The feeder roads to be maintenance and rehabilitated cuts across the 10.3 Kilometer Kawai to Liwa feeder road and 2.5 Kilometer Baoma Junction to Fornima feeder road in the Gallinas Peri chiefdom, Pujehun district, Southern Sierra Leone.
The maintenance and rehabilitation of these feeder roads according to Mr. Shyllon is part of the joint funded project by DFiD and the World Bank aimed to address the various forms of market failures which restrains smallholders agricultural productivity.
He said bringing these kinds of project in the district without the involvement of council resembles failing to plan well and that will automatically result in planning to fail.
He added that they believe the project will be successful when Council being the grassroots institution is seen at the centre of whatsoever the project contractor would want to do, as that will help in the collaborative work of the two parties.
These feeder roads were first rehabilitated by the Rural Private Sector Development Project which according to council had little or no impact on the lives of the people, as it usage was short lived by the locals, with most the roads not completed by the contractors based on reasons they could best explained.
The essence of having feeder roads Shyllon went on cannot be over emphasized, as it does help tremendously in the free flow of business in the district, increase the flow of traffic into the district and also help to create inroads in the district for other donors to make way for development into the nine project operational areas.
He said in addition, the roads will create the necessary link for farmers’ product to reach the market and this is very much pivotal in their operations.
He assured all of seeing a hundred percent complication of the project this time round, stating that their cry is for a collective work of all and sundry.
Edward Alpha, Chief Administrator for Pujehun District Council confirmed that the roads are in a deplorable state, noting that it totally hinders the value for money of farmers in the district. Councils’ involvement in the project, the chief administrator furthered is key whiles appealing that the locals must be involved in increasing the revenue base of the unskilled laborers that will be involved in the process.
District Agriculture Officer for Pujehun District Council, Eddie Bewoh also commended the SCADeP for such a move that he believes would help to elevate the sufferings of the rural poor, especially the farmers.
“We will defiantly assist in the supervision on the work of the contractor”, Bewoh said, noting that they will ensure the contractor fellows the specification of the work as stipulated by the project.
