Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 June 2018:
President Julius Maada Bio and his ministers last weekend – Friday 22nd – Saturday 23rd June 2018, were at the popular Freetown tourist resort village of Tokeh, for a strategy delivery planning meeting.
The weekend retreat was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the British Department for International Development (DFID).
The aim of the retreat was to help ministers map out their respective strategic plans for the delivery of the government’s New Direction Agenda.
Speaking at the meeting, president Julius Maada Bio called on his ministers to carry out their duties professionally and to lead by example.
The President reminded ministers that they are the primary agents of the change he has been preaching for Sierra Leone. He said that he cannot do it alone and is therefore relying on his ministers and deputies to implement the goals and objectives outlined in his New Direction Programme document.
He said that to actualise his vision, ministers must be able to create a synergy through which they could work together in the best interest of the country.
“As you all know, I have been at the helm of affairs before and I know that to deliver in governance we must always conduct ourselves in a professional manner. We must lead by example and I will always be there to provide you with the disciplined leadership and support.
“Again, we must practice teamwork because every sector in governance is important. We have to be together with the right mentality to deliver on our promises,” he said.
President Bio also mentioned that the country has suffered for far too long. He noted that citizens are expecting his administration to change the narrative this time around.
He added that it is the responsibility of his ministers to ensure the collective delivery of the promises he had made to Sierra Leoneans.
“We all can attest to the fact that as a country we have suffered for too long. We now have the unique opportunity to rewrite the narrative in our history books and go down as the set of people who saved this nation at one point.
“Let us collectively make use of this opportunity and once again make our country an enviable place to leave,” he concluded.
Chief Minister – Professor David J. Francis said that: “This retreat is important because it sets the platform on how we can deliver on our promises. It will also help us to develop team spirit that will help us to collectively deliver on the hopes of Sierra Leoneans.
“As ministers, we will work as close friends, tied towards a clear objective – the New Direction,” he said.
You can watch a video of the retreat here:
I want to find out whether the strategic document developed from the two days retreat, will be in the public domain.
This is an excellent beginning for a good government. No government has ever done this type of venture in the history of Sierra Leone.
All the money dissipated by the old politicians through corrupt deals, should be recovered in order to reduce the external debt.