TK-XPORT DISPUTES EDMOND ABU’S CLAIMS OVER 50 WAKA FINE BUSES

Dubai-based company TK-XPORT has disputed claims attributed to Native Consortium head Edmond Abu about the origin of Sierra Leone’s 50 Waka Fine buses, saying the vehicles were custom-built by Indian manufacturer Ashok Leyland.
The company said the buses were manufactured specifically for Sierra Leone rather than purchased as ready-made vehicles.
Its clarification challenges Abu’s reported assertion that the buses were not bought from Ashok Leyland. Abu said on local television that he had contacted the manufacturer and was told it had no knowledge of the buses.
Documentary and photographic material in New Age’s possession, including a bill of lading, supports the account that the buses were procured from Ashok Leyland. TK-XPORT said 49 of the 50 buses arrived in November 2023. The remaining 1 bus, it said, was involved in an accident while being transported from Chennai, India, to the loading port in Mumbai. The company’s explanation addresses the difference between the 50 buses covered by the procurement and the 49 it says arrived that November, confirming that the remaining 1 bus arrived in 2024 because of getting a ship that will bring the bus to Freetown. TK-XPORT also said the buses came with a one-year warranty, but maintained that it had no role in their maintenance. On procurement, TK-XPORT said it participated in a structured process that received World Bank approval.