President Bio must take concrete steps to change business as usual – says governance reform group

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 22 February 2020:

Sierra Leone’s Institute of Governance Reform (IGR), has critically reviewed President Bio’s declaration of “2020 as a year of delivery” for his government, after telling his ministers a few weeks ago at a weekend retreat that they have fallen far short of achieving the targets they had set for 2018/2019.

But according to the IGR, despite the president’s pronouncement of “Year of Delivery”, the performance targets the president is expecting Ministries, Departments and Agencies to deliver are yet to be published.

IGR says that the government is less than being transparent in terms of what outcomes the people of Sierra Leone are to expect after spending the 2020 budget amounting to Le9 Trillion.

IGR says it has made recommendations to the government as to how best to move beyond the rhetoric of declaring 2020 as the year of delivery, partnering with citizens for achieving results, and working towards reducing dependency on foreign aid.

 

The government IGR said, must publish what it is delivering in 2020, what outcomes to expect and how those outcomes will be measured in terms of making a difference to people’s lives. (Photo: Ministers at the last cabinet retreat).

“Commitment to effective service delivery provides the opportunity for the Government to reach beyond its base; an improvement in development outcomes will be a win-win for all,” says IGR.

“We argue that for delivery to occur, President Bio should be courageous enough to dismantle the rent seeking infrastructures in MDAs and publicly declare the level of resources provided to institutions as well as their performance targets,” IGR suggested, adding that where performance targets and allocated resources are unclear, it will be difficult to rally citizens to buy into the government’s programmes to achieve better outcomes, move citizens and political parties away from a blame game mentality.

The IGR said that in almost all government sectors in Sierra Leone, financial investment increased in the last 10 years, yet productivity levels, outcomes and impacts on the lives of the people are significantly lower than the years before the war.

Government of Sierra Leone and its donor partners it said, for example spent at least US$60 million per annum on agriculture between 2009 to 2019. Yet, productivity levels for rice farming was 1.13 million tonnes in 2018, compared to 2.7 million tonnes in 1970 when total population of the country was less than 3 million.

The same underperformance IGR said, is reflected in investments in education and health, with Sierra Leone achieving some of the worst human development indicators in the world.

In spite of these challenges, a blame game between the two major parties has persistently prevented successive governments from solving the myriad of social and economic problems facing the people of Sierra Leone, said IGR.

“Since SLPP assumed power in 2018, they have consistently pushed the logic that – ‘the opposition APC is collectively guilty for the current poor state of the country, and the ruling SLPP is collectively innocent,” the IGR highlighted.

The IGR said that this was also the case under APC rule, but that 2020 provides the SLPP with an opportunity to make a break with the past and make a change from business as usual.

IGR stated that President Bio declared at the opening of the third Cabinet Retreat at the Bintumani Conference that “2020 is a Year of Delivery” and called on ministers and civil servants to focus on results.

“However, despite  it has been five weeks since the big declaration of “a Year of Delivery”, unless concrete steps are taken to change business as usual, with true commitment to attacking partisan politics and policies that enrich the few, this new buzzword will yield little, like many other declarations by past Presidents (Agenda for Change; Agenda for Prosperity),” IGR warns.

Source Credit: Amin Kef

17 Comments

  1. Mr Kaikai – I hope you are aware that there is an open invitation, I extended to you guys,to come,on the glorious forum,any time it is convenient for you,and defend the failing policies of your inadequate government. Its been months,and those bunch of cowards have still not responded. (lol) Still awaiting a response from someone,anyone can take up the offer,and we can begin.

    Since day one when you guys fraudulently assumed the reins of Power, I sternly warned you people that all my criticisms of your government will be sizzling with heat,prepared,and wrapped up in scorching flames of fire. I’m aware the heat is driving you guys crazy,now that’s good news to me; And the bad,heartbreaking news is that I am just getting warmed up. (lol) Relax Amigo,
    and enjoy the ride..Rising Sun Will Rise Again.

