February 24, 2021
By: Mohamed M. Sesay
The Daughter of the Speaker of Sierra Leone’s Parliament and seemly one of the youngest if not, the youngest Female diplomat in the History of Sierra Leone Issatu Aminata Bundu was yesterday 23rd of February, approved in the well of parliament as the High Commissioner designated to Kenya.
Ms. Bundu was approved together with Hon. Justice Miatta Maria Samba as Supreme Court Judge, and Mr. Conrad Sackey as Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) respectively.
Moving the motion on the Eleventh Report of the third session of the Committee on Appointment and Public Service for the approval of Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu, the Chairman of the Committee on Appointment who also doubles as the Leader of Government Business Hon. Mathew S. Nyuma, gave a brief background of the newly approved High Commissioner to Kenya stating that Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu is a young Sierra Leonean and a British trained entrepreneur with fifteen years’ experience in Public and private sector management.
Hon. Mathew Nyuma further stated that Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Brunel University and a host of other post graduate certificates in projects and strategic consultancies from the Chartered Institute of Information and Technology in the United Kingdom.
He added that Ms. Bundu currently owns and manages a private company called Issatu Limited which is a registered company in the United Kingdom that supports multi-disciplinary approach to technological research transformations in development organizations.
Hon. Nyuma continued that Ms. Bundu hails from a humbled and disciplined elite family of the ‘’BUNDUs’’ of Gbinti in the Portloko District, adding that the presidential nominee has proven to Sierra Leoneans qualitatively in various positions not only held in the UK, but in Africa where she had served as Project Manager for MTV staying Alive Foundation projects in Nigeria and South Africa, and Africa Development Foundation in Kisumu Kenya.
Hon. Nyuma therefore recommended for the House of Parliament to approve Ms. Isssatu Aminata Bundu and the two presidential nominees to their respective designated offices.
“Mr. Speaker Honorable members, the Eleventh Report reflects the Unanimous view of the Committee on Appointment and the Public Service be adopted by the House and that the recommendations contained therein be approved,” he concluded.
The Leader of the main Opposition APC Party Hon. Chernor Maju Bah also asserted that all the submissions from other members of parliament regarding the presidential nominees have been consistent and therefore said all he would do is to join in the bandwagon in support of the approval of the nominees. Hon. Chernor Bah also reaffirmed that all the three presidential nominees were deemed qualified by the Committee on Appointment and the Public Service of which he is a member and therefore gave the nod for the report to be presented in the well for the approval of the nominees.
Hon. Bah continued specifically for the approved High Commissioner to Kenya that they as members of Parliament did not approved Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu because her father is the Speaker of Parliament, but because her appointment came based on her competence. He further encouraged the House not to look at the presidential nominee as daughter Bundu but rather look at her as Ms. Bundu. Hon. Bah thanked the father of the youngest female diplomat Dr. Abass Bundu for taking good care of the daughter, but also thanked and commended Ms. Bundu for sailing through the crucibles of life to attain such position of trust. He concluded that Ms. Bundu is competent for the position and that it was for her competence that His Excellency the President appointed her.
On his part, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo of the Main Opposition APC party also confessed that they were very pleased to have two successful presidential nominees nominated by the president in order to occupy very important positions of trust. He added that having a successful child brings a lot of pride to a father just like in the case of the Speaker of Parliament having her daughter as the High Commissioner to Kenya.
He added that it is indeed a success story for a father being a diplomat and now her daughter is also going as the youngest diplomat to Kenya. He concluded that they are very satisfied as members that the president made a very laudable selection in appointing Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu.
Hon. Rebecca Y. Kamara also expressed her delight that due to the overwhelming appointment of women into key positions of trust by the president indicates that it is time for women to participate and contribute to liberating the country.
She maintained that she has no iota of doubt about the performance of the two female presidential nominees, noting that women are the best performing appointees in this current dispensation.
She encouraged Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu and Justice Miatta Maria Samba to do their best in their respective positions of trust.
Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally said Issatu Bundu is the first youngest female diplomat to represent Sierra Leone as a High Commissioner which she said makes them feel gratified as women. She further encouraged Ms. Bundu to forget about her age and fill the gap with maturity, experience and a good sense of listening. She asked the newly approved High Commissioner to engage in consultation and collaboration with people especially in Kenya who have served Sierra Leone adding that, they would help her succeed in her new diplomatic sojourn. She concluded by advising Issatu Bundu to do well for the country and do well for the Bundu family in order to make her father proud.
Addressing the press, the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu said he felt elated and extremely gratified for the new confirmed and approved presidential appointees especially his daughter Issatu Aminata Bundu as the High Commissioner Designate to Kenya. Dr. Abass Bundu reaffirmed that her daughter earned the position on her own merit but however said, Ms. Bundu has to be fathered by somebody which happens to be him.
He disputed any suggestion that his relationship with Ms. Bundu influenced the president decision to appoint her as a High Commissioner to Kenya. Dr. Bundu encouraged all and sundry to give Ms. Issatu Bundu proves herself and live up to the expectation of His Excellency the President and Members of Parliament. The newly appointed and approved High Commissioner to Kenya Ms. Issatu Aminata Bundu thanked the President for reposing such enormous confidence and trust in her adding that she would do her best to serve the president and the people of Sierra Leone to her best ability. She added that it is a great honor and priviledge to represent Sierra Leone in the capacity as the High commissioner to Kenya. She furthered that she looked forward to learning and engaging the government of Kenya and also Sierra Leoneans living in Kenya for mutual bilateral gain.
