TRACE Joenal: Who Will Rescue APC Peace Building in Freetown?

Looking back in the days when things were going on smoothly, some people made utterances that they now regret while some are finding ways to take back their words back. Indeed life is full of ups and down.
The then ruling All People Congress (APC) party faced serious confrontation with one Haja who alleged that APC took a piece of land situated at Poultney Street that belong to her.
The land is situated along Poultney Street in the Central Business District of Freetown, opposite the former Nigerian High Commission and back of the former National Electoral Commission complex.
APC put up a stiff resistance for that land. Statements and counter statements were said between both parties but at the end APC took possession and started the constriction.
The controversial land dispute was seen by many as APC bullied the old woman. Despite the heavy criticism, that did not deter the APC from going ahead with their construction.
On May 15th 2017 former President Ernest Bai Koroma turned the sod on 27 Pultney Street for the construction of a 7 storey building which the APC named as Peace Building.
During that sod turning, lots of big words and long speeches were made regarding their right to the land.
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is APC Chairman and Leader, he said the seven storey building they are putting up is to make sure that their own generation leave behind legacies that will stand the test of time.
The building should be APC regional headquarters office in the Western Areaand the CPC party in China.
APC National Secretary General, Amb. Alhaji Foday Yansaneh says that, the friendship building is going to be completed within 7 months and was going a 7 story building.
Yansaneh, told the party cadres that they acquired the land from the late Sir Henry Lightfoot Boston and it took them decades to be able to start the construction.
He claimed that the caretaker who wanted to grab the parcel of land took them to court.
The debate for the building turned to China where the then opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) called APC to account for the $3M building project.
Both Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the SLPP Parliamentarians questioned the funding of the project which they alleged was funded by the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency, Wu Peng, denied the allegations that neither the Chinese Government nor the Communist Party of China (CPC) was funding the building project.
Former President Koroma then turned to their critics by saying "APC is the party that has done a lot for Sierra Leone through infrastructure, social benefits and electricity. There are people that will always talk but they will never substantiate all their arguments with evidence because they can't prove it."
Koroma continue "The former generation of late Siaka Stevens built the We Yone building at Railway Line and the Bai Bureh Memorial Hall. These two buildings are being renovated regularly to keep them going. The founding fathers of the party did all this because they wanted their party members to inherit something from them. So it is in that vein that this present generation is doing the same so that the next generation after this will know that the APC party is an institution that has the wherewithal to rule Sierra Leone amicably and to keep the party in a viable stead."
APC Sec Gen "The construction is being done by SKM Construction Company SL Ltd., which is a Chinese company of great repute. They were responsible for the drawing and they have informed us they will finish construction by end of the year, but we will give them till next year" he said.
TRACE Joenal is still thinking what has become of the completion of the 7 storey building. This brings to mind the question raised by SLPP and other CSOs as to the financing of the building.
Why has the construction stopped just after the APC lost the election. Can we say there was no proper financial plan for the building or was the money was coming from state coffer?
These are questions that are still on the mind of those that raised the alarm in 2017.
Now the building which should have been completed in December 2017 has turned to an eyesore. Nobody wants to associate himself to the work while those that are financially strong are keeping their finance thinking about the five years in opposition.
Now is the time for the true APCs to show forth their strength and make more donation for their building not to turn to something else.
TRACE Joenal is still asking, who will rescue the party peace building now?
Reference: cocorioko.net and awoko.org.