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President
Kabbah Tours New Jui Fishing Complex
By Yusuf Alghali
This
afternoon, His Excellency The President. Alhaji
Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, made a spot visit to an
Egyptian-owned fishing enterprise located at Jui,
some twelve miles outside Freetown.
The
Horse Import and Export Company limited is a new
fishing, processing and canning business set up
by an Egyptian investor, Mr. Emmad El Galaba,
who during his meeting with the President last
week, indicated his readiness to undertake a viable
fishing venture in Sierra Leone that could ultimately
create some two thousand jobs.
Mr.
El Galaba had also disclosed that after the completion
of on-going engineerPreing and rehabilitation
works at the leased fishing complex at Jui, up
to sixty fishing vessels could be brought over
to fish in Sierra Leone's territorial waters in
the first six months of the actual start of their
operations. He also
disclosed plans to help bring down the price of
fish and make it affordable to all and sundry
throughout the country.
President
Kabbah was delighted by what he saw during his visit
to the complex early this afternoon. He told Mr.
El Galaba and the accompanying Egyptian Ambassador
to Sierra Leone, Mr Ghoneim, that he was pleased
with what he had seen for himself, pointing out
also that he was particularly pleased about the
fact that many of his compatriots had gained employment
in the complex. All
around the vast complex, some one hundred and fifty
Sierra Leonean workers employed by the new company
were seen hard at work, preparing the massive cold
rooms, the jettyand administration blocks for upcoming
operations.
Scores
of T-shirted youths could be seen working in teams
either clearing wreckages of
old boats with electric cutters or painting surfaces
and building structures. As the President toured
the site, workalmost came to a standstill as cheering
workers greeted their visiting Head of State,
who waved back in acknowledgement.
Marine
Resources Minister, Mr. Okere Adams, who accompanied
President Kabbah on the inspection tour, told the
press that the men were working twenty-four hours
round the clock to ensure that the facilities were
prepared on time. He said Mr.El Galabaalready had
a number of vehicles and heavy machines on standby
at theCairo ports, awaiting shipment to Freetown
as soon as the required clearances had been obtained.
He said the company also aims to establish fish
marketing outlets all over Freetown, adding that
these outlets would also be extended to the provinces
in due course.
President
Kabbah pointed out that with abundant supply of
fish available on the
local market this will provide protein food for
consumption and thereby form part of his dream
of food self-sufficiency and security, and that
any surplus fish will be marketed abroad for much-needed
foreign exchange. The President admonished the
Egyptian investors as well as the Sierra Leonean
workers to show commitment and hard work in order
to realise fully the noble aims of the enterprise.
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