By Mohamed Kamara
Workers at the Youyi Building are holding the Minister of Works and Road Infrastructure, Dr. Dennis Sandy, accountable for promises made during a press conference organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. Dr. Sandy had stated with certainty that the government had engaged a Chinese contractor based in Waterloo to install a new elevator at the Youyi Building by the beginning of March 2024.
Youyi Building
Additionally, Dr. Sandy assured Sierra Leoneans that the Miatta Conference Hall, currently undergoing repairs, would be available by the start of March. Some workers recalled that since all elevators at the Youyi Building and other institutions became inoperable, the Ministry had shown no intention of installing new elevators to replace those installed when the building was erected in the 1970s.
A Civil Servant at one of the Ministries in the Youyi Building (name withheld) commented that the government is spending a significant amount to host conferences and seminars in privately-owned entities. They argued that the promises made by the Minister regarding the completion of all repairs at the Miatta Conference Centre, except for the installation of the AC cooling system, should not be taken for granted. Furthermore, they questioned the delay in installing fewer than 15 AC units, asking, “How many days does it take to install less than 15 AC units?”
