January 17, 2022
MOHAMED M. SESAY
A high powered delegation led by the Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party North America Region Desmond Pessima, has donated ten (10) Motor Bikes to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) as part of livelihood support to victims of the November 5th inferno at Wellington.
Explaining the precipitating effect of the donation, the SLPPNA Chairman Desmond Pessima, disclosed that no sooner the accident occurred in November 5th 2021, than the SLPPNA organized a memorial service in the United States for the deceased victims. Just after the Memorial service, Chairman Pessima also disclosed that he launched a fundraiser towards the fire disaster. He added that the fundraising activity went for months of which a consensus was reached to buy ten motor bikes as part of livelihood support for the victims.
The SLPPNA Chairman also acknowledged that there were motors bikes riders who died in that fire accident and most Motor Bikes got burnt. He therefore, noted that the best way of consolidating and touching the lives of victims is to buy motor bikes for those who lost their bikes in the Wellington conflagration.
Chairman Pessima continued that they knew people will survive after the disaster and they will need livelihood support which brought about the genesis of procuring the ten motor bikes. He said the purchase of the ten Motor Bikes for the victims is geared towards complementing government efforts. He reaffirmed that the support they gave is not just for one or two days, but that the support is a sustainable one which will leverage the needs of the victims for years.
“This is the symbolic handing over of the ten Motor Bikes donated. The Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party North America Region decided to donate these motor bikes to the victims of the November 5th fire accident that happened in Wellington. As a region, we are going through our Party hierarchy through the National Secretary General of the Party”, he said.
On his part, the National Secretary General Umaru Napoleon Koroma said the SLPP Party has contributed to the development of the nation and also assured that, the Party will continue to do such. He added that the recent donation from the SLPPNA did not come as a surprise to him because the North America Branch of the SLPP has being a strong pillar to the successes and development of Sierra Leone.
Napoleon Koroma recalled that even during the Ebola outbreak, the SLPPNA supported their compatriots during that era. He confessed that he felt particularly y elated for the donation of the ten motor bikes. He expressed that the SLPPNA has no intention for political appointments but other than commitment in rendering service to humanity and also seeing the lives of their countrymen being improved.
Welcoming the SLPPNA delegation from the United States, the Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Brima Bureh Sesay expressed delight to have received the delegation from the SLPPNA coming to sympathize with the compatriot in Sierra Leone.
He said there is no other way of expressing care and love for countrymen other than what members of the SLPPNA has done. He added that the support provided by the SLPPNA is a livelihood supports for the victims and their families. He stated that the SLPPNA has definitely assisted government as government is currently putting a package together to support fire victims with relief and livelihood supports.
Just after the fire accident occurred, the Director General of NDMA intimated the team from SLPPNA that the National Disaster Management Agency properly coordinated the response process. He said they also coordinated all the support that came in from donor partners and well-wishers. He also assured that every single support that has come in including the recently donated ten motor bikes from SLPPNA is recorded and properly accounted for.
He also disclosed that big institutions provided support for the fire victims including the Chinese Embassy who donated fire hundred million Leones cash. He further intimated the SLPPNA executive to feel proud of the party and feel proud of the leadership of the Party.
The Director General also disclosed that since the establishment of the NDMA, they have responded to ninety-nine disasters across the country with the exclusion of the Wellington Fire accident.
He continued that the Agency has provided support to more than 4100 households, number of houses supported with building materials are 1190, number of public facilities supported are 43 and the total population that agency has impacted during the one year of establishment is around 20013.