Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 January 2020:
Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio has arrived in Abu Dhabi where he is attending the Sustainability Week Summit 2020, on the invitation of the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi – Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit which starts tomorrow, Monday 13th January and finishes on Thursday, 16th January, is a global platform for accelerating world sustainable development.
The summit brings together policy makers, industry specialists, technology pioneers, politicians and the next generation of sustainability leaders.
According to State House, the president “has been invited as a visionary leader in Africa for his commitment to education and efforts in fostering sustainable development in Sierra Leone”.
The State House statement says that at the end of the Abu Dhabi Summit, president Bio will travel to London, where he will attend the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020, taking place on the 19th of January to 21st January 2020.
President Bio is expected to participate in several events on the margins of the UK-Africa Investment Summit, where he is expected to discuss the need for sustainable infrastructure, promote trade and investments for Sierra Leone.
The theme of the UK-Africa Investment Summit is “Partners in Prosperity”, bringing together businesses, governments and international institutions to showcase and promote the breadth and quality of investment opportunities across Africa.
The Summit will also provide an opportunity to focus on strategic issues for both the UK and Sierra Leone, including energy transition, job creation and mutual prosperity.
Sierra Leone desperately needs over $300 million of investments in key sectors of the economy with potential to create thousands of job opportunities.
In particular, the Bio-led government said it has prioritised fishing, agriculture, tourism and the energy sector.
Sierra Leone’s economy faces serious challenges, as growth remains sluggish amid falling export revenue and rising cost of living.
The government has recently cancelled or suspended several mining agreements, but has failed to encourage new investors to step in. This is causing serious problems for the economy, especially mining communities.
After almost two years in power, the Bio-led government says it will soon turn the economy around, But there is little evidence of this happening, anytime soon.
Mr. Joe Koroma again with something that makes me ask about the start of the Tomabum Rice Project by the Turks. Is Mr. Joe Koroma trying to tell me that the Tomabum Rice Project started in secrecy? Why should the government hide the start of such a very important investment in the dark? Is Mr. Joe Koroma actually talking about the Turks just doing some sight seeing or holidaying in BONTHE City?
Would Mr. Joe Koroma please send me the name of the project? I really want to know because, it is not normal for a government to start such a very important project without the knowledge of the people. Mr. Joe Koroma talked about people working for the project. Are the workers only from BONTHE or those who have contact with the SLPP? Please explain Mr. Joe Koroma and God bless you.
Joe Koroma “ Have you ever been to Bonthe district and are you familiar with Torma Bum? I am sure you don’t care because you would have known that the Turkish company that signed the whopping $275 million rice project has been on the ground since last year and that many of our folks have been employed since last year”
The contract you refer to was signed 3 months ago, September of 2019. So how is that thousands of people have already been employed when in fact the project has yet to start? We are talking about mechanical rice farming here, not the typical labor intensive subsistence farming that requires 100s of man power. Please my brother, just stop it, you are not helping yourself. This platform does not comprise of your typical villagers that you can just feed any garbage and believe it. Please just stop this fake news peddling!!
State House says – our President,the leader of an already failed,crumbling,struggling nation has been invited,because he is considered as a visionary leader in Africa,(lol) What have you guys been snorting? How goofy,and looney does that sound?(lmao) Oh well, its back to the drawing board – You can now put the whisky down! Its alright, its fine.(lol)
Gentlemen,firstly,a visionary leader is usually someone with exceptional,communicating and grassroots organising skills;he or she is an individual who has mastered the art of keeping things in perfect balance,in order,and always intricately held together,no matter how challenging, overwhelmingly difficult and demanding the conditions,or circumstances,he is confronted with.
Does that look,or sound like the intolerant Bo schooled,Maada Bio to you armchair cheerleaders? Nope!Your man in State House avoids,rejects,and hates being decisive; he shuns and frowns on engaging himself in constructive,thoughtful dialogue with well meaning investors, he is an expert at rationalising his poorly conceived,I’ll advised decisions,imposes his will,like a despot,and he prefers using threats,arm twisting,and bulling to get things done his arrogant authoritarian way. Is that what a progressive,visionary leader looks like? Don’t answer just yet! There will be time enough,and more to examine that!
Secondly a visionary leader is a good,and gracious listener,he is pragmatic,and shrewd; he treads not in haste,but with caution,and is able to bring his people together under one Umbrella of Hope,for a common purpose,or in support of actualising priorities,consisting of genuine national objectives. Where exactly,l ask you, does the tribalstic,morbidly obese Bio fit in all this?(lol)
And there’s more – a visionary leader believes in prudent spending – cuts his clothes according to his cloth – gets value for money with whatever he does – tell me is the reckless,shortsighted act of indulging oneself in high interest unpayable IMF or World Bank loans,an indelible mark of a patriotic visionary leader? This President enjoys running around in wild goose chases – over a 1000 miles and still running, still achieving little,or nothing,still laboring to catch and hold the wayward,unruly wind in the palm of his delusional hands….Good luck to you Sir! Perhaps,just perhaps,with such a regressive attitude,in another lifetime, you just might be able to succeed….Rising Sun Will Rise Again.
