By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, Oct. 25. (232News) – The African Gulf International Cooperation (AGIC) in a Press Release dated 21st October 2021 reacted to allegations and claims tagging and branding that noble institution as a criminal and fake entity.
The release which was signed by Head – Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Engagement AGIC, Siafa Jobson Momoh (Jnr) read as follows:
“Our attention has been drawn to a publication on Global Times Newspaper dated 21st October 2021. The said publication carried spurious allegations and claims tagging and branding African Gulf International Cooperation (AGIC) as a criminal and fake entity.
The publication goes on to further insinuate that the Ministry of Transport and Aviation (MTA) is not aware of any airport project in Bo.
It is worthy of note that the Ministry of Transport and Aviation invited AGIC to Sierra Leone in a letter dated 17th June 2019 to support the government of His Excellency Brigadier General (Rtd.) Dr. President Julius Maada Bio in its stride to develop the aviation industry.
Further to the invitation of AGIC and the establishment of our offices in Sierra Leone a progress report detailing our work in developing projects for the sector was communicated to the Ministry in August 2019.
The Ministry in its response to that letter dated 26th August 2019 not only acknowledged receipt of our project proposal but went ahead to assert their commitment to providing the enabling environment for investment in the sector.
In a letter dated 10th September, addressed to the Minister Honourable Kabineh Kallon and signed for by his handlers we made reference to the proposals we submitted in March of 2019 and our progress report of August 2019.
We are constrained in our response to that publication given the regard and esteem to which we hold the new direction government of His Excellency Brigadier General (Rtd.) Dr. President Julius Maada Bio whose progressive leadership spurred our desire to develop projects in Sierra Leone.
We also believe strongly that the said publication has reputational damages for us as a company.
In that respect we trust that we owe it to project stakeholders and the good people of the Southern Region to put out our own side of the story out.”
The Release also extended invitation to the print and electronic media to visit the site past Friday for them to get first-hand information of the current work that is going on which was followed by a press conference in Nyandehun at 4.00 PM Friday 22nd October 2021.
The Bo Ultra-Modern International Airport is part of AGIC plans to transform Bo City into a Smart City through a specific public-private partnership by creating a city of the future with respect to its sustainability and innovation as guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal eleven (11).
As an ultimate solution to Sierra Leone’s low airspace occupancy count, the proposed Bo Ultra-Modern International Airport along the Bo-Kenema Highway will be fully erected over an area of 7, 500 acres, and is set to serve as the main catalyst for the rejuvenation of Sierra Leone aviation industry, thereby increasing the volume of trade, as a result of faster movement of persons and goods, promoting investments, developing the hospitality industry, consolidating road infrastructure among others.
The proposed project is part of AGIC’s long-term innovative developmental master plan of a new vision for the Southern Province as a tourist metropolis capable of hosting one hundred thousand (100,000) foreign tourists per year by 2025 and an International West African economic hub for manufacturing and trade logistics.
Bo Ultra-Modern International Airport will house domestic and international passenger terminals, VIP terminal, Cargo terminal, two runways, helipads, Air traffic control centre, hangers, airport apron, 5-star hotel, two 3-star hotel, restaurants, shopping mall, hospital buffer zones, etc and is presented as the best alternative from an environmental, economic, security and strategic perspective for the South-East Region of Sierra Leone.
