By: Puawi
Some many years ago, as minister of development and economic planning and as was the practice then, I had to present a separate budget to Parliament in addition to the finance minister’s budget.
Again as was the practice the development Secretary would much earlier get inputs from the various ministries especially with regards to any project.
It may sound strange today but then the ministry of tourism was the eyes of most people, including colleagues in the ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs which was in eyes of the public and mainly regarded as the Cinderella of the cabinet.
When President Siaka Stevens had had enough of you but didn’t want to show you the red card you were sent to that ministry. I saw an illustration of that in the President’s action at the conclusion of the debate on honourable Musa Kabia’s private members motion to amend the Constitution that enabled the Force Commander (now Chief of Defense Staff) Joseph Saidu Momoh to be eligible for nomination as President.
My friend Abdulai Conteh, later first Vice President to President Momoh and I openly opposed the motion and were immediately sacked from cabinet next morning. Some other colleagues, who had failed to speak in support of the motion, were moved from assumed senior cabinet posts to lower ranking ones. One of them was sent or “demoted” from the large Agriculture, Forestry and Food security to the ministry of Tourism. To continue with my theme, despite several reminders including one on one telephone calls, my then Tourism minister’s team did not respond.
In the budget allocation the letter was allocated to Tourism. My colleague saw red and from the floor of the house he gave a terrible bashing, accusing of total disregard of the importance of Tourism to a country.
I responded by asking where it had begun. I hope this story gives some idea of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the perception towards the Tourism ministry. That is, fast forward, until President Julius Maada Bio appointed as minister of Tourism a lady named Memunatu Pratt. That did it: within just five years she has transformed the ministry both in public perception as well as in the international arena. It is no longer the Cinderella ministry but a vibrant, proactive organization that has put Sierra Leone in the international arena as one of 50 countries, not just in Africa but in global system. I faulted her and her team for just one omission that is, she did not back me and other concerned citizens to insist on an Environmental assessment of the Black Johnson beach for the construction of a very essential fish harbour.
Like i already mentioned Memunatu Pratt is constantly in the news for the right reasons including taking the once Cinderella like ministry to one of prominence.
One such recently being the selection of Sierra Leone as a “watering spot” for the Hungary to Dakar motor rally.
Also recently she attracted some 50 African/American citizens to get Sierra Leonean citizenship. Under her leadership Bunce Island and Banana Islands are getting attractions of her own. Out of my usual curiosity I decided to make an unannounced visit to the ministry simply furnished and not particularly eye catching offices off King Hamman road. My unplanned and unrequited visit not withstanding I was received by the minister, her Permanent Secretary and not least the director of Tourism.
I was received by a beaming Memunatu Pratt with a broad smile and a warm embrace that at once put me at ease. She ignored my apologies and put me at ease and before you could say PUAWUI, four of us were in animated discussion about their plans to move Tourism forward among others. It was late General Collin Powel former U S Joint chiefs of staff and Secretary of State under President George W Bush who was said “Someone is always watching”. I will leave it there so as not to embarrass anyone as we are on the eve of Presidential, Parliamentary and Local government