By Ilyasa Baa
The recent promises by His Excellency President Maada Bio to the people of Karene district have kept the people of Port Loko awake; they are now awaiting their turn to see development in road and other sectors within the district.
Speaker of Gbaki-Loko Chiefdom in the Port Loko district, Malapi Mohamed Tarawallie informed A-Z that they are ready to receive the First Gentleman whom they expect will replicate the promises he made to Karene district.
He highlighted poor road network and youths unemployment as the major challenges the district is faced with, noting that they are expecting the President’s intervention as soon as possible.
He emphasized that the remaining roads left out by the previous government, roads like Sendugu, Wharf road, Circular Road Taneneh, Kondeto among others, need to be upgraded.
He further stated that a ten acre land has been provided by stakeholders in the district for the purpose of constructing a Technical Training Centre for the benefit of the youths. He maintained that such centre would help alleviate suffering amongst the youths. He noted that the centre will boost their middle man power by engaging youths in all of the thirteen chiefdoms in the district and making them employable to fit in especially the construction and mining sectors.
The construction of a hundred bed hospital is in progress in the district and by the look of things, A-Z newspaper has learned that the youths would only fill in as casual laborers because they have no technical training.
However, residents have expressed their appreciation over the commencement of the hospital project at the former Ebola centre which they described as a welcome project. They are calling on the Sierra Leone Water Company (SLAWACO) to step up in their duty of providing water for them.
It has been observed that in Port Loko, a good number of the youths are said to have quit commercial bike riding and cassava farming which they depended on for their survival and resorted to drugs and violence.