By Samuel Ben Turay (Ataya Pot)
Port Loko/Karene Districts, Sierra Leone — In a powerful story of leadership, empathy, and timely intervention, Dr. Ibrahim Bangura has been hailed for restoring the Mabanta Ferry—a vital but aging river crossing that once again connected two districts separated by the Rokel River in December 2018.
The ferry, which links Sanda Magbolonthor chiefdom in Karene and Kasebureh in Port Loko, is an essential lifeline for thousands. When it broke down due to years of neglect and chronic overloading, the result was devastating: schoolchildren stranded during exams, traders left with spoiling goods, and women in urgent need of healthcare marooned on either side.
Dr. Bangura, then on a Door-to-Door campaign visit, stumbled upon the crisis firsthand. Rather than continue his political tour, he funded immediate repairs and remained for hours with the community—listening, comforting, and reaffirming their worth. “This is not just about a ferry,” he reportedly said. “It’s about the lives and futures tethered to its movement.”
His action directly impacted several lives. One pregnant woman, in labor and fading fast under the sun, managed to cross and give birth to a healthy baby girl at Port Loko Government Hospital. In tribute, her family named the child Haja Ibrahim Jalloh. Another man, Dauda Koroma, was able to make a final farewell to his dying father and complete essential inheritance rites.
Beyond these individual cases, the restored ferry reignited conversations about infrastructure neglect in Sierra Leone’s underserved regions. Community members now advocate for a permanent bridge, hoping that the man who once answered their call will carry their voices further.
Bangura’s gesture, which some describe as a turning point in local trust for leadership, now lives on in the oral histories of towns like Ro-Baray, Moforki, Ro-Bamoi, and Rokulang. For them, the Mabanta Ferry is more than timber and cables—it has become a symbol of what public service should be.
“He didn’t just talk,” said community member Bobson Bangura. “He crossed with us.”