Council intensifies efforts to replace Mamanso ferry with modern bridge

Port Loko, June 3 (SLENA) – It appears the lifelong dream of the people of Masimera and Marampa Chiefdoms, especially those who are divinely separated by the Rokel River and who have had it tough to go across this great river, will surely breathe a sigh of relief sooner than later, if the untiring efforts of the Port Loko District Council are accorded the desired consideration by the Government of Sierra Leone.

This is the dream of Chairman of the Port Loko District Council, Ahmid Munir Fofana (in photo) who seems to be on oath that the age old Mamanso Ferry is replaced by a modern bridge with international standards.

This reporter was opportune to join him at his Port Loko District Council office recently in his quest to know what is the response of Council to the repeated appeals of the inhabitants of these sister chiefdoms in the district.

 Chairman Ahmid Munirr Fofana started with the horrifying history of the Ferry that dates back in the colonial era and how it has outlived its usefulness for several decades now.

He said the ferry is more of a death trap when the tide is high and is especially dangerous in the rainy season when it is not operational due to high tide and rough weather. He made mentioned of the countless number of school going pupils, as well as the lots and lots of pregnant women and lactating mothers that have eventually perished by drowning in the search for either education or heath services on either sides of the river.

He said it is normally very difficult for these communities to access service providers either in health, education or agriculture so much so that Masimera is about the most deprived and under developed chiefdom in the northern district of Port Loko.

Of late, the Paramount Chiefs of the two chiefdoms together with the Ward Councillors of the affected areas made a representation to the Council Chairman and prevailed on him for his immediate intervention.

Consequently, Chairman Fofana engaged the management of Geneses Farm, a Holland based agricultural non-governmental organisation operating in these chiefdoms, to look at the possibilities of salvaging the situation as a result of which several follow up meetings have since been held with other development partners that are experts in the construction of such a bridge.

Chairman Ahmid Munirr Fofana told the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) in an interview that he has also contacted engineers from the Sierra Leone Roads Authority to initiate a feasibility study as a parallel alternative for the realisation of the project.

He said Council is currently identifying development partners for the construction of a modern bridge to replace the age old Mamanso Ferry. He spoke of the meeting of Engineering Consultants from Holland together with those of the Ministries of Works and Infrastructure and those of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security he facilitated in 2011 in which the proposals for the construction of the bridge were discussed.

Mr. Fofana said that meeting has encouraged him to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the Team of Consultant Engineers from Holland and the Management of Genesis Farm as well as the Port Loko District Council in a bid to facilitate the feasibility and Technical Designs of the Bridge.

He said the Council has been able to convince the Management of Geneses Farm and its other Development Partners to undertake the feasibility study and are now making frantic appeals to the Sierra Leone Government to take over the project especially when the development partners in Holland  now require the Sierra Leone Government to guarantee the financial commitments of banks in Holland  to fund the project.

By Hassan Bruz

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