    • Mr Conteh, please tone it down! Thank you. Lets have some really good, rigorous intellectual debate about policies and leave out the personal jibes. We owe it to Mama Salone and that’s the only reason we set up this forum.

  2. Solved! Saidu Conteh and Young4na are one and the same. Real men don’t hide their identity. Please be yourself and criticize on policy not the persona. How many bridges, roads, schools, hospitals, etc have these attacks ever built? How many hecters of rice have been harvested to feed all? May I ask the Chinese not to come? We deny that most of the barking at the wrong tree is due to the fact that most of you are functional illiterates wearing yourselves out. Go ahead, enjoy your day laughing at the first lady. This is what children of lesser gods do. Not surprised.

    • Andrew, Andrew, Andrew – you can do better than this buddy. I know you can. Please rise up above the personal attacks. And I expect Mr Conteh’s response to be equally measured as I have advised. Thanks to you both.

  3. The wise speak in parables – Once there was a baby gorilla,frolicking,and playing around, that mistakenly found itself stranded, far away from its mother.On noticing that he was in danger, lost in a territory overcrowded with grimacing angry hyenas,it began to cry.The hyenas gave one look,and began chasing,caught up with him, began to brutally attack the infant until the angry mother came to its rescue,and took him away; “My day will come,” she growled.

    A week after,a young hyena also found itself lost in a vast territory belonging to the most ruthless types of Gorillas,and the mother of the baby gorilla saw him,and started chasing the frightened,trembling animal,caught up with it, rip it brutally, and left if half dead; And as the gorilla walked,the mother of the young hyena, came running,with tears in her eyes;looked at her baby covered in blood,sighed,and said; “Indeed,payback comes back,whizzing,and zipping through the air,like a boomerang” (lol). Rising sun Will Rise Again.

  4. Mr. Abdul Rashid Thomas,

    Thanks for stepping in with an admonition. People are sometimes carried away in the exercise of their rights to free speech. Attacking the President and his wife on personal grounds is at the very least reprehensible and an indication of uncouth character on the part of the attacker. Personal attacks should have no place on this forum. Elections are never won in chat rooms of internet forums. Great job Mr. editor.

  5. Our First Lady is now in trouble with the criticisms of the past few days. I am very certain that Forumites on this glorious platform will go all out from now on, respectfully and responsibly to criticise this First Lady whenever she goes out there and does anything out of the way. She has made herself look very foolish because of her behaviour. I hope she stays away from politics because, Forumites on this glorious platform don’t forgive when it comes to hammering the truth. They will consult all the resources to make sure that, whatever they say is covered by free speech.

    When you see people starting to abbreviate the word “sh**” is a warning short. Mr. Lavalie and Young4na just made me laugh by reading their comments. Also, the “pot belly” often used by Mr. Saidu Conteh is another description that makes one laugh. Young4na should have just said sh**. Depending on what you are trying to express is not a bad word in my view. God bless all Forumites on this glorious platform and help the First Couple get good sleep.

  6. It is amazing how we Africans spend our precious energy tearing each other apart. Please folks, use the gifts and resources you have to improve the living conditions of all the people – Sad. Put your advanced Oxford or Harvard degrees to use.

    • Mr. Kaikai, by all indications, participants in this forum who are providing constructive criticism towards the Bio regime are actually putting their degrees into use sir. Just like you were criticizing the EBK regime with all zealous and fanfare, most of us who put our country first are doing the same thing to this current regime. One of the benefits that comes along with education is the ability to think critically and knowing your fundamental human rights.

      Whilst APC was in power and doing these same corrupt acts, most of you will yell and scream, pronouncing your opposition. Now that the SLPP is in power and doing the same corrupt acts, you expect people like us with integrity to turn our eyes the other way. Not happening sir, please spare us the hypocrisy.

  7. Aha! So what we saw was the First Lady Fatima Bio’s baby bump. How do they know that? No one can ever hide from the eyes of Forumites on this glorious platform. Remember that music? “What you do in the darkness, must come to light”. Yeah! The only problem in having a baby while State House is in sight of a regime change is odd, awkward and bad timing. God bless the baby to be.