Joe Koroma my good friend, slow down in blowing your vuvuzela, trumpeting superficial imaginations associated with only delusional die-hard PAOPA supporters like your type.
One of our senior forumties, Mr. matturi raised a salient question, asking about meaningful investors that have fully committed and initiated practical activities in our nation since the inception of the new regime. As usual, you immediately get into panic mode, search around for any armory you can arm yourself with, only to end up providing a link that the Sierra Leone Telegraph posted back in September pertaining to the signing of a rice production contract by a Turkish firm.
By all indications, our president has made over 70 trips in less than 2 years since he came into office. Many of these trips were advertised as investor seeking ventures. Joe Koroma, are you telling this platform that out of the 70 or more trips taken for almost 2years, the rice production agreement is the only you can provide to us?
Again, lest I forget, may I remind you that, this is just an agreement my brother. Nothing meaningful has started materializing on the ground. Mr. Matturi deliberately used the keyword “meaningful”. I suggest you look up the dictionary meaning of the word before you continue to look bad sir.
Now in your usual fake news peddling, I quote “Thousands of your countrymen are now gainfully employed in the agricultural sector.” Really Joe Koroma?
Where exactly did you get the news that thousands of Sierra Leoneans have been employed via the Turkish firm? I am not sure what it is with PAOPA supporters like your type, however, it appears you dwell in your own universe where lies and conspiracy theories thrive. Just to remind you, this platform is no place for such deceitful lies.
Young4na,
With all due respect, you are tone deaf when it comes to understanding and accepting basic issues. This is a major problem with Ernest Bai Koromaists whose allegiance to the doomsday prophet, Ernest Koroma, transcends any allegiance that they may have to Sierra Leone.
Have you ever been to Bonthe district and are you familiar with Torma Bum? I am sure you don’t care because you would have known that the Turkish company that signed the whopping $275 million rice project has been on the ground since last year and that many of our folks have been employed since last year. Lets leave it that because it is not my task to be furnishing APC die-hards with news about Sierra Leone. Wait and see how construction on the Lungi bridge starts this year.
I will possibly agree with you Young4na. God bless you.
Meaningful I mean, investment negotiated and started. Does that make sense Joe? Just signing MOU’s or finalizing feasibility studies to me is meaningless in my view.
As long as the investors don’t bring the cash and begin the projects, the whole exercise is meaningless / worthless. Very soon the first term of this president will come to an end. What then will he tell the people?
Thank you very much Mr. Joe Koroma for your contribution and may God bless you.
Young4na,
While Ernerst Bai Koromaists of your ilk are praying everyday for the economic retrogression of Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone has begun a large scale rice production in Torma Bum, Bonthe district that will soon extend to Potoru in Pujehun district. Thousands of your countrymen are now gainfully employed in the agricultural sector.
Relative to mining, mining contracts that do not serve the interests of Sierra Leone and the impoverished masses of that country deserve to be canceled. What sense does it make if a contract was signed to serve the interests of the investors and the thieving APC oligarchy that is now languishing in political purgatory?
Watch how Sierra Leone is going to become a net exporter of rice in the next few years. I am sure you will be kicking yourself in the foot as the last thing that you want to hear is an emerging Sierra Leone capable of competing internationally.
Me man, take cam easy pan di bad hart.
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/29193-turkish-investors-sign-275-million-sierra-leone-rice-farming-deal
https://www.facebook.com/sierraleonetelegraph/posts/turkish-investors-signs-275-million-rice-farming-deal-in-sierra-leone-sierra-leo/2541217269271253/
president Bio is trying very hard to bring in investors into our beloved mama salone so that the people of Sierra Leone will be happy for him and also pray for him amd the country in 2020.
Amen.
I hope and pray that the President does not return home empty handed. This President since taking office has always been on the go to bring home the investment our country dearly needs. I give him credit in that regard. The question I have for the President and his administration is this – why has the President and his administration not succeeded till now in bringing any meaningful investment in the country, after all these lovely and expensive trips world wide? Almost two years now in office. No solution. Disappointing stuff.
It would be a good idea if the President and his administration come clean and explain the problems to the people. Maybe, he and his administration will get some ideas. Frankly speaking, there is something serious going on that is preventing investors from coming to investing in our beloved country.
However, I wish him well on this trip and pray that he comes back home with plenty of meaningful investments. God bless President Bio and may God help him find and bring the investment he is seeking. God help “get SALONE sorted”.
Mr. Maturi, can you agree with me that no sensible investor will invest in an environment where the rule of law and the observation of international contract is lacking? This regime has been shooting itself on the foot from the onset.
Perambulating with an ego of knowing it all and highly educated than everyone else, most of the elite members in the regime were busy giving out ill-advise to the president to cancel out international mining agreements along with many other infrastructural agreements signed by the previous government.
While the president travels out almost every week to seek out investors, at home his subordinates are busy snuffing and terrorizing the small number of investors and businesses.
Couple with the toxic political climate machinated mainly by the regime, one should not be surprised why most investors have for the most part chose to play along the diplomatic way (merely signing out MOUs).
Mr. Sahr Matturi,
Does the investment – link below, not qualified as a meaningful investment?
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/29193-turkish-investors-sign-275-million-sierra-leone-rice-farming-deal