President Kabbah In Kono and Kenema
By Fatmatta Kamara

The President, Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, has returned to Freetown from a one-and-half-day visit to Kono and Kenema where he officially inaugurated a primary school, an islamic centre and a lawn tennis court constructed by the third Pakistani contingent serving in Unamsil (PAKBATT 8), as part of their humanitarian effort to contribute to the social development of communities within their areas of deployment.

President Kabbah making his statement	Senior government officials, UNAMSIL staff and members of the public in attendance

The projects include the newly constructed Jinnah Primary School at Simbakoro, Koidu, to cater mainly for the children of the milittary battalion of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces based in Kono, the reconstructed Al Sunnah mosque/Islamic Centre, the donation of three motorized rickshaws and five bicycles to the Sierra Leone police, a newly constructed tennis court for the youths of Koidu and the construction of the Jinnah Troops Family Welfare Centre for the third military brigade based in Kenema.

The idea for the construction of these facilities was conceived following the assumption of operational responsibilities by the third Pakistani contingent in August 2003, as part of efforts to win the hearts and minds of the people in their areas of responsibility and to assist them in rebuilding their lives after more than ten years of a devastating war.

President Kabbah with the people of Kono	President Kabbah with SRSG Ambassador Daudi Mwakawago

At the official opening of the Jinnah primary school at Simbakoro the Commanding Officer of Pakbatt 8, Lt Col Zafrik Bark, praised President Kabbah for accepting to officially inaugurate these projects. He said apart from honouring its assignment of peacekeeping, the Pakistani contingent had undertaken meaningful community-based development projects in their areas of deployment in order to demonstrate their commitment to the welfare of the people.

He said the construction of the eight classroom building and offices at a cost of twenty thousand dollars was undertaken by Pakbatt 8 and completed within four months, and commended the chiefdom authorities and people of Koidu for their cooperation. Lt Col Zafrik Bark said it was a gratifying experience for his troops to help their friends in Sierra Leone at the time of need and gave the assurance that they would continue this assistance until their last day of duty on the UN peacekeeping mission. He expressed the hope that the facilities they have provided would augment the process of improving security and social stability.

The commanding officer of Sector East, Major-General Sadat Balkshi, commended the Unamsil Frce Commander Sajat Akram for initiating the projects and the troops for their hard work. The school located within the ninth battalion, he said, would not only cater for the military and their families but also for others within the community.

President Kabbah presenting school materials to a pupil of Jinnah primary school, Simbakoro	The newly constructed Jinnah primary school at Simbakoro, Kono

Paramount Chief Kaimachende of Gbense Chiefdom in the Kono District praised Pakbatt 8 for their developmental initiatives in the area. He said since the deployment of Pakistani troops they have undertaken the construction of mosques, schools, rehabilitation of roads, provision of relief and medical facilities, in addition to their mandate of peacekeeping. He added that the people of Kono will ever remain grateful to the Pakistani army.

While commending President Kabbah through whose leadership this support was made possible, PC Kaimachende assured him that the people of Kono will continue to stand by government in its pursuit to bring development and stability to this country. He said this was demonstrated tduring the just-concluded local government elections in which the ruling SLPP scored a resounding victory in Kono.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Daudi Mwakawago, said he was happy that President Kabbah had decided to recognise some of the good work done by Peacekeepers in Sierra Leone by gracing the occasion with his presence.

President Kabbah flanked by (L) Ambassador Mwakawago and (R) Maj-Gen Sadat Balkshi	Pupils of Jinnah primary school, Simbakoro

He said Sierra Leone is a beautiful country to which God has been so generous, and said, if its people fail to work hard to rebuild it, history would condemn them. He condemned those who dig up diamond pits but fail to cover them up after their operations, resulting in these areas becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes and diseases and unsuitable for any farming purpose. "Is this development?" he asked, calling on government to enact laws that would force diamond diggers to cover up pits after mining.

He said Sierra Leone with its vast natural resources including water and arable land should not be a begging nation; he therefore urged the people, particularly the Paramount Chiefs to be involved in farming, pointing out that President Kabbah would feel very proud to be invited by the Chiefs to witness their harvests.

