Trade Minister Applauds NASSIT

On 30th September, 2023, the ground-breaking near-completion of the Sewa Ground Market project within the Central Business District (CBD) of Freetown was inspected by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alpha Sesay, and his Deputy. The event took the form of a final conducted inspection tour of the facility by the Sewa Ground Market Project, Abel Onomake.

Leading the Trade Minister and his Deputy on a conducted tour, Program Manager of the Sewa Ground, Abel Onomake, explained that the project consists of seven lots. Throughout the conducted tour, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alpha Sesay, was full of praise for National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) Director General, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, and his professional team of managers and Directors for making Sierra Leone proud by bequeathing the state with, what he described as, an ultra-modern state-of-the-art structure that would stand the test of time and proof that President Julius Maada Bio means well for traders in Sierra Leone and for the welfare of Sierra Leonean business people at large.

Explaining further the progress of the Sewa Ground Market, the Program Manager, Abel Onomake, stated that although they had promised to end the job by end of September this year, the unexpected heavy downpour of rain during the month of August this year, somewhat stalled the work of the contractors. He added, however, that most of the work is done out-of-doors, but that with renewed vigor, the contractors have promised to work twofold in order to get the job completed in the shortest possible time. He noted with pride that most of the internal work, electrical, WASH facilities, open market space, facilities and spaces for a police post, crèche for nursing mothers and their babies, office spaces for the Freetown City Council, managers of the Sewa Ground Market, clinic, control room and a range of other important social and business facilities, in addition to storage spaces of various sizes for potential business interests, are all at the stage of completion. He used the opportunity to call on the general public and especially traders to take good care of the facility.

Also speaking to journalists at the event was NASSIT DG, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh. He explained that NASSIT is concerned about the state in which traders ply their trade in rain or shine, adding that the completion of this project will bring relief to this class of citizens in Sierra Leone, and cautioned that because NASSIT is using pensioners’ funds to erect such a magnificent state-of-the-art edifice, users of the facility will have to pay before they are allowed to use it.

According to DG Daboh, this is just one of the ways NASSIT demonstrates how it cares for the people of Sierra Leone. Finally, traders that have for ages been struggling to sell their wares and make a living for themselves and their families will eventually have a comfortable market place of their own, where they would not face harassment from police, FCC or other authorities.

Worthy of note is the massive jubilation displayed by market women on Saturday, when the Project Manager led the Trade Minister and his Deputy, accompanied by journalists on a conducted tour of the facility to display the near-completion stage of the massive project. They praised President Bio for thinking about them and also praised NASSIT for embarking on the project.