Leone Rock Metal Group, a prominent mining company, has donated 1,000 bags of cement to the Parliament of Sierra Leone to support the construction of offices for Members of Parliament.
The donation was formally presented in a ceremony held in the Speaker’s Conference Room at Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown.
Mr. Gilbert Bosco Nhabay, Deputy Clerk of Parliament, welcomed Leone Rock representatives, acknowledging the timely contribution as Parliament seeks support for office construction to address accommodation challenges faced by MPs. He expressed gratitude for the gesture and emphasized the importance of improved working conditions for Parliament members.
Speaking on behalf of Leone Rock’s management, Mr. Ansu Momoh, Director of Community Affairs, underscored the company’s strong relationship with Parliament and MPs from Tonkolili District. He described the donation as part of Leone Rock’s corporate social responsibility and expressed hope that the cement would help initiate the project.
Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, Leader of Government Business, commended the donation and emphasized the importance of collaboration in national development. He praised Leone Rock for its ongoing support of Parliament, noting the company’s commitment to infrastructure and welfare improvement for MPs.
Deputy Opposition Leader, Hon. Daniel Koroma, highlighted the urgent need for office spaces, pointing out that many MPs currently lack dedicated offices and are forced to work in the Parliament canteen. He thanked Leone Rock for their role in addressing this issue and praised Parliament’s leadership for ongoing efforts to enhance MPs’ working conditions.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, thanked Leone Rock on behalf of the Speaker and commended the company for its continued support. He also acknowledged the Chinese government’s contributions to the office construction project. Hon. Conteh revealed that Parliament has been in talks with construction companies and cement suppliers, including Leone Rock, to further the project.
In additional efforts to modernize Parliament, Hon. Conteh disclosed that the former Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament recently donated electronic attendance systems for staff to log work hours.
The Deputy Speaker concluded by affirming Parliament’s commitment to improving security and infrastructure for MPs and expressed intent to inform President Julius Maada Bio about the donation.