By: Mohamed M. Sesay
The Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone has on Tuesday the 25th of July 2023, vetted and approved fifteen (15) ministers including the Minister of Finance Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, the Minister of Energy Alhaji Kanja Sesay, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Timothy Kabba, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Mrs. Princess Betty Dugba, the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby among others following their appointments by President Julius Maada Bio.
Presenting the Committee Report on Appointment and the Public Service, the Chairman of the Committee who doubles as Leader of Government Business and Majority Leader Hon. Mathew S. Nyuma, said the Finance Minister Sheku Fantamadi Bangura is currently serving as a proposed Minister of Finance after his last approval by the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament. He added that the Minister has over twenty-five years’ experience serving as economic and policy expert advisor at the World Bank and the West Africa Monetary Institute.
The Majority Leader also noted that the Minister is one of the principal advisers to His Excellency the President and the Government of Sierra Leone on financial and economic policies.
He disclosed that the newly approved Finance Minister holds double master’s degrees in public policy (Finance Management-2012-2014 AU, Washington DC, USA) on one hand and the other in Economic policy management from the McGill University Montreal, Canada.
The Acting Leader of the Opposition All People’s Congress Party Hon. Mohamed Bangura testified that all the fifteen Presidential Nominees were thoroughly scrutinized by the Committee with regards to competence, qualification among others. He therefore, assured the housed that all the fifteen presidential nominees are qualified for the job President Bio appointed them to do. Hon. Mohamed Bangura also called on the presidential nominees to serve in the best of their capacity for the general good of the country, and to make President Bio proud of their appointments.
In his felicitation message after all the Members of Parliament had nodded for the speedy approval of those fifteen presidential nominees, the Speaker of the Sixth Parliament Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu, said the 15 Presidential nominees are all qualified to serve in their respective positions the President had appointed them to serve. He warned the Presidential nominees that they have a duty to deliver and that; they should not compromise their job in any circumstance. He assured that President Bio government is a government within the law and not government above the law. He also reminded them that they are servant of the people and that; they should serve the people well. He concluded by admonishing that Member of Parliament would be going on oversight and therefore, urged all the ministers to receive them well.