Why Bumbuna Must Be Regarded As Public Asset
One could understand why the ruling APC government even after months of accomplishment sings so much 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 laze in the dark as it said that when lizards fall from a height, he reckons itself 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 hang unto the acclaimed achievement if the project as a whole is not treated as the most treasured government asset that is bound to stir the whims of developments that was hung unto the availability of sustained electricity supply since the conception of Sierra Leone as a state in 1961. Whilst we would want 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 in certain aspects of the project.
Respecting the Value
No one dares 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 given to 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 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 Leoneans is that which they normally say “after all its government’s property’s 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 held the progress of the dam to ransom was that a lot of what has already been fixed was lost to those that made it their games to plundering overhead wires and other components for selfish aggrandizement. Such ruthless greed accounted for an untold reversing in the progress made thus far.
This attitude must change and a one of guardsmanship adopted. As treasured as the Bumbuna project is to development 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 would leave one with the obvious realization that the vast majority are white elephants and lay in ruin, rotting from negligence and lack of maintenance culture.
This is where we must commend the government asset commission headed by Unisa Alim Sesay, aka Awoko for instituting culture to maintain and take every care of government properties if this is requisitely applied to the Bumbuna project, we will be assured that sustainability would be there for one of the most treasured accomplishments in our country’s history..
Now that it has been more than established that the value and purpose the Bumbuna project 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 this long-lived dream of sustainable electricity is attained and sustained.
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