The Symposium: The Toll Bridge Risks and Expected Benefits

The following was compiled after a casual discussion on the topic matter Among members of the Students Analysts and Writers Network (SAWN)

©Augustine Sensie Bangura Jr.

#_The_Mamamah_'Electric Shock'

These guys are finding more ways to lavish the country's resources and set us aback in terms of progress with a huge debt to be inherited by the next government.
How can we be independent when at all times we depend on foreign aid?
And as long as we continue to owe the international community a huge sum of money, we will also, always be subjected under their control.
Krio pipul say "d most humble porsin na dis world na d wan wae get for pay e kompin money"
What better jobs can the Freetown-Lungi bridge create for our youths when 97% of them do not have the technical knowledge and skills to carry out such construction under water. Apparently a bulk majority of those who will be fully employed to take over this work is the so-called Chinese expatriates. China continues to empower her people whiles our youths are left to languish with no job opportunities. Some have graduated seven years ago and are still struggling to secure a better paid up job.
The Mamamah Airport project will have made tremendous impact as the government would have succeeded in creating a new City at Mamamah thereby reducing the population of Freetown and would have capacitated many youths and families by enhancing an increased job opportunities for the youths who will, in turn take up the welfare responsibility of their families.
What more description can fit this current regime other than them being heartless, selfish and unpatriotic?

 ©Mahamood Fofana (Baby Sixtyz)

#_Shocking_Indeed

The said job, you're referring to by construction is merely per time job and not permanent. So the the said bridge construction will provide the same, no matter what being that most of the work should be done on land and later on be installed into the water by experts

Now, let's go for *needs* and not *wants*.

*Wants* is a desire and can change as time goes by. Meanwhile, we already have an existing Airport, which needs to be improved to meet better standard(s).

The bridge to Lungi is a *need*   since  the ferries and boats services are not reliable as to diligent and timely service.
Therefore, with a bridge, the connection to Lungi becomes easier compared to conventional means of transportation. The facility will also lead to the expansion of the existing airport and up grading, hence facilitating the expansion of Lungi and Freetown leading to the development stride of the other end around and its surrounding.
Business is also expected to follow, considering the easy and fast accessibility to the two town.
*Why Has this Received more Critiquing Like the Toll Gate along Freetown Masika Highway?*

Unlike the toll road, this one will not tamper with already existing alternative routes and means: the boats, ferries and helicopter. Also, unlike the Massiaka highway toll road, citizens will not be paying for an uncompleted project.

©Amadu Wurie Jalloh

#_Its_Expected_Benefits

With regard to this bridge , my take and concerns may differ from the ones you outlined herein, but hover around the same fears.
To start with, the government has no money to invest in the construction of a huge bridge like that. Which implies that there is no diversion of public fund(s) from something more beneficial (just yet) to something less important. Wait, similar things were argued against the Freetown toll road project, hu?
Secondly, the toll bridge will exist simultaneously with other conventional means of transportation through the Rokel River, and so it remains an alternative route into or from Freetown. People used to helicopter, ferry and canoe themselves across the same place, which to certain extent could be very costly and risky, too.
Thirdly, the six way toll bridge is not just about connecting Freetown to the only existing international airport the country has, it is also hoped that it will help reduce congestion, facilitate relocation to the peninsula, boost the tourism sector with lesser dysphoria over time spent traveling across and accessing the capital, and of course opening new market opportunities in the Lungi axis whilst preventing unmanaged city sprawling into the mountains and no-build zones in the western rural areas. In contrast to what you said, new job opportunities could be opened up for youths across as transportation, lodging, tourism guide, and market expansion needs will be realized.
Fourthly, the Chinese loan, unlike European and western ones, hardly come in the form of cash but investment and infrastructural projects with their expatriate giving the technical guide. You and I know, the toll bridge will feature Sierra Leone youths working alongside and in the directives of the Chinese to its completion (6 years) Just like the toll road. And new technology and technics will be learnt.
And to close this before i bring the risks, the toll bridge, will help maintain and upgrade the standard of the Lungi Airport whilst protecting the government interest and revenue mobilization stride from its operation. The Mamamah Airport project could have threatened the functioning of Lungi Airport and make the Chinese have control over a very important institution as that.

