October 29, 2018
President Julius Maada Bio has on Friday commissioned 167 ambulances in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone, to provide emergency services across the country. That was his first official visit, commencing a nationwide thank-you tour on Friday.
The President said his visit was a show of appreciation to the people of that district who had overwhelmingly voted him into office in March. He noted that the people of Kenema had always stood with and by him, as evidenced in the huge votes he got from the district and promised to look into their development needs, most neglected in the last ten years.
While commissioning construction work on roads in the district headquarter township, the president also disclosed government’s plans improve on electricity supply and most importantly improve on human capital development by completing the process to upgrade the Eastern Polytechnic to a university status.
President Bio also emphasised his zero-corruption drive and reaffirmed his commitment to curbing graft in the country. He announced that the Commissions of Inquiry would soon start and would seek to investigate, recover stolen monies and hold to account all those proven to have misappropriated public funds. He mentioned that corruption was one of the major causes of the poor state of affairs in the country and that his government, being a serious one, would do its best to eradicate the menace by taking actions against all those found wanting.
“Nothing will stop the Commissions of Inquiry from coming into effect. This is not malice or witch-hunt but a way of eradicating corruption in its entirety from our country. We will ensure that all stolen monies are brought back to our country and are utilised on national development programmes,” he assured.
President Bio also used the opportunity to address party members, noting that the Sierra Leone People’s Party government was a caring one that believed in developing human capital. He said that was the reason for the introduction of the Free Quality Education, to ensure that every child had access to free and quality education. He said there would be no excuse for any child who failed to go to school and therefore pleaded with parents to use the opportunity to send their children to school to help develop them into more useful citizens.
Mayor of Kenema Municipality, Thomas Baio, thanked President Bio for the visit to the district. He also commended him for appointing competent indigenes of Kenema to key government positions. He said the President had already shown the desire to develop Kenema and the country at large and that they were determined to support the new administration to achieve its programmes.