May 4, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
The whole country is pulsating because the President has launched what sounds as a bomb. It is unlike other cabinet shakeup, many here are saying. In the ensuing conversation and debate about the reshuffle following the low key observance of the 60th Independent Day celebration, the major issue of interest is the swapping of the position of the Minister of Finance Jacob Jusu Saffa with the erstwhile Chief Minister, Prof. David Francis.
Many keen in interpretation of the political redeployment on the basis of elevation or demotion.
The preponderant view is that the erstwhile Chief Minister now appointed Foreign Minister has been demoted and the Finance Minister who still has oversight responsibility on his extant office has been elevated to the position of Chief Minister-a status akin to Prime Minister.
President Bio has never minced words in the confidence reposed in the Finance Minister doubling as Chief Minister. In the last cabinet ranking, Jacob Jusu Saffa excelled. It is interesting that Jacob Jusu Saffa was rated by the man he is replacing. There could hardly be any misgiving from the Chief Minister that he is slighted from the top position and replaced with someone of inferior profile.
The truth is Jacob Jusu Saffa remains the political Messi in Bio’s winning team. He is providing the leadership and pedestal upon which other ministries are latching on to drive the President’s manifesto. He could be likened to the gas chamber fueling the political machinery of ancillary systems.
President Bio is thus rewarding performance and inspiring others to do their best in assuming the fervor and diligence that JJ Saffa is carrying.
No minister in the Bio government has attracted much vitriolic attack from opposition hacks than what JJ Saffa has conceded. It is cannot be surprising, seen what he is doing in cutting edge economic governance, the opposition have been purposive of deriding him and dulling his influencing. But as battle tested high flyer, JJ Saffa had kept his eyes on the ball, scoring goals much to the admiration of international partners. And the President has been basking in the glory and he is magnetizing him to come closer and assume more strategic roles for bigger exploits underway.
We can delve in archive to bring out more alluring details about the big name in President Bio’s winning cabinet. In the aftermath of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party victory in 2018, JJ Saffa was a member of a Transition Team set up by President Bio to conduct a stock taking exercise of the state of affairs of Government Ministries, Department and Agencies. He was the Team Lead for the Finance and Economic Development Pillar under the Transition Team.
Mr. Saffa started his career as a Development Planning Officer at the Ministry of Development and Economic Planning. He also has experience in training and facilitating, community mobilization and working in conflict and post-conflict environments. He had a stint at Fourah Bay College teaching economics in between professional duties.
Mr. Saffa is familiar with donor procedures and operations including that of the UN system, World Bank and the AFDB. Between 2002 and 2005 (post-war reconstruction and reintegration era), he served as HD Specialist in the WB Sierra Leone Country Office. Between 1994–2002. In 2005, Mr. Jacob Jusu Saffa became the National Secretary General of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), a position he held until 2011. During the 2018 general elections, Mr. Saffa was the Chairman for the SLPP Election Management Team.
The politicians has a winning mark and watch him climbing celestial height using the pathway of hard work and sincerity of purpose to leave his imprint on the sand of times.