President
Kabbah Visits "Operation PEBU" Sites
By Yusuf Alghali
Last
year, Government in partnership with the British
Department for International Development (DFID)
commenced a nationwide military housing project
code-named "Operation PEBU". The aim
of "PEBU", a Mende word denoting shelter,
is to provide proper housing
conditions for military officers and other ranks
at locations other than Freetown such as Kabala,
Kambia, Gondama(near Bo), Yele, Pujehun, Kailahun,
Moyamba and Kenema following the widespread
destruction of military barrack facilities that
accompanied the almost eleven years of civil
conflict and responding to the need to spread
out the deployment of soldiers throughout the
country.
With
a view to obtaining firsthand information and
feedback about progress made in the on-going
construction work in parts of the country, President
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah yesterday undertook a tour
of three PEBU sites in Kabala, Kailahun and
Yele.
On
arrival in Kabala, in the Koinadugu District,
President Kabbah was led on an inspection tour
of the building site by commander of the 12th
battalion of the Republic of
Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Lt. Col.
B.T. Massaquoi, where soldiers themselves were
busy putting up structures. "The beauty
of this scheme is that you yourselves are building
your own housing facilities while at the same
time learning useful skills that may benefit
your post-military days," President Kabbah
told the twelfth battalion soldiers in an address
that followed shortly after they temporarily
paused construction work.
He
commended their patriotic efforts and made reference
to similar efforts being made by their counterparts
at the Makeni Teko Barracks, a site he had visited
earlier in the year.
Continuing,
the Head of State intimated that government
had decided to change the previous one-bedroom
mud brick structural plan following concerns
expressed by soldiers. He added that this had
resulted in the present cement brick double-room
quarters specially designed for married officers
and other ranks.
Also
in a bid to complement their food rations, the
President encouraged Paramount Chief M.Y. Mansaray
of Wara Wara Yagala Chiefdom to provide additional
land to members of the regional battalion who
might want to cultivate food crops during their
spare time. He said government would be inclined
to pay servicemen for su
ch
crops in lieu of their regular ration provisions
to which they were entitled.
The
President's address was closely followed by
a question and answer session, wherein he addressed
issues relating to the democratisation of military
recruitment, career development and promotions;
supply of drugs, logistics and military vehicles
as well as the need for broad consultations
for a new peacetime uniform.
In
a similar address to soldiers in the eastern
Kailahun district, the Commander-in-Chief
praised the patriotism and dedication of the
soldiers, having regard to the challenges
with which they were faced.
He also made note of the spirit of cooperation
demonstrated by the people of Kailahun, having
provided some two miles square of land for
the PEBU project.
The final leg of the helicopter tour took
President Kabbah and entourage, including
Deputy Defence Minister Joe Blell and Chief
of Defence Staff Major-General Tom Carew including
Cabinet Ministers and top government functionaries,
to Yele in the Tonkolili District. There,
his visit followed practically the same form
as his two earlier stops at Kabala and Kailahun.
He emphasised the need for continued peaceful
coexistence between the people of Yele, Gbonkolenken
Chiefdom and the soldiers, pointing out that
the land provided by the local authorities
was a show of patriotism.
-End-
