By Politico Staff Writer
Run-down Storage facilities and Market stores are to be rehabilitated and constructed for use by the Regional Rice Value Chain Project (RRVCP) in Torma Bum Chiefdom, Bonthe District.
A Stakeholders meeting held in Torma Bum on 2nd August 2022, saw the Project Coordinator of RRVCP, Abdulai Bun Wai, formally introducing the contractors that will work on rehabilitating the two storage facilities, construct another New Store and Rice Milling facilities as well as a Drying Floor. “Similarly, construction work on a modernized community market at Torma Bum is also in progress,” he said.
He said the other component of the project will address issues related to farm production namely cultivation, processing, and marketing.
The Project Coordinator pleaded with the Paramount Chief and the various agribusiness companies that have been occupying the dilapidated storage facilities to relocate to other buildings temporarily within one week so that the contractors would immediately gain access and commence work.
The Paramount Chief of Torma Bum Chiefdom, Bonthe district, Alex J.J. Kainpumu II reiterated his chiefdom’s total support for the project. He thanked the Management Unit of the RRVCP for what he said was their hard work despite the challenges.
He called on both the Abhajar Rice Development Company and the West African Rice Company that have been occupying the storage facilities to hand them over for rehabilitation, saying they are meant for the development of the chiefdom and the entire country.
The chief cautioned the contractors that his administration has zero tolerance for theft, especially stealing of construction materials that are meant for the chiefdom projects. He called on them to purchase local construction materials like sand, stones, boards, and sticks from the Chiefdom people as well as to employ young skilled, and unskilled people in the chiefdom.
Representatives from Abhajar Rice Development Company and the West African Rice Company Yayah A. Kamara and Ibrahim Conteh respectively welcomed the refurbishment initiative of the said facilities by the Government of Sierra Leone through RRVCP. As partners, they pledged their fullest cooperation with the project team and the Torma Bum Chiefdom Authorities.
The Irrigation and Civil Engineer, of the RRVCP, Alhaji Mohamed Sesay assured the stakeholders of rigorous monitoring of the work to ensure that the quality of work meets the project expectations.
RRVCP is funded by the Islamic Development Bank, BADEA, and the Government of Sierra Leone, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security serving as the implementing agency.
The meeting was climaxed by conducted touring of the facilities to enable contractors to have a fair knowledge of the nature of work they are to do.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (05/08/22)
