Over the past few days, Sahr Jusu, who holds the sensitive position of Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, has been seen busily sharing sanitary pads to underaged children across the country and pleading with them to vote President Bio in the forthcoming elections.
The basic principle and the international best practice for public servants precludes them from undertaking any activity that could call into question their political impartiality or that could give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for party political purposes.
Jusu is a public servant who is technically the head of our nation’s financial sector. The Financial Secretary is the Government’s principal adviser on economic and financial policies, as well as the professional and administrative head of the Ministry of Finance. Jusu’s dabbling with politics is not only unprofessional and dangerous but has the tendency to undermine discipline in the civil and public service. By his behaviour, he has set the wrong tone at the top and has blurred the professional lines between public service and partisan politics.
The Financial Secretary is appointed as per Section 154 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. Section 17. (ii) state this: “Civil Servants shall not take part in political party activities such as canvassing on behalf of candidates or causes, writing letters to the press on party political matters, accepting any office in any political party organisation and must not be influenced by partisan political considerations to compromise their impartiality and neutrality in the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules.”
Apart from the Constitution, the Sierra Leone Civil Service Code is the rules and regulations that guide the activities of Civil and Public Servants. As per the statutory document, the Sierra Leone Civil Service is characterised by “permanence”, “impartiality” and anonymity”.
This means to be impartial – Civil Servants shall at all times serve the Government of the day and shall therefore not get involved in party politics.
“Anonymity” The fact that Civil Servants are anonymous means that they can advise on and carry out policies and decisions of the Government without fear of censure from the public.”
“Impartiality” Civil Servants shall at all times serve the Government of the day and shall therefore not get involved in party politics”.
Despite the above provisions, Jusu has wilfully engaged himself in partisan politics in clear violation of both the Constitution and the Civil Service Code.
It is such disrespect for the Constitution and deliberate violation of basic rules and regulations that have led to this Sierra Leone Peoples Party- led Government to it’s current dysfunctional state. The Financial Secretary’s behaviour is a sad expression of indiscipline and underscores why Sierra Leone’s economy is in such a bad shape.
