Knowledge gained has to be shared to be meaningful to the society in general. And that was what Bo City Council amply demonstrated on Wednesday May 21 and Thursday May 22, when it played host to its Makeni City Council counterpart in an inter-city exchange visit to share knowledge and experience gained in waste management practices and to showcase the efforts of the two cities in managing it.
It was an epoch making event spiced by the presence of the mayors of Bo and Makeni, garnished with a display of products made from waste materials and embellished by the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the two mayors and their witnesses. It was a monumental event that will occupy a special place in the annals of local councils in Sierra Leone as for the first time, two sister councils buried politics for development.
Glittering with sartorial splendor and beaming with smiles that belied her cool disposition, the Mayor of Makeni City, Her Worship Mrs. Sunkarie Kabba-Kamara was welcomed to Bo by the Mayor, His Worship Harold Logie Tucker on Wednesday May 21 at the WusuSannoh Building. On the first day, the chief administrators of Bo and Makeni, Mrssrs. William Alpha and Rapid Kamara respectively introduced their mayors to the thunderous applause of those present. In his succinct address, the Mayor of Bo, Harold L. Tucker disclosed his admiration for his Makeni counterpart as the only female mayor in the country but that she has waded into waters some men have never stepped into. He said even though they both belong to two different political parties, they have a strong cooperation that has transcended party lines. He emphasized on Mayor Sunkarie Kamara’s strong will and drive for development which he said compels her to call him on a regular basis to cross check on programs and hang heads on important matters. When she took the podium, Her Worship the Mayor of Makeni, Mrs. Sunkarie Kabba Kamara (Queen of the North) reiterated similar sentiments of putting party aside to collaborate on development. She divulged her belief in not re-inventing the wheel and that her presence in Bo was an acceptance that Bo City Council has taken strides in waste management that they have not done equally and therefore expressing the readiness to learn from them in order to make Makeni cleaner. She highlighted the challenges in waste management and why she came with her team to gain experiences from Bo that can be replicated in Makeni and other parts of the country.
Power point presentation were done by the Chief Administrator Bo City Council Mr. William Alpha on the pilot phase of the ‘support to solid waste management in Bo city and its environs’ which is implemented by the DfID sponsored internationally renowned NGO, Welthungerhilfe and the second phase which strives to put into motion the recommendations in the Bo City Waste Management Plan. The WHH Waste Technician Alfred Maada Fobay also made a presentation on monitoring activities of the youth groups and SMEs funded by the DfID sponsored project. Another highlight of Wednesday’s program was the very elaborate and highly technical presentation by the two waste experts from UK, Glenn Fleet and Derek Greedy on landfill waste management.
On Thursday May 22, the host mayor took his guest her team on a conducted tour of the "Klin Bo Youths" and SMEs involved in waste reduction exercises and other areas of interest like the new market and the new stadium. The SMEs from Makeni also showcased their products made from waste materials and expressed happiness to teach their counterparts in Bo whilst also learning from them as well other skills they possess.
The climax of the occasion was the signing of the memorandum of understanding showing a commitment to collaborate and partner on waste management among other things. The vote of thanks was delivered by the chairperson health committee of the Makeni City Council.
(C) Politico 27/05/14
