By Politico Staff Writer
The people of Bonthe District have cited three key development needs as their topmost priorities for the Sierra Leone government to consider.
Representatives of the district made the presentation through the Ministry of Planning, during its nation-wide tour designed to popularise and decentralize the government’s Medium Term National Development Plan (2019-2023) at the Bonthe District Council Hall in Mattru Jong.
The key priorities, which are roads, agriculture and energy, were identified as part of an engagement session conducted on decentralising ownership of the plan for effective implementation and results of the “New Direction” development targets across the country.
Paramount Chiefs of Bonthe District said at the event that the people of the district had made their views clear on their development priorities, noting that they wanted the government to take serious consideration in prioritising projects within the highlighted sectors. The chiefs noted that the Bonthe people would continue to support through effective monitoring and coordinating implementation of the plan in the district.
Deputy Mayor of the Bonthe Municipality, Mohamed Robinson, said that the engagement demonstrated government’s commitment in ‘leaving no-one behind’ in the development process of their localities. He thanked the Ministry for coordinating the process and assured of their support and participation in implementing the plan in the district.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Robert Chakanda, said at the event that the journey to prepare the plan started over a year ago with wide consultations across the 16 districts nationwide. He said the plan drew a lot of ideas from the New Direction Agenda of President Julius Maada Bio’s government, which was "people-centered".
The Chairman of the Development Committee in Parliament, Musa Fofanah, praised the locals for their participation in the process which he said was a step in the right direction. Fofanah noted that Bonthe people should take complete ownership of the development aspirations in the district, emphasizing the need for continuity in governance.
In his statement, the Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, appreciated the district for their commitment to supporting the government. He said the government was working hard towards ensuring that effective communication mechanisms were restored all over the country. He revealed that Bonthe is set to benefit from the 2nd phase of the fiber-optic connection.
Dr. Eldred Taylor, Deputy Minister of Energy, in his statement said among others, President Bio was fully committed to ensuring that all district headquarter towns were electrified.
Tamba Lamina, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the local councils and district authorities were critical in the implementation of the (MTNDP 2019-2023) in Bonthe, noting that it would strengthen governance in the district, which would be crucial to enhancing development in the district. He then called on paramount chiefs and the Bonthe District Council and Bonthe Municipality authorities to be at the centre of service delivery in the District.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai, expressed his gratitude to the participants present for the engagement. He said the plan would further empower the people in taking charge of development in the district.
Minister Kai-Kai said the plan reflected President Bio’s New Direction Agenda, which is making sure that development was driven down to the district. He said District Development Coordination Committees (DDCC) would soon be set up to address development issues in the district and that an effective monitoring and evaluation processes would be followed in the implementation of several development projects across the country.
The Minister encouraged district stakeholders, especially the Paramount Chiefs of Bonthe District, to continuously monitor and coordinate implementation of the plan in the district.
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