#_Now_its_possible_risks

Of course $356,000,000 loan is of course of lesser economic and financial burden than $1,000,000,000 for a country with $3,077,000,000 GDP (2007). That's like 1/3 of our GDP value to be spent on a bridge we (come on, by we i mean the pliers) are to pay for in 30 years time. A mammoth task for one of the most improvished nations in the world. In fact, from a Facebook conversation between Alan Luke and colleagues, I learnt that the actual figure tabled since 2012 is $1.5 billion- the minister was just rounding up to the nearest figure. Call that managing fears 😊.
Power China (the private entity funding and taking up the project) will be collecting revenues (with greater share) from commuters for 30 years. The toll is expected to generate at least $100k per day (see Alan Luke: Bridge Cost of $1BN is unaffordable for A Country with GDP of 3.77 BN (2017) Especially if Alternatives by Ferry and Road Are to Remain), or it risks being default, which may require the company to either take sole ownership of the tolling revenue for the ensuing years, or they be compensated with other mineral benefits (since we can't give what we don't have) or take more loans to create revenue generating benefits to balance payment.
The third point, I hate to imagine, but it's the rule of the game. Every loan or external investment is expected to bring profit. The toll bridge will see the Chinese sucking out the marrow of Sierra Leone finance in an unprecedented sum through (capital repatriation).
Another risk we envisage is maintenance lapses after the Chinese could have withdrawn from the services creating a death trap in the future. We know the culture of maintenance is lacking in Sierra Leone and across many developing nations. We could hardly keep to standard the short bridges we have in between the values talk less of a long stretched bridge spanning miles. We risk creating a death trap for future commuters.
Lastly, the bridge could threaten other services to the peninsula owned by locals and experts alike creating unemployment and threatening other aspects of tourism the country may have been relying on as if measures are not put in place to regulate waste disposal we will seen have people throwing/littering their plastic waste into the sea endangering species.
 Meanwhile, I would have rather we have a railway system running across the country than invest money on a bridge or new airport because that, to me, will help promote local production and facilitate inland travel across the regions more than either option(s).

Add to the discuss by articulating your points in the comment space. Thank you.

Traffic Police and the Woes of Drivers: Corruption and Insecurity
I woke up to 14 miss calls from a driver who was supposed to deliver a cartoon of medicines to us from Freetown (to Makeni). I had actually waited for his calls since yesterday night, but he didn't reach out (at least not until I went to bed). It happened that he was detained at Mile 38 checkpoint by some police officers asking him to offload the cartoon of drugs claiming he could be transporting counterfeit even as they were given the receipts and go-ahead to opena the cartoons to search. He told me they asked everyone out of his car including him for a thorough search just because he was not corporative. By now you would have guessed what to corporate means in Sierra Leone: to bribe your way out of trouble.
He slept there until this morning.
After several calls, he told me that they were about to move his case to Waterloo police Station, threatening it could be at his detriment. He told me he's asked that they compromise the issue for the Sum of Le200,000, which practice I told him I will not adhere to and that he should let them take my goods to the police, I will report there with my business license and documents.
I hurriedly dialed 515 (Anti Corruption Free Line) to report the matter. To my surprise, after several calls and engagement with the machine, no one answered the call, and this caused dismay. It is Sunday, and their office could be close. So I hurried to the park to report to the center after several (disturbing) calls from the worried driver. I was fortunate to catch up with an early ride.

#_The_Worse_was_to_Happen
(Woes of the Drivers)
It's amazing to learn how corruption between the police and drivers has mutated to becoming an indestructible beast. I noticed how at every point where traffic police officers were the apprentice could take an undisclosed amount from the driver to place in a tray pretending to buy something but coming back with nothing. There are up to five points for such illicit offer. You would have to be a kin observer to notice what was going on. What a conning way to vindicate oneself from corruption allegations!
But at one point, the driver had to spill the beans on the floor when a police officer asked him  to alight and have a short private discuss with him after he had insistently told him that he had "booked" them in the early morning to Makeni. The driver was annoyed and pulled out. I hear the police officer saying if he moved he will be in trouble, by this time the disdainful driver had moved on retorting he awaits that problem. His move amazed me, and I asked him if he has license. He told me he has everything, but despite that, they are required to pay "booking" at every point at least once everyday to avoid embarrassment from the police who wouldn't care if you have document when they want their token. I asked if it was legit, or really required of them to pay the sum (which his apprentice alleged is Le10,000 at every point), he negated it saying it was just to avoid their troubles. By now I recalled what someone once told me about the police that 'a police is like a rock, and a civilian is like an egg, the egg will suffer in all ways if it dances with the rock.

New vocabulary: Booking