Minister Logus Koroma updates Sierra Leoneans in China on development back home

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, who also doubles as National Elections Coordinator for the governing All People’s Congress, has on September 19^th briefed a cross section of Sierra Leoneans, including students and members of the APC Asia Branch of APC in the People’s Republic of China about the transformational development taking place in Sierra Leone today, as a result of the astute leadership President Ernest Bai Koroma is providing.

Dilating on progress being made by the country, Minister Leonard Balogun Koroma stated, that in 2007 when the APC was elected, through an Agenda for Change, it narrowed down the country’s development into five areas, including agriculture, energy health and education. “In energy, within 100 days when we were elected, electricity was restored in Freetown which was the darkest city in the world at the time. Today, this progress has been followed up by rural electrification and construction of hydro electric dams”

In infrastructure, Minister Koroma said, under the Government of President Koroma, every district headquarter town is witnessing construction work. “This progress is also felt in agriculture as Agricultural business Units have been built all over the country. The free health care has been a success. So in essence, great progress was made in the Agenda for Change”

Speaking further, Minister Leonard Koroma said, even though Sierra Leoneans were satisfied with progress brought about by President Koroma through the Agenda for Change, which led to his reelection in 2012, “for the President, that was not enough as he wanted to do more, hence the Agenda for Prosperity”, The eight pillars in this documents, he went on, will take Sierra Leone “to a middle level income country in the coming decades”

Giving an update in his China visit, Minister Koroma said, he was in Beijing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on rail and port development in Sierra Leone with Kingho Energy Group, “one of the biggest energy groups in China that is involved in some development in Sierra Leone, including sea port and a railway”

The Rail and Port projects in his ministry, Minister Leonard Koroma stated, are important ones to the President’s Agenda for Prosperity. “As we know Sierra Leone has billions of tons of iron ore but the manner of transporting the ore is outdated. Building a Deep Sea Port will make a huge difference in transporting the ore out of Sierra Leone ….this will lead to more revenue for Government and for the development of Sierra Leone”

He also spoke on progress made so far in pursuing the construction of a new airport in the country, saying “during my visit, I was able to talk to China Railway International for the new airport in Mamamah. EXIM Bank has processed a loan of 315 million dollars and we hope by the end of 2013, the construction project will be commissioned by the President”

China, he said, is important to Sierra Leone’s development. He therefore, encouraged Sierra Leoneans in China to market the country’s investment potentials especially as related to the Agenda for Prosperity.

Speaking on the role played by the APC Asia Branch during the 2012 general elections, Minister Koroma thanked Chairman Lamin Turay “for his foresight in providing leadership for the Branch and in giving support to the party during the last elections” He also commended the Branch “for manner it has been conducting itself”

Chairman for APC Asia, Lamin Turay, thanked the Minister Leonard Koroma for briefing Sierra Leoneans on progress back home. He expressed optimism that under the APC government, Sierra Leone will continue to see more development.

In his words, Turay said, Sierra Leoneans were “honored to have the APC Elections Coordinator around and it would not have been good without us hosting you. As Sierra Leoneans, we feel proud of what is happening today in our country. We have no doubt, that with the current trend and with the leadership of President Ernest Koroma, Sierra Leone will one day reach her peak in development”

Lamin Turay also commended Logus Koroma on his reappointment as APC Coordinator for Elections by President Koroma, who is also APC Chairman and Leader. He paid tribute to him for playing leading role in the formation of the Branch, together with the then APC Secretary-General but now envoy to China, Victor Bockarie Foh.

In his remarks, Secretary-General for the Sierra Leone Student Union in China, Alhassan Kamara congratulated President Koroma, on his reelection, saying, his victory was for both the country and party, “as Sierra Leone is now seeing development and also sustaining its democracy”

“The Agenda for Change was indeed a success as reflected in the decision by Sierra Leoneans to vote the President for another term. We are hopeful of going one day and be part of the country’s development. We are confident, with current development pace, Sierra Leone will keep moving”

The meeting was chaired by Osman Charleston Conteh, who also paid great tribute to Minister Leonard Koroma for his role in Sierra Leone’s development. He also commended the leadership style of President Ernest Bai Koroma as seen in his effort in uniting Sierra Leoneans.

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