Ecobank launches school rehabilitation project

Ecobank Sierra Leone has officially launched the Fourah Bay College Primary School rehabilitation project. The school caters for the children of college staff and the college community. Speaking to representatives of both the school and the college on Saturday, 5 October, which is "Ecobank Day" in all 33 African countries the bank operates, the chairman of the board, Dr. Sullay Kamara said Ecobank would commit itself to rehabilitating the school. "This will take the form of an upgrade of the basement, the wooden floors, ceiling, toilets, painting and concreting of the forecourt of the school’s grounds” Dr Kamara assured the school authorities, adding that the bank would “liaise with the management of the school on when the rehabilitation work can be done". He said the bank was doing business, developing themselves and making profits based on daily interactions with their communities. "It is therefore a duty for us to give back by contributing financially and through our own energy to improve the communities that have welcomed us and in whose territories we are working” he added. Ecobank's executive director and head of domestic bank, Mohamed Bah said that as the first bank to operate a branch within the campuses of FBC and IPAM, "Ecobank will continue to engage the officials of the university to provide support to FBC in its current drive to rehabilitate and refurbish its existing structures to regain its historical role." He noted that the bank was "not just about providing much-needed financial support but most importantly the time we devote in improving the existing conditions and lives of the African youth." He called on staff of the bank to devote the Ecobank Day to community related activities. Expressing gratitude to Ecobank for their intervention, the acting head teacher of the FBC Primary School, Jennifer Coker said that it was a dream come true. She said the school was in dire need of rehabilitation and that the intervention of Ecobank could not have come at a better time. Earlier in his statement, deputy vice chancellor, Professor Sahr Gbamanja said that a university college school should be a modern primary school in the 21^st century but that had not been the case. He noted that the school had not been the focus of the college's development strides over the years. A donation of Ecobank exercise books to the school authorities for distribution to the pupils climaxed the ceremony. © Politico 08/10/13