February 23, 2021
By: Mohamed M. Sesay
President Julius Maada Bio has on Saturday the 19th of February promised a double package for the border town of Gendema containing a Healthcare Center and an International Market.
The market is expected to promote international trade deal among Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Mali respectively.
“The people of Jendema need healthcare center and you deserve it. My government wants to ensure that even when you are at this part of the country very close to Liberia, you are Sierra Leoneans and therefore, whatever we are enjoying in Freetown the people of Jendema should enjoy it too. That is what my government is about and that is what we call an inclusive development.”
President Bio added that his government would ensure the people of Jendema have access to water supply, and electricity through the West Africa Power Electrification projects. He emphasized that the soon to be established international market would help boost the economic status of people around the Jendema border and the country at large.
President Bio encouraged the people of Jendema to be actively participatory in agricultural activities in order to promote the production of locally grown foods, and also invest in cash crops such as cocoa, coffee, rubber etc. He further intimated that his government through the Ministry of Agriculture has distributed over two hundred and fifty (250) agricultural machines across the country and Pujehun will soon receive their share of the machines to boost agricultural activities in the district.
President Bio further emphasized and encouraged the people of Jendema, in the Sorogbema chiefdom to prioritize education especially girl child education adding that, over the past three years, girls have been making an impressive progress in terms of public examination over boys. He said parents must stop the habit of depriving their girls from accessing quality education.
He use the occasion to promote the pet project of the First Lady Madam Fatima Bio’s “Hands off our Girls”, by sending out a strong to men in desisting from sexual indulgence with under-age girls or risk prison sentence.
He stressed the point that the process of development itself needs the people to be educated, noting that more than 50% of the country’s population is not educated and this situation must change for the better.
He said his government is not only paying school fees for pupils, but also paying public examination fees ranging from NPSE, BECE and WASSCE for all the schools going pupils across the country.
He spoke about the radical decision to make education more inclusive whereby pregnant girls are given the opportunity to continue their schooling. He described pregnant schools girls as victims of circumstance and those who impregnate them as wrongdoers.
“This is not politics but because we are serious about education and because we want this country to be developed, which is why government is paying all the fees including examination fees for all transition exams. We are also providing teaching and learning materials for all pupils. Some people say “D GRON DRY” (meaning financial hardship) but the heads of the school going pupils will be watered properly with quality education,” President Bio stated.
President Bio further referenced the one hundred billion Leones (Le 100,000,000,000) MUNAFA life-saving micro credit support wherein the twenty-six billion Leones would be distributed across the country for women and the young who want to go into business.
President Bio reassured that the MUNFA life-saving fund is not like the previous micro credit that forced people into exile because of the high interest rate, pointing out that the Fund would target five million Leones per person with a very low interest rate and a grace period of three months repayment.
President Bio also stated that during the height of covid-19 pandemic, the National Commission for Social Action made some direct cash transfer to people as part of the stimulus package in order to cushion the effect of financial hardship on people. He added that NaCSA will soon replicate the same in Pujehun targeting seven thousand (7.000) beneficiaries.
The Chairman of Pujehun District Council Suaibu Sowa informed the President that Jendema happens to be one of the biggest sources of revenue for the Pujehun District Council. Chairman Sowa also intimated that the Council with support from the central government will be engaging in massive fielder roads constructions, building bridges, and the construction and rehabilitation of water wells.
The Ambassador to Liberia who also doubles as the SLPP district Chairman, Eddie Masallay, informed the president that the people of Jendema Community contributed immensely in vote cast to the election of President Julius Maada Bio. He expressed delight over the fact that President Bio will not let down Jendema. He was especially delighted about the West Africa Power project that will benefit Jendema.
