannot develop without it, stating that it immensely contributes to national development.
He also asked parents and guardians to make use of the opportunity and tp encourage their children to study. Comparing Sierra Leonean kids to others around the world in terms of education, the president noted that the kids are doing extremely well, stressing that children aged ten should be able to read and understand what they read. He called on the parents to pay more attention to their children, in order for them to catch up with other children around the world.
Bio also promised that the government will ensure that water is made available to the residents in Kono, and that time comes, it will be communicated to the people.
He said the Ukraine-Russia war has affected the whole world. Bio stated that he knows there is hardship, but however said it is not caused by his actions but one that is worldwide. He added that the government has helped reduce the impact of the hardship in the country by cushioning it.
The Minister of Energy Alhaji Kanja Sesay said that Kono was going to enjoy uninterrupted power. He added that the present government has brought five thousand metres for Kono residents, noting that they’ll get it at no cost. Sesay also said other towns in the district will soon benefit from the grid.
Copyright (c) 2022 Politico Online (12/10/22)
