Sierra Leone News: President Bio Empathises with Victims

By Rima Turay

Following outpour of public criticism, President Julius Maada Bio finally visited flood victims in Freetown. The president on Friday spent time with residents of Wellington in the West end of Freetown where four people have been confirmed dead after torrential rain flooded communities and destroyed houses. President Bio also visited residents of Tombo, a fishing community about outside the capital city. A statement from the presidency on Saturday said President Bio donated a consignment of relief aids, including 300 bags of rice, 1000 blankets and 200 treated bed nets. The donated items also include bales of cloths and dozens of buckets.

The statement said the president visited the scenes to have a first-hand impression of the havoc caused by the disasters and to commiserate with affected families on the loss of their relatives and property.

The victims were also assured of Government’s commitment to helping them go through the experience.

The two separate visits to the flood victims were facilitated by the Office of National Security, the government’s primary coordinator of national emergencies such as disasters.

At Wellington, a densely populated residential neighbourhood in the east end of Freetown, the President told the affected communities that he had come to them with a heavy heart, knowing that the flooding had caused huge devastation to their lives and property. He said he was saddened by the level of destruction across the country, adding that the flooding had gotten worse in recent years because people chose to build in dangerous areas without any proper environmental planning.

President Bio warned that state authorities would continue to ensure that people who had erected structures or continue to live in areas prone to natural disasters were relocated.

Whilst he commended state institutions, development partners and NGOs for their support to flood victims, the President also encouraged young people in flood-prone areas to continue their vigilance and support in helping victims. He prayed for those who had lost their lives and assured the victims that government and its partners would continue to provide support to them.

President Bio also admonished the audience that they should listen to the instructions of authorities whenever they were advised on safety matters.

“I am president for all Sierra Leoneans and whenever any citizen is affected by natural disaster, we must all unite in that sadness,” the president told victims in Tombo.

President Bio was accompanied by senior advisers and ministers including the Chief Minister, Professor David J. Francis and Minister of Lands, Housing and Environment, Dr Denis Sandy.