WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-09-15 Time: 21:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
By Rachel Horner
Freetown – On assumption of office in September 2007, President Ernest Bai Koroma promised a progressive turn around for Sierra Leone in 36 months through his ‘Agenda for Change’, highlighting five prioritized key areas – Agriculture, Energy, Infrastructure, Health and Social Services – which he hopes to focus on within his three years stated time. Mr. Koroma also promised to run his government as effectively as a business.
Having previously looked at Agriculture, and Social Services, my next focus is on Energy and Infrastructure. With Energy, the shift from perennial darkness to light came with an increase on electricity projects from a meager Le483 million in 2007 to Le80 billion in 2010. Soon after assuming the reigns of power, President Koroma, as a short-term emergency measure to provide electricity to the capital Freetown until the completion of Bumbuna, engaged the services of an independent power provider.
In this bid, government vigorously pursued the completion of the Bumbuna hydro electric project, which generates 50 megawatts of electricity with the ongoing extension of Bumbuna electricity supply to Makeni, Lunsar and Bumbuna town. Government installed a 16.5 thermal plant at the Blackhall Road sub-station to further increase the supply of electricity to Freetown.
Government spokesperson, who doubles as the minister of Information and Communication, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, said the Bo-Kenema Power Station (BKPS) in the south-east is also being expanded to provide affordable electricity to more communities, noting that power generation has been doubled from 2 to 4 megawatts.
“We have plans to expand the Dodo Dam to ensure all year round supply of electricity is ongoing, and the moribund thermal plant has been refurbished and now produces 1.5 megawatts. By April 2011, power generation will increase to 6 megawatts; a program for the electrification of provincial towns and cities has commenced. This project will cover Kabala, Bo, Makeni, Bonthe, Pujehun, Port Loko, Moyamba, Kambia, Lungi, Kailahun, Magburaka, Koidu and Kenema,” Kargbo said.
Meanwhile, plans are underway to increase the generating capacity of Bumbuna from 50 megawatts to 500 megawatts through the construction of a second dam, the minister added.
Government has embarked on the provision of solar energy to light the city streets and homes in the rural communities, and some homes have been solar electrified in several villages, including Mamusa, Blama Massaquoi, Kissy Koya, Makandeh and Mambioma villages. Government is also providing funds for the construction of the bare foot solar engineers training center at Konta Line village, the first ever in the continent of Africa.
On Infrastructure, the government has completed the 164 Masiaka-Bo highway in March 2010, a project jointly funded by the European Union and the Sierra Leone government. The 35km Matotoka highway commenced in March 2008 and completed in October 2009, funded by the World Bank and the government.
Information minister I.B. Kargbo said the 65 kilometer Bo-Kenema highway was started in March 2008 and completed in February 2010.
“The 21.2km Tokeh-Lumley road is on going; the original contractor Burhan was changed and the contract awarded to CSE. The first 9km stretch of the road from Lumley to Tokeh will now be four lanes. The 86km second phase of the Freetown-Conakry road is ongoing. The services of the first contractor CEC was terminated and contract awarded to CSE. The highway will be completed by the end of 2011,” Kargbo said.
“The construction of the 87km Kenema-Pendembu section of the Kenema-Kailahun highway has commenced. The construction will be completed in 2013. Compensation is being paid to project affected persons. The construction of the 4.2 hillside: Pademba Road/Blackhall Road has commenced. Structures are being demolished by the contractors and compensation paid to the project affected persons.
The project will be completed by the end of 2011. The contract for the widening of the 5km Wilkinson Road to a four-lane road has been awarded. The contractor is mobilizing; campsite is being built. The project will be completed by June 2011. The rehabilitation of 30km of roads in Freetown was commenced by the contractor CSE in March 2010 and will be completed by the middle of 2011.”
According to the minister, government is also rehabilitating roads in all provincial cities, headquarter towns and a number of other provincial towns. Work has already commenced on the roads in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Magburaka by the contractor Salcost. These, the minister stated, will be completed before the end of 2011. Contracts have also been awarded for the rehabilitation of roads in Port Loko and Kambia. Design and tendering for the rehabilitation of roads in Koidu, Kailahun, Moyamba, Kabala, Bonthe and Pujehun are commencing.
“Bids for the reconstruction of the 62km Port Loko-Lungi road have been evaluated and the award of the contract will soon be made. Feasibility studies and detailed engineering design have been completed for the construction of the 97km Bandajuma-Mano River Bridge highway,” Kargbo revealed.
Feeder Roads: Construction works on feeder roads in Kambia, Port Loko, Kenema and Pujehun that commenced in September 2008 are now over 70% completed. The construction of 555km of feeder roads in Bombali, Tonkolili, Kailahun, and Kono that commenced in February 2008 has been completed. Procurement process is in its final stage for the rehabilitation of feeder roads under the Agricultural Sector Rehabilitation Project. The project, which commences by the end of 2010, involves 410km of feeder roads in Kenema, Pujehun, Moyamba, Port Loko and Kambia.
Over 780 kilometers of feeder roads all over the country are being rehabilitated through the Rural and Private Sector Development Project and the Rehabilitation & Community-Based Poverty Reduction Project.
A further 1,305 kilometers of feeder roads are being constructed in Port Loko, Kambia, Pujehun, Kenema, Bonthe, Kailahun, Kono, and Koinadugu districts through the Rural Roads Project.
Original date published: 15 September 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201009150770.html?viewall=1