By: Mohamed M. Sesay (LUCKY)
In her maiden debate on President Julius Maada Bio’s Speech delivered on State Opening of the Sixth Parliament, Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay-Pessima, has on Thursday the 17th of August 2023, admonished other Members of Parliament that it only takes a feeble mind to doubt the Big Five Game Changers in President Bio’s 2023 People’s Manifesto.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay-Pessima, expressed optimism that the Big Five Game Changers mentioned in President Bio’s Speech are the transformative policies for the country’s sustainable economic growth and social progress. She intimated that in 2018, President Julius Maada Bio presented 38 clusters in his New Direction Manifesto of which 28 clusters were delivered and the remaining 10 clusters were at an advanced stage of implementation.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay-Pessima disclosed that citizens saw the transformative drive the Free Quality Education brought in the country’s educational system, the war on corruption, Public Debt Management, Youth Empowerment, energy supply among others. She added that there is a direct link of sustainable energy supply towards the fulfilment of President Bio’s 500,000 job creation for youth.
She continued that work for the 500,000-job creation has commenced with the Industrial Zone that was launched by the President on the 26th of April this year. “This is good news not only for my Port Loko People, but for the nation at large as the Koya Industrial Zone has huge potential to compliment President Bio’s 500,000 job creation for youths’’, she said.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay-Pessima furthered that the ‘Feed Salone’ initiative which is the flagship programme of the Government, is not only a divine revelation to H.E President Bio, but a course he has been committed to in his last administration. She acknowledged that food insecurity has been a concern to President Bio and his government which citizens are faced with.
She assured that the government’s smart investment in agriculture is an ideal means to addressing food insecurity wherein, citizens would now eat what they grow instead of the over dependent on imported food.
In the last five years, she recalled that the Bio administration through the Ministry of Youth, cultivated 19,200 Youth Farms and other supports to Chiefdom Youth Farms across the country. She also referenced the massive investment government; African Development Bank and BADEA have placed in the Regional Rice Value Chain Project in Samu Chiefdom Kambia District, Torma Bum Chiefdom in Bonthe District.
Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay-Pessima affirmed that a healthy workforce and a sound mind for skills development require a healthy population. Luckily enough, she said the nation has a God sent President that takes the wellbeing of his citizens very seriously. She added that the increase of Budget allocation for the Ministry of Health from 6% in 2018 to 11.6% in 2021, is a testament of President Bio’s commitment towards healthcare delivery.
She also referenced that President Bio had constructed over 200 healthcare facilities across the country, recruited and trained over 5,000 pin-coded healthcare staff, and an additional 8,700 Community Health Workers which is a 50% increase since 2018.
“Mr. Speaker Honorable Members, the New Direction Government also rolled-out the hospital on wheels project (Mobile Clinic) which serves 20,000 citizens in 12 districts. Mr. Speaker Honorable Members, Sierra Leone is doing very well under the astute leadership of President Bio as Infant and maternal mortality have been reduced to far lower than the West African average’’, she concluded.