Following the devastations caused by flooding and mudslides on the outskirts of Freetown at the beginning of this week, President Ernest Bai Koroma continues to receive not only condolence messages but also high powered delegations from countries across the sub-region and beyond.

This morning, Friday 18 August, the president received at State House a high level delegation led by Bishop David Oyedepo of World Mission Agency commonly called Winner’s Chapel. According to Bishop Oyedepo, the visit was to console and pray for Sierra Leone following Monday’s tragedy. He prayed that such predicament would not repeat itself in the nation and that there would be a turn around.

For victims of the flooding and mudslides, Bishop Oyedepo pledged assistance of food items and general provisions, including 250 bags of rice, 250 liters of vegetable oil, 250 bags of onions, 250 blankets, clothing, washing soap among others.

President Koroma thanked the Bishop for his quick response, describing the visit as a source of great hope. He lamented about the incident, narrating that a particular church was observing all-night prayers when the unimaginable and unprecedented tragedy occurred, and consequently claimed hundreds of lives. He also bemoaned the story of six innocent children who went to study in the home of one of their brightest colleagues, and the young man who was due to get married today, saying that they all had their plans for the next day but were swept away from their sleep onto untimely deaths.

The president pointed out that Sierra Leone’s economy was apparently doing well when Ebola struck and reversed every gain. Even though the country is faced with another huge challenge in the aftermath of a successful recovery process, he however expressed hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.