The Mayor of Blackburn in the UK, Mullah Salim, has paid a courtesy call on his counterpart, Franklyn Bode Gibson, Mayor of the municipality of Freetown, to explore business and charity opportunities.
In a meeting at the host mayor’s parlour in Freetown, the visiting Brit said that he was very happy to be in a country blessed with natural resources and with all what it needed to help its people live a better life.
He said he was looking out for business opportunity and the possibility of engaging in some kind of a charity work. He added that his ideas were meant to foster development here like he had done by working with all sectors of society, collaborated and supported effective local authorities that provided lifesaving services.
Mayor Salim said in Sierra Leone he was presently working with the Chamber of Commerce on the business side and would also invite to Sierra Leone aid workers of ‘World of the World’, a charity group working in 65 countries around the globe.
Mayor Salim, who has been in office for over 20 years, also observed that a lot of foreign investments were not benefiting the country and advised the country to own manufacturing industries, run and managed by Sierra Leoneans with increased labour skills.
“These industries, once established, will help to increase the country’s economy, increase employment and development. Sierra Leone has potentials to attract honest investors for more development”, he said.
He assured Mayor Gibson that after the Ramadan month of Muslim fasting they would come as a team to assist the country in areas of education, transport and agriculture.
Responding, Mayor Gibson, who said his jurisdiction was confined to the Western Urban that comprised the Freetown municipality, told his counterpart from the UK that “the name Freetown signifies freedom, but everything is being controlled and done with law and order from the state government, including business and other forms of activities.
Mayor Gibson agreed that the country was in dire need of help that should benefit a good number of people in the country, especially the densely populated capital city of Freetown.
He advised that a foremost opportunity for investment should be directed to the city’s transportation system.
He said, “15 buses will help ease the transport constraints in the city. A survey has also been done to revive the railway system in the country”.
(C) Politico 26/02/14
