31/12/2024
Dear Freetonians,
As 2024 comes to an end, I want to take this moment to appreciate the unwavering support you have given to me as your mayor and to the Freetown City Council (FCC); support which has been instrumental in enabling us to drive forward our Transform Freetown – Transforming Lives Development Agenda. Despite the numerous challenges we faced over the past year, we are proud of what we have collectively achieved. Through your engagement and tax payments, with the generous support of our development partners and in collaboration with relevant MDAs, we successfully implemented several impactful initiatives critical to transforming our city and the lives of residents.
The community engagement exercise we conducted in May revealed that access to water is the number one priority for Freetonians. I am pleased that we installed 24 solar powered water kiosks with filtration systems in Rokupar, Dwazark, Mayenkineh, Crabtown and Aberdeen communities this year. These kiosks are operated by women who received technical, entrepreneurship, financial management and legal rights training that has been transformative for them and their communities. Preliminary work (site investigations, MOU agreements and construction designs) was completed this year in respect of an additional 44 water points (wells, boreholes and water tanks) that will be installed in Moyiba, Portee/Rokupar and Coconut Farm in 2025 as part of upgrades of those communities. Planning work was also completed this year for solar powered boreholes that will be installed in a further 40 communities across the city. That makes a total of 108 water points – the needs are enormous but that is a good start towards improving access to water in the city! Another water related intervention was the distribution of water filter kits to 61 Municipal Schools and 84 PHUs – improving the quality of drinking water available to children and patients!
Other interventions in 2024 included the completion of the new Wilberforce Market (to be commissioned in January); the substantial completion of 430 meters of perimeter fencing around the Kissy Road and Ascension Town Cemeteries; the construction of 210 meters of perimeter fencing at the Akibo-Betts Municipal School which compliments the construction of two classrooms, a staff room and a resource room at the Tower Hill Municipal Primary School, funded by Mdme Stanella Beckley in memory of her late daughter. We also constructed and commissioned the new Kroo Bay Municipal Primary School with 10 classrooms, a staff room and computer lab funded by philanthropists Sustain For Life.
From completing the 2 year feasibility study for the Freetown Cable Car system, to starting the Central Business District Regeneration project, to sweeping 110 streets from Monday to Saturday every week, continuing to plant and grow trees as part of our #FreetownTheTreeTown campaign, to converting organic and household waste into eco-friendly briquettes at Kingtom, the cleaning of cemeteries and so much more, our teams at Freetown City Council and our local and international partners had a busy and productive year.
But our city is experiencing a significant population increase as rural urban migration accelerates. In the absence of the devolution of land use planning and building permit issuance to local councils, informal settlements and in-filling of informal housing continues to grow in Freetown, making effective service delivery more challenging. We look forward to the implementation of recommendations for devolution to local councils of these critical urban management functions to happen in the near term.
Our youth, who represent approximately 70% of Freetown residents, are battling with the scourge of a kush epidemic. We cannot afford to lose the youth who are our future so at FCC we prioritize the provision of skills development and jobs for youth as part of our Transform Freetown – Transforming Lives Development Agenda. We encourage government to urgently take all measures necessary to stop the supply and distribution of this terrible drug that is killing our young people. This is a battle that we can and that we must win for the sake of the next generation.
As we step into the New Year, I would like to once again thank all Freetonians as I ask for your continued support for our development efforts. Together with the Deputy Mayor, Councillors and staff of FCC, I remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders and partners to ensure that we meet our target to create 120,000 decent jobs for women and youth by 2028 through interventions in climate action, heritage tourism, the digital economy and human capital development.
I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2025 as we continue to work together to Transform Freetown and Transform Lives.
