Seeing Bumbuna as government asset

One could understand why the ruling APC government sings such a song about the completion of the Bumbuna Hydro Electric project.  Squarely the project is inarguably one of Sierra Leone’s most coveted achievements both in terms of infrastructural and sustainable development. Such accomplishment cannot be made to lie in the dark as it said that when lizards fall from a height, he recognizes himself even if no one does so, the ruling government does not have to wait to be congratulated for performing a feat that has lingered for almost three decades.

But in all this, great fears land unto the acclaimed achievement if the project as a whole is not treated as the most reassured government asset that is bound to stir the whims of developments that where hung unto the availability of sustained electricity supply since the conception of Sierra Leone as a state in 1961. Whilst we would like to respect the will and commitment the All People’s Congress has put into finishing the first phase of the company’s revered hydro project, caution and admonition would have to be given certain aspects of the project.

Respecting the value

No one dare argue about the value of the project to national good in diverse ways. Industrial and other economic investments have been tagged to the unavailability of electricity in the country. Now that such headway has been made in that direction the project must be accorded value both in terms of management and security.

Inasmuch as the project had all this while been supported by donor money, we must also be mindful of the fact/reality, that donors are not going to be around forever and so prudence must be invested into the management of the project in such a way that it is able to sustain itself. Until that is put in place, Bumbuna would mean everything but good to national development.

Public attitude and maintenance culture

One factor that has always derailed infrastructural development in the country is the attitude of the public towards public assets. What has woefully turned out to be a dismal culture identified with the Sierra Leonean is that which they normally say “after all its government property and so can be treated in whatever way with virtual impunity.

The blindness that has been turned to such attitude by Sierra Leoneans towards public property has resulted in untold losses of mammoth economic and development ramifications.

Before the project took full swing, one problem that stalled the progress for the dam was that a lot of what has already been fixed was lost to those that made it their game to plunder overhead wires and other components for selfish aggrandizing. Such ruthless greed accounted in reversing the progress made thus far.

This attitude must change and a one of guardmanship adopted. As treasured as the Bumbuna project is to the development and well being of all of us, we serve as guards to such endeavours what could best be called patriotism?

Conducting a count on infrastructure and other development programmes in the country could leave one with the obvious realization that the vast majority are white elephants and lay in ruin, rotting from negligence and a lack of maintenance culture.

This is where we must commend the government’s Asset Commission headed by Unisa Alim Sesay, popularly known as Awoko for instituting a culture of maintenance in taking every care of government properties. If this is requisitely applied to the Bumbuna Project, we will be assured that sustainability will be there in one of the most treasured accomplishments in our country’s history.

Now that it has been more than established about the value and purpose of the Bumbuna project, it will be best realized if proper management structures and the changing of attitudes towards public goods is instituted, then it is equally expected that all stakeholders including us the masses come onboard to actuate that this long-lived dream of sustainable electricity is attained and sustained.

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