By Amadu Daramy in Maryland, USA
The road network in the Lower Bambara Chiefdom, Kenema District, is still in a dismal state, especially when the rainy season is just a few months away.
In the next two months, the Tongo/Panguma/Kono Road network would become terrible and almost impossible to ply, not to talk of the high cost of living during the same period, as the prices of basic commodities would skyrocket.
Recently, the township of Panguma was faced with acute water and electricity supply and medical facilities, all due to the terrible state of the road network. These, among many others, are some of the challenges the people have been grappling with over the years.
According to Ngo Sao, indigenes are appalled that two of their big brothers are among the most fortunate indigenes from Lower Bambara Chiefdom in the current SLPP administration but that they are yet to see any impact they have created to alleviate the plight of their people, lamenting that currently, Panguma is facing acute water shortage, which he reiterated is a crisis and health hazard.
He revealed that the long-term solution to the water crisis is to replace the costly, worn-out pipes, for which they need financial support from patriotic indigenes and other well-wishers like the Chairman of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), Mr. Mohamed E.K. Alie, to approve at least two projects for the chiefdom as well as advocate to the Head of the Road Maintenance Fund Administration, an indigene, Mr. Andrew Fatorma, to upgrade the Mano Junction to Panguma and Tongo Road before the onset of this year’s raining season.
Currently, the Lower Bambara Diaspora Development Association (LoBDDA) is working hard to ensure that water supply is restored to Panguma, as it is now over a week since the people have not received water supply.
The Association is also appealing to all government appointees serving as ambassadors, high commissioners, MPs, and those in the various boards of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) like Statistics Sierra Leone, among others, to come to the aid of their downtrodden people seven years into the President Julius Maada Bio-led SLPP Government, pointing out that it is better late than never to develop their deprived chiefdom.
Members of the Association, who also hail from Kailahun District, similarly promised to provide workable strategies for the Kailahun experience to be replicated in Lower Bambara Chiefdom, asserting that all must come on board to address the challenges confronting the chiefdom and commending indigenes of Lower Bambara in the diaspora for all their support.
At the moment, hundreds, especially school-going children, struggle long hours to get water and in the process waste precious time that should be used to study to fetch water, not to mention the social consequences like teenage pregnancy and other vices.
The current proportional representative Member of Parliament (MP) for Constituency 015, Kenema District, Hon. Rugiatu Tarawally Mussafa, confessed that the road network is the worst in living memory but assured that the government is doing all in its power to fix the road network within the shortest possible time with the availability of funds.
She recalled that President Julius Maada Bio has visited the area several times, assuring the people that the road network is a priority to his government due to its strategic location/importance and socio-economic viability to actualize the country’s food security flagship project and to mining communities not only in Kenema but also Kono District.
She reiterated that to actualize one of the five big game changers of food security, the road network would be fixed and denied any knowledge that the road contract had been awarded to a Mr. Fokia Demby, who did not perform as rumors circulated that he was awarded the contract.
Hon. Rugiatu Tarawally Mussafa further lamented that the people are always crying about the dismal state of the road network and the immense and unbearable sufferings they are going through.
The rhetorical question now is: will Hon. Regiatu Tarawally Mussafa work amicably with the Youth Chairman, Balema, and others to advance the chiefdom?
And the big question now is: Will Lower Bambara, Kenema District, vote SLPP come 2028 elections?
