Acting on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, the Iron Lady of the Finance Ministry who also happens to be the Deputy Minister of Finance, Honourable Patricia N. Laverley, on Friday November 6, 2020 delivered what many described as a memorable speech.
In her opening statement at the new Freetown City Council Administrative Building, but now called City Hall Complex, the eloquent Deputy Minister started out by expressing her gratitude for being part of such a historic event, and also for the opportunity accorded her to deliver a statement. She said that the ultra-modern multi-purpose building was financed with concessionary loan from the EXIMBANK of the Republic of South Korea provided to the Government of Sierra Leone.
Speaking on the long standing bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and South Korea, the indefatigable Deputy Minister drew the attention of the audience as far back to June 1962, when she said, the continuation of that bilateral relationship is a manifestation of the support provided for the construction of the ultra modern multipurpose City Hall Complex.
On the brief history of the destruction of the old building, the outspoken Deputy Minister traced it as far back as May 25, 1997, when the building was destroyed by Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) junta forces fighting the Government of the late President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. She said that since that time the Freetown City Council had no established Administrative Building. Thus, in 2009, the Mayor and other Senior Officials of the Freetown City Council approached the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for the possibility of government’s assistance to solicit a loan for the construction of an Administrative Complex for the Council. The Government successfully secured a loan of 54 million United States Dollars from the Export-Import Bank (EXIMBANK) of South Korea
In her concluding statement, she commended the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, management and staff of the Freetown City Council, Namhung Consortium and others for the completion of the building in record time – two months before the slated completion date of November 2020. She also thanked them for living up to the expectation of the Government of Sierra Leone, amidst all the daunting challenges occasioned by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
11/11/2020. ISSUE NO: 7949