Africell Sierra Leone Mobile Company in collaboration with Growth Watu Sierra Leone (SL) in
partnership with Shalimar Trading Company has on Friday, May 6 launched Okada (Bike)
Bomba promotion in a bid of accessing a loan bike and owning a motorbike for Okada riders across the country. Mohamed Sheriff Bah, Head of Growth Watu Sierra Leone, explained the importance of the launch, he said Watu came into SL, not for any other reason but to support young men and
women who want to start bike riding as a business career. He continued that with their
partnership with Shalimar TVS and Africell, they have been able to support many young men
and women across the country. Mohamed Sheriff Bah informed that owning a motorbike is very simple. “You all can testify that these days if you get a motor bike it is very difficult. Access to loans in this country is also very difficult but we have made it very simple. Just a minimum of Le1 Million Afrimoney and we are not asking you to bring the money to our office, just pay via Afrimoney. Go to any of our
offices across the country and give your number when it confirms that you have paid we will
give you a brand new TVS motor” he explained. Speaking on behalf of Shalimar Trading Company, the Chief Executive Officer, Musa Murowa said Shalimar Trading Company is an indigenous business owned by Sierra Leoneans. He informed that Shalimar Trading Company is everywhere in the country, adding that they will continue to expand their customers based more and more to have easy access to their products.
CEO Musa Murowa appreciated Growth Watu SL for what they are offering to the young
people, encouraging other companies to embark on such development to provide more jobs for
young people. “All that Growth Watu SL is doing will succeed in getting a perfect bike and
which our Company is doing. One of our core mandates is to bring in a perfect engine so that
when you loan this bike and after paying for it in six months or one year you will still have it as a
new bike ” he said. Director of Afrimoney, Martison Obeng-Agyei, also explained the partnership, he said he was relatively new in the country and one day when he was driving he saw Growth Watu SL in one
of their offices helping young to own a bike. He intimated that when you at the demographic of
the country you will see that a lot of young are engaged in bike riding to make living for
themselves which is why it is important to buy a bike with a reasonable amount and that is what he
said TVS was part of the partnerships. “When I came as Director, I looked at the statements of payments I realized that for people who are paying through Afrimoney Money they always want to go there and get somebody to pay on their behalf or they have to look for one the Watu SL offices and go there and try to make the payment for themselves. In that regard, that is why Afrimoney comes in to digitalize the payment and to make the process very easy for the payment of these bikes” he said.
Speaking on behalf of SL Bike Riders Union, the Public Relations Officer, and Mohamed
Nabieu said they were delighted and also grateful to Growth Watu SL, Shalimar Trading
Company and Africell for thinking of such a partnership to make life very easy for them.
Mohamed Nabieu intimated that most times people consider them as “lawless people in the
society”, describing their general membership as law-abiding people. He stated that most of the
bikes ridden by their members are owned by other people but the intervention of Growth Watu
SL would allow a very good large number of them to now own a bike for them.
By Mohamed Amara Gando
