July 14, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
The United Nations Under Secretary General covering East Africa, who was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation under the previous APC regime, Haja Dr. Zainab Hawa Bangura has warned that every Sierra Leonean should support the government of the day to succeed.
The former politician made this disclosure while speaking on the 25th anniversary of Campaign for Good Governance (CGG). She said Sierra Leoneans should be supportive of government programmes noting that if the government fails people will suffer. She called on Sierra Leoneans to utilize the newly established Civil Society Dialogue forum as a medium of holding the government accountable.
She said Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) should not be waiting for invitations but must ensure that they involve themselves in the national discourse for the good of the country and not for political gains.
She said democracy and good governance is a process and not a one off event.
She maintained that CSOs and citizens should not use partisan lens to look at issues relating to food security, education and other issues bordering on the lives of citizens.
She expressed her appreciation and confidence in the current leadership of CGG describing the pressure group as one that changed the narratives making citizens know that holding government accountable was part of good governance.
It could be recalled that the CGG created the platform for training of Members of Parliament a well as Ministers after the country’s transition from one party rule and military regime to a multiparty system of governance.