  8. The IGR is spot on. In project management, you put out your mission statement and also what you would to achieve your mission. President Bio and his government are bereft of any idea how they would expunge this country from the quagmire it is in currently.

    I suspect that the statement was a message to his wife and not the people. He had promised his wife that if he was elected president he would lavish wealth and Power on her. And this is exactly what he has been doing. Can’t people see how fluffy the first lady has ballooned. She has become shapeless like Shrek. Her Tommy is like a young pregnant lizard. These two are not fit for purpose. Sierra Leone is in for a tough run.

    Like the useless SLPP, the hopeless and kleptomanic APC, should never again be given the opportunity to control the country’s purse.

    • Now is the time for our First Lady to change course on her public political engagements. She should try by all means to stay away from all political engagements that ministers in charge could perform. Don’t go out there Madam First Lady Fatima Bio for example, to perform the job of the Education Minister. See how some Forumites have started describing you. Embarrassing stuff. I’ve never in my entire life seen people publicly denouncing and provoking any of the country’s past First Ladies.

      The President has been termed several times as “pot belly” and now the First Lady takes over from the President as “Tommy like a young pregnant lizard” and even worse for her, “shapeless like a shrek”. She is to blame for all embarrassing terms against her. I hope the First Lady will take my advice and try as much as possible to sit quietly and work on projects that do not involve politics. She knows she will never become President of Sierra Leone, neither her position being First Lady will help President Bio win reelection. In fact, the President himself does not care. Why does she bother? I believe the First Lady Fatima Bio will runaway to the Gambia when President Bio loses in 2023.

      I heard people say she was born in Kono, but nobody will vote for her in Kono. So why not stay quiet Madam First Lady Fatima Bio as your predecessors have done. Remember, sometime ago when it was rumored that the First Lady Fatima Bio was “constructing a $6,000,000 dollar hotel” in the Gambia? Also, it was rumored sometime ago that, the First Lady Fatima Bio spent about 100 million LEONES when she invited other African First Ladies for her so called “hands off our girls campaign”. Rumors like these will definitely be investigated in 2023. Mind you First Lady Fatima Bio that the “New Order” in 2023, will leave no stone unturned.

      The New Progressive and no nonsense ACC Chairman, will crackdown mercilessly on all the corrupt practices perpetrated by the SLPP under the cover of the “Valley of the shadow of death” by this administration. Again, a word for a wise is quite sufficient Madam First Lady Fatima Bio. Finally, God help our First Lady Fatima Bio move herself away from politics and follow the steps of her predecessors.

    • Prince Lavalie, the uncouth and ill-mannered language that you use in attacking the president and his wife says more about the unpolished and impertinent nature of your character than anything else. If you do not agree with the policies of the president, don’t hide behind an unrefined and gawky wall of words. That is what cowards and mentally lazy reprobates do. Criticize the president constructively. Mind you, this is a forum that is populated with highly educated and refined participants.

    • Don’t you think the First Lady is pregnant? I think she is, so she cannot squeeze it back in a corset. The Dress maybe,… but I’m sure she wanted the Nation to See it as it is, that she’s pregnant.

    • “Can’t people see how fluffy the first lady has ballooned. She has become shapeless like Shrek. Her Tommy is like a young pregnant lizard. These two are not fit for purpose. Sierra Leone is in for a tough run”

      Hahahaha, hahahahah, hahahahah; Please Mr. Lavalie, don’t kill me with laughter. This is so funny. On a serious note, you are right on the money. Our nation is in deep sh** with these 2 self-gratification individuals holding the keys to our nation’s coffers. The Hollywood wannabe first lady and our almost 2 decades jobless first gentleman could not believe their luck. They are living their dream lives right now, spending money like nobody’s business.

      Now, when EBK and his cohorts were recklessly spending our national resources for the same self-gratification purpose; those who are now making excuses for president Bio were the loudest—yelling and screaming on top of their lungs condemning their selfish behaviors. I asked myself this question, do some people among us have any integrity at all?

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