-Hon. Ernest Dura Koroma

By Yusufu Sesay

As Sierra Leone’s Parliament continues its debate on the 2025 national budget, Hon. Ernest Dura Koroma from Kambia District took the lead to advocate for the construction of the long-neglected Tonko-Limba road.

With a passionate appeal grounded in facts, empathy, and vision, Hon. Koroma enjoined his colleagues to support the realization of the road construction, as promised by President Bio in his 2023 election campaign message to the people of Tonko-Limba Chiefdom.

As the budget debate is intense, with competing priorities vying for funding, Hon. Koroma rose to speak, his voice steady but impassioned.

He began by painting a vivid picture of life in Tonko-Limba, a chiefdom where farmers, traders, students, and healthcare workers face daily struggles, due to impassable roads.

Before the FY2025 budget, the Law Maker has been complaining about the deplorable state of the Tonko-Limba road from Kambia Town. He said the road, which is a crucial link between Kambia and remote villages, becomes a death trap during the rainy season.

According to him, the road has deteriorated into a muddy, impassable stretch, endangering lives and livelihoods.

“During the heavy downpours, deep potholes and eroded sections of the road become invisible, trapping vehicles and forcing drivers to make perilous decisions. Motorbike riders, the most common means of transport in the area, risk their lives daily, as they navigate slippery and unstable surfaces,” he averred.

The lawmaker spoke about urgent intervention by the government through the Ministry of Works and its agency, Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), to restore safety and mobility at the Tonko-Limba road.

He further intimated this press about his engagement with the Works Committee in Parliament about the continuous deplorable state of Kambia–Tonko-Limba road for its utmost consideration, as one of the top most priorities for government intervention, immediately after the rains.