Sall Tee Jay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 August 2020:
Sacred cows in Bio’s New Direction cabinet are having sleepless nights as they have learnt that President Bio will soon reshuffle his cabinet that will make way for new faces in politics. Some of the old faces are expected to give way, as the President is believed to be tired of ‘lame excuses’ which they have used as the reason or reasons for their non-performance.
It will interest readers to know that since President Bio took power in 2018, the country has not experienced the desired change they are expecting, instead the situation has worsened.
Others are of the view that some of those appointed by the President are only there to satisfy their own personal desires, rather than working for the interest and benefit of the entire nation, as envisaged in the New Direction manifesto.
The country’s economy has gone so bad that Sierra Leone is completely retrogressing with economic recession now a looming danger. Whilst major countries in the West are putting modalities in place to cushion their economy that has been adversely affected because of the Coronavirus pandemic, much has not been seen by the Bio-led government.
This has caused serious pressure on the Presidency to the extent that President Bio is said to have expressed grave concern on non-performance of appointees.
Starting from the office of the Chief Minister down to Ministries, Department and Agencies, the President, according to top State House sources, is not happy. (Photo: Finance minister – JJ Saffa).
There are reports of widespread corruption of appointees on both traditional and social media, but most of these issues are either shelved at the office of the Anti-corruption Commission as if all the appointees of the President are saints.
His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio is expected to reshuffle his key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) due to the dismal performances of certain Ministers, Directors and Heads of Agencies.
According to sources, this latest cabinet reshuffle is mainly geared towards achieving the president’s “New Direction,” catch phrase which is encapsulated in the government’s Medium – Term National Development Plan (2019-2023).
It could be recalled that shortly before the COVID-19 hit the country, His Excellency had warned his appointees that he is determined to show the ‘Red Card’ to all non-performers, and openly declared 2020 as the ‘year of delivery’.
Judging by the current state of affairs in the country, it is not surprising that the President could take such action to ensure that he delivers on his manifesto promises.
It is intimated that a sort of clean sweep will be undertaken to purge all so called ‘sacred cows’ from the cabinet. ‘The President don baranta oh’, one confidant disclosed in Krio. There are insinuations that the current Financial Secretary, Sahr Jusu, who was head of the Public Debt Department under the erstwhile APC Government of President Koroma, is being tipped to replace the current Finance Minister-Jacob Jusu Saffa aka ‘J.J Blood’.
However, there are mixed feelings over that choice, as many see it as the worse mistake the Bio government will ever make. According to sources the Chief Minister, Professor David J. Francis will be transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(Photo: Yusuf Keketoma Sandi – Presidential spokesman)
Other ministers are expected to go for good, whilst few will be transferred. The same is said about some government departments and agencies. Information Minister Rado Swarray is likely to be replaced by Khalilu Totangi, whilst Abubakarr Joe Sesay is expected to become a Minister.
It was also disclosed that Foday Rado Yokie, who was recently sacked from his position as Mines Minister, will be considered for another appointment, but the President is believed to be under pressure not to offer him any position in this re-shuffle.
Source credit: The Times SL
Finally this President is beginning to see the light after being shackled and chained for many years in absolute debilitating darkness.A house that had long been burning with raging fire set by SLPP hands has finally been reduced to rubble and ashes. And strangely it is now that our President has awakened from his deepest slumber calling frantically for the assistance of the FIRE DEPT, in tears screaming – “Somebody help me my house is on fire”(lol)
Sincerely, I have been to many countries in my twenty plus years and never in my life have I seen a nation being derailed and obstructed from achieving progress by the outright mental incapacity and incompetence of its public officials. Answer – What has freeloaders Chief Minister David Francis and JJ BLood Saffa impressively accomplished for our little fragile beloved nation after gobbling huge salaries like octopuses for over two years? Absolutely nothing!
