President Kabbah and Chinese envoy discuss New Freetown Market and Bo Stadium
By Yusuf Alghali

The massive influx of internally displaced people into Freetown has presented a rather unmanageable overpopulation problem in the capital city. This situation has also engendered a variety of social problems, including uncontrolled street trading, poor sanitary conditions, traffic congestion and other potential hazards to road users.

In an effort to address the growing problems posed by rampant street trading, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has proposed to Chinese Ambassador Fan Guijin the idea of constructing an ultra modern market in Freetown, of which detailed plans and schedule of requirements are to be provided shortly by the Minister of Trade, Industry and State Enterprises, Dr. Kadi Sesay.

The President also requested the Chinese Ambassador and his accompanying team of Beijin Urban Construction Group (BUCG) officials, to submit architectural and engineering concepts for the erection of mini stadium in Bo. His latter request follows incessant appeals made in that connection by the people of the southern province, who have maintained that whereas Freetown can boast of a modern stadium and Makeni has just had its stadium rehabilitated, government must heed persistent pleas from Bo and consider erecting a mini stadium for the region.

The Chinese envoy told President Kabbah that it would be their pleasure to cooperate with Sierra Leone in its strive to reconstruct old and even build new public structures, where these become feasible. He went on to inform the President that they intend to relocate their team of rice growing experts to Bo in the south, where a modern rice milling plant is currently being built.

The President indicated his support to the idea and referred to Torma Bum a vast inland swamp in the south, as an area, which, if cultivated to its maximum, could feed the entire people of this country. He added that in order to optimally utilise the rice mill under construction, "we have to increase rice output throughout the country".

Ambassador Guijin, in turn, suggested other schemes whereby bilateral cooperation could be fostered between Chinese experts and Sierra Leonean farmers in rice and other crop production, so as to accelerate the realisation of Sierra Leone's food security agenda.

While noting that the BUCG-rehabilitated Bintumani Hotel was making good progress, the envoy also reiterated his commitment towards encouraging business and investment partnerships between Sierra Leonean investors and their Chinese counterparts.

In another development at the Lodge today Tuesday 19th August, Honourable Justice Manfred Adophy was sworn in as Acting Chief Justice of Sierra Leone in the absence of the substantive Chief Justice Abdulai Timbo, who is away in Malawi attending a conference.

Justice Adophy was called to the bar in 1965 and has acted in the capacity of Chief Justice on some seven occasions. Taking his oath, Justice Adophy swore to faithfully discharge his duties Chief Justice and "hold the fort until the substantive returns".
President Kabbah thanked the deputy Chief Justice for accepting the appointment, noting that Justice Adophy is "one of those Supreme Court Judges who is always about doing some assignment somewhere".