By: Precious Miracle Kargbo
On bridging the mandate between government and its people and commemorating the first 100+ days in office of President Julius Maada Bio’s second term, Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah on 23rd October during an interview has clearly stated that government through the leadership of the President has shown immense wealth of experience and success in all public activities.
This was done by way of bridging the gap to its citizens primarily as not government to the people but with the people.
The Minister starts by describing the work of the government including his ministry in which he said have prioritized communication as a focal tool to the people of Sierra Leone.
Government has designed the weekly press conference in order for the people through the media to be able to communicate to government officials and also non-government officials on pressing issues in society. Chernor Bah furthers that Government has totally eradicated the barrier with government and its citizens, as this time around it is in the President’s manifesto that they run a citizen led government where all the needs of the public should be prioritized and that is evident in government meetings that they always start by discussing burning issues from the people by finding all means and ways possible to address these issues affecting public lives.
He added that the Ministry of Information serves as an intermediary to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’S) and that civil societies and members of the public should always feel free to get in touch and get firsthand information on whatever is their quest and even through digital presence.
Mr Bah explains that this approach is just to explain to everyone in Sierra Leone that government should be merely owned by the people and even not by the President or its officials as they are only in the position of leadership to serve the nation.
Mr Bah highlighted that the main job of any President in the world is to keep the country at peace and total sanity at all time, he said President Bio has made tremendous performance in this particular topic through the June Multi-Tier elections which ended in a lot of chaos and tension in the country and even opposition politicians refusing to partake in Governance.
He added that the President through his wisdom called on a dialogue to map out the issues affecting every party and provide solutions, this result he says speaks from the just concluded three days’ dialogue in which the President has been able to restore peace from both parties and now they are all ready to work for the complete success of the nation through state activities.
The Minister also affirms that President Bio as being very law abiding, has made upholding the rule of law as a significant threshold, he added that as part of the mandate of His Excellency, President Bio is to ensure that he set up a team that will be responsible for the orderly running of the state through appointing unarguably the most diverse, young and dynamic cabinet in the history of Sierra Leone. Chernor Bah continues that one third of this cabinet range from age 40 and below, one third inclusion of women in governance, from every district in Sierra Leone just to ensure that the needs of Citizens will be promoted through every form of government activities. Before now government was filled with a lot old incapable people but now as Sierra Leone is a rapidly developing country then young, vibrant and dynamic people should be at the forefront to FastTrack growth and change in the nation. “This is the vision of the President”, Minister Bah Initiated.
Constructively, Minister Bah exhumes that the President has not only made appointments but has bring competent personalities to cabinet who have studied in the best universities in the world and also have the experience in governance that will help spear head the activities of government at all cost.
He maintains that these personnel have developed a lot of program and policies for the country that will yield a lot of benefit for Sierra Leoneans in the Present and future.
In addendum, Chernor Bah highlights that President Bio’s Feed Salone program is a complete success package that will not only cater for every Sierra Leonean but has drawn a lot of international partners who are now willing to support the project as a result donations have been made to this project in order to be part of the success story.
He concluded that President Julius Maada Bio 100 plus days in office is not just a success internally but also externally as Sierra Leone is being appreciated at the UN Security Council for her outstanding way of prioritizing education, wining so many awards and increasing the respect of the country in the whole world.
