By: Mohamed M. Sesay
At the fourteen Armed Forces Day Celebration, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio who also doubles as the Commander-In-Chief of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, has on Wednesday the 22nd February 2023, urged citizens to celebrate members of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and other security personnel, for their relentless sacrifices towards the peaceful co-existence of the country.
President Bio even suggested For instance, transport operators to consider lower fares; mobile companies to consider special discount plans; retailers, including supermarkets, building supplies, electronics, and houseware or general merchandise stores to consider special discounts; insurance providers and private healthcare providers should consider special rates; banks should consider special concessionary rates; houseowners should consider special discounts on rent, and more for member of the Sierra Leone Arm Forces.
President Bio however, made a disclaimer that the aforementioned points were not policies statements or pronouncements. He said they were simply suggestions to citizens to say “thank you” every day in their own ways, to the men and women in uniform and to those who have served this nation.
In line with his promise to capacitate the naval wing of the RSLAF, President Bio intimated that his Government had worked with partners to build up naval assets and develop the skills of seamen and women. He added that his Government had also constructed a Slipway at the Murray Town Naval Base adding that, he had already commissioned 4 inshore patrol boats gifted to the country by the Government of South Korea. He also gave a glad tidings to the Sierra Leone Armed Forces that he would also soon commission a 37-metre-long Type C Patrol Boat from the President of the People’s Republic of China.
President Bio continued that his Government had been in close multilateral engagements with his friends and international partners to develop the technical capacity of the air wing and to also procure equipment and air assets for building for future air platforms of the air wing of the RSLAF.
In 2019, President Bio recalled that the Defense Council approved reversion to a Tri-Service structure. He added that the rationale was to develop the RSLAF into a more capable, modern, and agile force that would deliver on enhanced military missions and tasks as required. He disclosed that Recent partnerships with foreign partners demonstrate that this is possible. He also urged that such critical facet of modernization of the RSLAF be implemented without further delay.
In line with his Government’s national commitment to promoting human capital development, President Bio reminded that his Government has been providing educational support to the Armed Forces by awarding Grants-in-Aid at tertiary institutions for active service personnel. He assured that other training and education opportunities would be available as a consequences of their partnerships with friendly nations and partners.
“My government sanctioned the establishment of the Armed Forces Endowment and Loan Scheme that provides loans to service personnel to address pressing welfare issues. Additionally, the Scheme will enable the RSLAF to establish revenue-generating business ventures that can further support the welfare of service personnel”, he said.
President Bio furthered that the Defense Council had also adopted a novel approach to improve the conditions of service of Service Personnel by establishing an Armed Forces Pay Board. He edified that the Board would start with reviews with the objective of enhancing and rationalising take-home pay. He said the basic pay of service personnel was directly correlated to ex-gratia, gratuities, and pensions after retirement adding that, more basic pay; more terminal benefits for men and women in uniform.
President Bio maintained that the recent Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment law that he signed, mandates minimum thresholds for including women into public institutions and in leadership.
In 2019, President Bio said his Government undertook a special recruitment of 300 young women officers and service women to start addressing the seeming gender imbalance in the military. In the last four years, he said significantly more opportunities had been opened up for women in the RSLAF in training, promotions, and assuming command roles. He said even gender training had been intensified in the RSLAF. He therefore, urged the Ministry of Defense to adopt more affirmative and prominent posture on gender in recruitment, retention, promotion, and the well-being of women in the RSLAF.
