The Honorable Vice President of Sierra Leone, Solomon Ekuma Berewa yesterday 3rd April 2007, officially opened the Central Lorry Park Complex at Texaco Junction along Bai Bureh Road in Kissy, Freetown. The Lorry Park was the initiative of the Sierra Leone Government and was partly sponsored by the Guarantee Trust Bank (SL) Ltd (GTB) which is one of the leading Banks in West Africa.

Minister Prince Harding & VP Berewa yesterday

Welcoming the Vice President and his entourage of top Government Ministers was Mr. Douglas Mead, the Chairman of the Committee responsible for the management of the Freetown Lorry Park. Mr. Mead commended the government for their support towards the construction of the Central Lorry Park. He disclosed that the Lorry Park could host over one thousand people who would be able to freely carry on their trading without any disturbance.

Distinguish Personalities

Mr. Mead also stated that there was going to soon be constructed a Jetty facility behind the Lorry Park so as to enable boats carry goods into and out of the Lorry Park efficiently. Mr. Mead highly commended GTB for their support and also informed all that GTB would be opening a branch in the Park so as to help the traders with their Banking activities. He also informed that the Sierra Leone State Lottery Company Ltd will also soon open a branch in the Lorry Park whilst the Forum for Africa Women Educationalists (FAWE) has promised to construct a day care centre in the park for children of female traders.

Mr. Mead finally assured the Vice President that the park should now help to stop the congestion in the city.

VP Berewa making his statement

The Managing Director of GTB in his comments stated that GTB was pleased to be associated with such a laudable development in Sierra Leone. The MD urged for the removal of all petty traders from the streets of Freetown.

Dr. Kadie Sesay making her keynote address

The Minister of Transport and Communication, Dr. Prince Harding promised that Government would enforce all required laws to ensure that trucks do not go beyond the Lorry Park.

 

Dr. Dennis Bright making his statement

The Honorable Vice President Solomon Ekuma Berewa in giving his keynote address noted that since he first saw the modular diagram of the planned Lorry Park, he was excited and happy because he knew that it meant good news for the people of the East of Freetown. He stated that in the pre-war bad-governing years of the All People’s Congress, no one ever thought of creating such a development for the people of Eastern Freetown. He however stated that now that the war was over due to the efforts of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), the SLPP was now determined to take development to every corner of the country. VP Berewa firmly promised that the SLPP Government was going to engage upon actions that ensure the country develops, no matter the abuses from the Opposition or from those newspapers that exist only to write bad things about the SLPP.

Newly lorry park

VP Berewa asked the people who are going to be the beneficiaries of the project to ensure that they take good care of the 3-sheds currently in the Lorry Park and he assured them that the Government was strongly supportive of them always.

Kenema car park

Also speaking was the Honourable Minister of Trade, Dr. Kadi Sesay who urged the market women to protect the Lorry Park as it belonged to them.