Mabantha Ferry Requires Immediate Attention

By Hassan Bruz in Port Loko.

Perhaps there is hardly any better way through which the lack of a maintenance culture often attributed to Sierra Leone can actually be visualised than to have a thorough look at the Mabatha Ferry (photo). This is a ferry that is situated between Dibia and Sanda Mabgolonton Chiefdoms in the Northern District of Port Loko. I know it is inappropriate to say because this ferry was set up during the colonial era it has now outlived its usefulness and should be abandoned. But this seems to be the case.

True, the Mabantha Ferry has been allowed to become one of the most dilapidated ferries in modern times. As was illustrated by the Paramount Chief of Sanda Magbolonton at a sensitisation campaign recently organised by the Constituency 052 Member of Parliament Hon. Ibrahim Bundu who is also the Leader of Government Business in Parliament.

The people of this chiefdom would not have been bothered if the Ebola Virus was going to travel by the Mabantha Ferry. Paramount Chief Alhajie Sanda Sorie said the ferry is so much neglected and dilapidated that the Ebola Virus could not survive such a voyage.
In fact the general prayer for the people of that chiefdom was that God Almighty would deny the virus any access to Sanda Magbolonton as the Chiefdom has been denied access to all forms of development for far too long. Most descendants, inhabitants and even well meaning people would confirm that Sanda Magbolonton is one of the most deprived and least developed chiefdoms in Northern Sierra Leone.

As was imbedded in the concluding message of Paramount Chief Sanda Sorie to President Ernest Bai Koroma, the people of this chiefdom were very much aware of the series of constraints Government is faced with in the fight against the killer disease and how much a lot of development projects have been put on hold. However, the Paramount Chief, on behalf of his people, made a humble reminder to President Koroma of his promise to address the issue of Mabantha Ferry during the 2012 Campaign.

It would interest you to know that the ferry was strategically situated to serve as the key and most convenient link for the People of Sanda Magbolonton Chiefdom to the district headquarter town of Port Loko and other chiefdoms. The Mabantha Ferry also links up with Kambia, Kamakwie Bombali and the rest of the country. But the Ferry in question is by every means a real death trap. Apart from the fact that its workers are very poorly motivated, they are equally ill equipped. The pads and hand gloves they were supposed to use to take the ferry from one side of the river have outlived their usefulness. They were therefore left with the only option of using their bare hands on the worn down rope to drag the ferry from one side of the river to the other

Perhaps what is most scary is the widening hole underneath the ferry. As outlined by one of the workers, the leakage has often subjected them to spend more time in trying to bail out water from the ferry than transporting people and goods.