Our Dilapidating Infrastructure: The Result of A Compromise or Climate Change?

By Amadu Wurie Jalloh
22/09/19

While we commend the Government for its prompt action to mend the damage across the road connecting Freetown to both the East and South, we should also not hesitate, like #Mahamood_Fofana puts it, to question their commitment to sustainable development. We cannot afford to spend millions of Leones after billions of USD would have been allocated to the same construction projects in the not too long ago past. Investigations should be mounted to know the causes of frequent dilapidation of roads that are refurbished only recently. Is it a compromise from the side of the monitoring and supervisory team? Or is it, as the reports put it, as a result of torrential rainfall?
In either case, we are doomed. It is estimated that Africa loses over USD$ 50 billions annually to corruption. Some of the corrupt practices involve the illegal transfer and use of state funds and resources. When procurement regulations are scorned by public officials to favour certain groups (cronyism) at the expense of public good, the nation will pay huge price either in values or lives. We should be vigilant as a nation. We cannot continue to praise sing our politicians without thorough scrutiny to ensure they deserve the praise. We have already seen the conditions of newly constructed or refurbished roads rapidly degrading (more than expected) in Sierra Leone. Their conditions, considering their lifespan, would in fact make any observer want to ask if Sierra Leoneans are at war with their roads. If at all we are not using bulldozers as normal means of transportation, what then is the possible causes of their rapidly dilapidating condition?

Meanwhile, we should not forget that Sierra Leone is listed among top 20 countries in Africa prone to climate change by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and International Alert (IA), which status is something to consider in the strategic development plan of successive Governments. Yet we continue to observe successive Governments deliberately shunning experts opinions on the climate by declaring genocide against our forests. In essence, despite seemingly global commitment to reversing climate change effect, most African countries are doing little or nothing with the limited resources it has to curb the deforestation practices. They would attend this year's climate summit at the UN to present bogus claims and lies. Of most importance to them is the World Bank's pledge to pump in USD$22 billions in fund to fight climate change in Africa. However, without true commitment, those monies will be diverted to advancing mere political agendas or misappropriated altogether by public officials, hence leaving us to wallow in poverty and sufferance. For instance, despite the natural disasters that have struck the country in recent times causing the lost of lives and properties with billions of Leones, we have shown no progress or commitment to tackle the causes of their occurrences. From the side of the Government, building permits are still awarded to people who build on top of the hills and demarcated green zones causing land clearing and deforestation without any commitment to replace lost trees or green spaces. And from the ordinary citizen's part, we are flouting institutional regulations to build houses in demarcated disaster prone areas at the expense of our lives and wealth. It is becoming more apparent that due to Climate change, rains are becoming heavier, storms more destructive, and other natural disasters more frequent and dangerous. Our planet is getting hotter every year. Hence,if the report that says the cause for the collapse of the bridge between Freetown and the East and Southern regions is torrential rainfall is correct, then it means the time to act is now. We have been warned by several events overtime. We cannot afford to wait for a more costly outcome or result to braze our self for actions.

Procurement regulations should be strictly adhered to ensure effective and efficient service delivery. Independent monitoring teams from civil society groups should complement Government's effort in monitoring and evaluating construction activities of companies. Investigations should be mounted to look into every construction activities across the country to take proactive measures to prevent economic loss and lost of lives in any looming danger. Companies should also be called to account for any mismanagement or upon suspicious use of substandard building materials.
Government should further take action to sensitize more people on the state of global climate change and the need to plant more trees. We should put emphasis on modern agricultural practices (best practices). Mix cropping and other advanced techniques should be popularized to enhance both food and environmental security.
We need more than prompt reactive measures to solve our problems, we should act proactively and put politics aside to ensure such happenings are prevented from occurring. The state may have lost millions of Leones already in that short while pause in economic activities across the regions.
*My Opinion*
®SAWN