President Kabbah, in his address, stated that the Pakistani troops had been a strong pillar of support to Unamsil and have gone far beyond their mandate of maintaining peace. He said the Pakistanis came to Sierra Leone at a time when the peace process was at a critical stage and the security situation uncertain, particularly in Kono, following the pull-out of the Indian contigent. But he said that they came with faith, unity and discipline as embodied in their motto and were therefore able to handle the situation and distinguished themselves in an exemplary manner. He extended appreciation to the government of Pakistan and particularly to their Force Commander who, during his assessment visit to Sierra Leone, saw how bad the situation was but still decided to commit his troops. He said the fact that the troops decided to take out of their personal earnings to undertake these projects should serve as an example to Sierra Leoneans who believe that government should do everything for them.
He added that in this country even when we receive hand-outs people expect government to, in his words "put the food in their mouths to feed them". This he said was a serious indictment and that "We must come out of it if we are to succeed", the President stressed.

The newly constructed Tennis Court in Koidu Town	I.G. Brima Acha Kamara with his men on a new motorized rickshaw donated to the SLP by PAKBATT 8 in Kono

He said Asia and some countries in Africa like Tanzania used to be food deficit countries, but with hard work and the use of appropriate technology, they are now not only food sufficient, but also sell their surpluses to other countries, thus earning for their countries not only cash but the much-needed foreign exchange to keep their economies healthy.

President Kabbah was pleased to state that since Unamsil's presence in the country two major political events have taken place without any problem and praised the people of Kono for the solid support given to the SLPP during the local council elections. "You have put your trust in us and we shall not let you down. We shall work hard to ensure that your trust is not misplaced", President Kabbah told the people of Kono who had come out in their thousands to welcome the President..

The Jinnah primary school was named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. In addition to the construction of the school, the troops also provided bicycles,re recreation facilities, sewing machines, stationeries, uniforms, and footwear and sport kits to the teachers and pupils. The school will be managed by the 9th RSLAF battalion commanded by Colonel Momodu. President Kabbah urged him to take good care of the school and maintain the facilities provided for their use.

The Al -Sunnah Islamic centre at Koidu Town was renovated at an estimated cost of five thousand five hundred dollars by the engineering unit Pak EME 3. The renovation includes installation of a new roof, provision of a water-well and hand pumps for ablution and other services, the reconstruction of the school and library and the provision of furniture.

The dispensary section at the Jinnah Troop Welfare Centre in Kenema	The Information Technology section at the Jinnah Troop Welfare Centre in Kenema

PAK COM 3 provided the motorized rickshaws for the police as part of efforts to enhance the mobility of the police. The Sector East commander said the police have been giving tremendous support to UNAMSIL and have been very instrumental in the maintenance of law and order. He said the rickshaws and bicycles are to help them reach troubled spots without delay.

Inspector General of police, Brima Acha Kamara, described the donation as timely especially as the SLP has now embarked on community policing. He said the rickshaws known as padi padi would help in reaching out to the people. The IG said with the commencement of operations at the national workshop in Freetown, the Police would look into the possibility of replicating the machines through appropriate technology

Minster of Youth and Sports, Dr Dennis Bright, in response to the presentation of the Tennis court to the youths of Koidu said that investing in sports is a worthwhile cause as it keeps the young healthy and free from crime and drugs. He said he would continue to work with the youths of Koidu to maintain the facility.

The tailoring section at the Jinnah Troop Welfare Centre in Kenema	President Kabbah presenting gifts to troop and members of their families

At the Jinnah troop welfare centre in Kenema which was provided with computers, sewing machines and a dispensary, the Brigade Commander third brigade, Colonel Sinnah commended Pakbatt 9 for making what he called 'an important turning point in the improvement of the welfare of the troops'.
He said the Jinnah welfare centre is just one of the many assistance projects offered by the Pakistani troops to the RSLAF, saying they have also provided training in a number of disciplines such as wielding, auto-electric engineering and conducted shooting competitions. He said with the provision of the computers, the third brigades has become the first computerized brigade within the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.

Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Sam Mboma, thanked the Pakistanis for their wonderful gift and assured them that the centre would be properly utilized. He disclosed that he had already set up a monitoring unit to ensure that the troops and their families benefit adequately from the centre.

The presentation of gifts to the troops and members of their families formed a highpoint of the ceremony.

President Kabbah formally handing over the school to Col.Momodu, Battalion Commander 9 RSLAF	The newly renovated Al-Sunnah Islamic Centre In Koidu Town