My sources tell me their hands are tainted with brazen robbery that came from plundering our nations treasury like heartless ‘Take it and Run’ bandits and also from rampant bribery and thefts that will easily make Krootown road criminals look like pious religious monks.(lol) But Stargazer, will it help to get rid of them now or is it a little too late? Raindrops and dewdrops may fall for all to see, but progress that hasn’t been harnessed flies away very high towards the skies like flashy kites in the wind…without strings they sail and sail without storms and hail never to be seen ever again – Are you answered my good friend?
A good number of Sierra Leoneans are disappointed with this government from which much was expected. After claiming to inherit the worst economy, one was expecting austerity to be the guiding principle, but what we have seen is a growing government expenditure in wages with appointments and jobs with inadequate resources to perform them.
The economic outlook continues to deteriorate as the budget and trade deficit widens. We are an economy that is donor dependent which is not sustainable despite government officials celebrating such grants. The appointments are mostly friends, associates and school mates with some lacking experience, that you will not expect much in terms of performance. For Sierra Leone to develop the President needs to look beyond the current ones and consider people with proven track record of performance and not self-proclaimed highly educated with no substance, or the highest bidders.
As my brother was saying, the words “sacred cows” follow-up with the description of the writer/Author seems to be IRONIC. In the real sense, all “cows” are not sacred in the hands of President Bio.
President Bio may be going through some type of epiphany if the article is correct. He is almost half way through his tenure and the scorecard is reading below average. The old soldier can now see that his attack momentum is flagging, ideas are drying up and he has monsters everywhere ready to devour him alive. The only option open to him is to withdraw to regroup, and use another flank in hopes of a breakthrough. This means that some of the soldiers will have to be either retired or reassigned for having been found to be only good as spectators who are always full of brighter ideas, but when thrown into the arena they behave like a punch-drunk boxer; they don’t know where they are nor what to do.
President Bio must surround himself with people who can stand up to him in a respectable way to question some of his ideas. Yes men and women only lead him to disaster. That’s why I was very disappointed when he got rid of Charles Margai as Attorney-general earlier in his administration; I hope he can bring him back in some capacity to help reset his “new direction“ course.
To Jane Kargbo I say please don’t inflict an incurable headache on yourself, medication is expensive these days. Sierra Leone’s political scene is full of ironies, ingratitude, filth and prostitutes. The latter would go with anything or anybody for the right price. For as long as we keep alternating APC and SLPP in office, we are doomed. Let’s give KKY a chance as a way of overhauling the system.
I thought that the phrase “sacred cow” means untouchable. So how can an untouchable be worried? The title of the article is misleading. Cabinet appointment is not a permanent or secure job. It is done at the discretion of the president. Who could have imagined that the charismatic Alie Kabba the campaign manager for president Bio could be shipped out of the cabinet a year after helping Bio to win the election. What about Alimamy Pettico Koroma who bank rolled president Koroma in 2007 could be sacked from his cabinet position only to be given an ambassador position.
A cabinet reshuffle by President Bio is imminent. According to this article, some of the less performing ministers are having sleepless nights. I caution those honourable Ministers not to worry. You will soon retire to the sunset of paradise, where you can enjoy your stolen loot, with your big cars, big villas, and in the company of your girl friends or concubines without the need to worry about answering to an overbearing boss. You are fully protected. And as former government ministers, don’t expect ACC boss Ben Kiafala knocking at your door to explain your sudden rag to riches transformation. He is only going after the ones identified by the Bio government as corrupt – his political opponents. So no worries there then either.
Your former colleagues will be looking after your back. I will caution, whilst you are enjoying your stolen loot, spare a thought for the Sierra Leonean families with little children living around the Freetown peninsula, overlooking the new American embassy I witnessed breaking stones to make a living, otherwise there will be no food for those children. Unfortunately for us, they like every struggling Sierra Leoneans have political representatives like you that are corrupt to the bones. CORRUPTION IS BIGGER THAN THE STATE OF SIERRA LEONE.
I shed a tear for such families. As for you the former ministers that have used our country as your CASH COW, if you take a walk to Lumely beach and carry on walking into the middle of the Atlantic ocean, I and many Sierra Leoneans that are fed up with your corrupt ways, will be there for you – cheering you on. Don’t come back, your service is terminated. May God bless the republic of Sierra leone.