Road Travel Has Become A Big Risk

Road Travel Has Become A Big Risk

There are uncountable recklessly abandoned pits in the diamondiferous areas of Kono District [with an impact on travel. Take the] major road linking Sierra Leone to her neighbours, and also the road leading to the Eastern town of Kailahun - home of President Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah’s senior adviser and chairman of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party, Dr Sama S. Banya and Information and Broadcasting Minister, Professor Septimus Kaikai.

This rugged and bumpy road has not only become a death trap, but has also made the movement of people and goods from one point to another a risky venture to undertake. The resultant effect is that the spate of smuggling of agricultural produce out of the country has increased ten-fold thereby depriving the country of much needed revenue in taxes. The people too lose huge sums of money every harvest season because of the inability to take their produce to the markets on time for sale - those who are strong enough to carry theirs on their heads and walk long distances prefer to cross over the border to sell their produce.

Reports reaching us as at press time said that some parts of the road have finally caved in thereby creating a cur-off. Now the people in that part of the country have been disconnected from the rest of their compatriots, at least by road. And this will definitely spell suffering occasioned by scarcity and spiraling prices of basic commodities and foodstuffs.

But you know what, the Kailahun road is not the only deplorable road in the country. Over 99.9 percent of roads in the country are in a terribly poor shape; some are even worse off. It is true that government has many problems to address in the areas of rehabilitation and reconstruction, but we are with the strongest conviction that communication is crucial to the realization of a successful recovery programme. It is in this light that we are urging government to make giving roads, trunk and feeder, a facelift one of its top concerns.