The United Nations Office for Project Services in Sierra Leone (UNOPS) has on Saturday 19th September, 2020, engaged stakeholders of Ward 406 with regards the construction of 100- meter long drainages at both Mellon Street, spanning through Bai Bureh road; and Caulker Street, through the Main Motor Road.
During this stakeholders’ consultation meeting, the ward councillor for ward 406 Councillor Lucky M. Mansaray thanked the community stakeholders for leaving their busy schedules and also answering to his impromptu call and attending such a very decisive meeting, and also extended his endless thanks to UNOPS and Freetown City Council (FCC) for their timely intervention as Caulker and Mellon streets have been the two major streets that have over the years posed serious challenges both to road users and residents of these communities especially during the rainy season.
Councillor furthered that these two streets are highly flood prone streets and often cause disturbances to vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrians every rainy season.
Therefore, with the intervention of UNOPS & FCC ,the issue of flooding and road block will become thing of the past especially when the drainages will have been constructed and the running water will be totally get control of.
When explaining the essence of the engagement, Ramita Koroma an environmental social specialist from UNOPS explained vividly the rationales for holding such engagement with stakeholders of these communities.
First, to do an impact assessment survey to ascertain the impacts and threats the project will have and cause to the two communities upon completion of the project. Again, to get the views of stakeholders with regards the project before implementation of the project as it’s mandatory by law under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before the issuance of environmental impact license.
Ramita Koroma also stressed and explained the major essence of the project which is to ameliorate flooding as these two identified streets are highly flood prone. Therefore, in addressing flooding, drainages need to be constructed to ease the free flow of water during the rainy season. Series of speakers expressed their endless thanks to UNOPS & FCC and also shared their views.
Hon. Amb. Alimamy Coleson Turay thanked UNOPS & FCC for the consideration and also appealed to UNOPS & FCC to also replicate such development to the hilly part of these communities as it will be futile if the top drainages are not constructed as the water flows from the hilly and mountainous parts of these communities.
Amadou I Funna Chairman of Oneness Movement Organization also expressed similar sentiment and pleaded to UNOPS & FCC to employ people from these communities when the project implementation will commence. The program was climaxed with lot of praises showered on the award winning and developmental Councillor Lucky M. Mansaray for his continuous show of practical leadership.
