By:Austine Luseni
Pujehun Town,Pujehun District, Southern Sierra Leone,Saturday May 1, 2021, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, has at a symbolic erection of poles to mark the physical commencement of the Pujehun Township Electrification Project, told the people of Pujehun that President Julius Maada Bio was committed to improving their lives and transforming their district in line with his manifesto and campaign promises.
Alhaji Kanja Sesay was in Pujehun to deliver the first consignment of eight hundred and thirty-six reinforced concrete poles and some assorted electricity materials with a view to physically getting the Pujehun Township Project underway.It could be recalled that on 31st December 2020, Alhaji Kanja Sesay officially signed the Pujehun component of the Seven District Headquarters Electrification Project.
He said Pujehun was at the heart of the New Direction administration,adding that he was in the district to do a symbolic erection of poles. He praised the quality of the poles,describing them as durable and fit for purpose. Alhaji Kanja Sesay noted that the project would cover Pujehun, Gobaru,Yoni, Massan and Liyahun.
The Energy Minister implored the people to own the project, noting that he had listened to concerns raised by stakeholders in respect of works done by the company.He described the project as one that was exclusively funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and concluded by saying that poles were being erected at Potoru with a view to making the town also benefit from the Pujehun project.
Development and Economic Planning Minister, Dr.Francis Kaikai, said the people of Pujehun were extremely delighted at the prospects of having their towns electrified and the completion of other projects that were underway.He spoke about the Medium Term National Development Plan which he had taken to Pujehun,adding that the many social projects that were now being implemented were consistent with what the people had identified in the MTNDP.
He asked the people to take ownership of the project and to help in monitoring and supervision.He described President Bio as a service and delivery focused President.
Earlier on, the Pujehun District Council Chairman, Suabu Sowa, welcomed the Minister and his entourage. He recounted the role played by Pujehun district in delivering political power to the Sierra Leone People’s Party and thanked the Minister for rewarding their efforts. He reiterated the commitment of the people of Pujehun to always identifying themselves with the positive philosophies of the Sierra Leone People’s Party.
Project Manager for the Townships Electrification Project, Babajide Taylor, revealed the full package of the project, assuring that the project would build distribution and transmission lines and a new substation,install some fourteen transformers, provide some 12 kilometers of the medium voltage line and some 40 kilometers of the LV distribution line.
Different national and district stakeholders including but not limited to the Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Hon.Kekura Vandi; and the Chairman Pujehun Members of Parliament, Hon. Dickson Rogers,spoke at the ceremony.
The energy sector reforms continue.
