Answering to a singular question from Awoko, “Why do you think the people of Bo should vote you in office again as Mayor in the coming National Local Council Elections and in this new dispensation of changes on the minds of Sierra Leoneans?”
Dr Owusu Sannoh non-hesitantly replied “I have made my own maximum efforts under the prevailing circumstances to improve the city.”
Dr Sannoh explained to Awoko that since his inception in the highest office of that city he has done his best under the tough circumstances that he met the office and town in. The degrading circumstances he said range from deplorable feeder road networks, poor sanitary, almost the non-availability of parking lots and the densely populated few markets and, the non availability of good drinking water in the city.
With that huge task at hand, the mayor confirmed that he straight-away headed for his task.
Therefore, in his quest of fulfilling his called-to-task to the people of Bo, went on to provide at least Water Wells in the four wards in the city, a Parking Lot at New London for vehicles from and to Capital Freetown, construction of feeder roads in the Bo #2 Section and other wards, construction of culverts almost along all the major roads in the city.
His developmental plans have also included the provision of markets at Celina, Njai Towns and the on-going ones at New London, Kandeh and Goba Towns.
The Agricultural sector he said has not also been left behind as in “my first year in office we provided 300 bushels of seed rice to help the swamp rice farmers improve their capacity.”
With corruption being the bane of the nation’s underdevelopment, the soft-smiling Mayor revealed to Awoko that his implemented stringent financial management at his Council won the council the 2005 Participation in the First National Comprehensive Local Government Performance Assessment in Sierra Leone the “Best Performance in Financial Management Certificate of Award.”
He also said that works are on-going in the provision of public toilets opposite the Bo Police station and a soon-for-work-to-start at the Bo Cotton Tree.
The Sports sector he said was not also lacking as there are plans for the expansion of the covered stands at the Bo Coronation Field.
He also said that there had been aid to the educational sector by the provision of scholarships to deserving students both within the schools and university in his city and, also the fencing of the Paul School for the Blind.
Touching on the issue of the lack of piped-borne water within the city, he said “this is a major problem.”
Dr. Sannoh reiterated that his council has consulted an Engineer from London but that the cost of solving that problem runs as far as £5,000 000.
With the issue of the almost non-availability of electricity in his city since the beginning of this season, the proud mayor averred: “To overhaul the problem of electricity in Bo, we need $500, 000.
He however said that since 2006, “there has been no fund from the donors for road projects.”
Compounding this problem was the non-disbursement of funds from the central government for developmental programs, the mayor added.
Despite all the above however, the buoyant President of the Mayor Council of Sierra Leone bragged to Awoko: “I have plans beyond what the people trust I can do to put the programmes to develop Bo.”