By Ishmael Bayoh
In this week’s highlight is the State Opening of the 6th on Wednesday 7th by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
During his speech from the throne, while elucidating progress made so far by his government as it implements the Big Five Agenda, President Bio enumerated the progress made across all sectors of government, including stabilising the currency and reducing inflation, boosting rural livelihood and developing a middle manpower, promoting accountable and transparent governance, protecting and promoting rights and freedoms, and laying measures and policies that support his government’s development.
These strides, coupled with peace and security, have attracted development partners, international financial institutions, and independent international governance bodies continued confidence in his government.
A unique state opening that was fully attended by members of the diplomatic and consular corps, the opposition MPs, Mayor of Freetown and other members of political parties, senior citizens and members of the public saw a busty of camaraderie among MPs with their frequent undertones prompting the President to also throw his amidst much laughter.
This Week with President Bio’s Development Agenda looks at other developmental strides that occurred from August 2 to August 9 2024.
▪Sierra Leone will thrive only when it is peaceful, secure, and stable as It is the obligation of every citizen to keep his or her community and the nation as a whole peaceful. That was why on Thursday 8, President Bio launched the country’s National Security and Policy strategy which provides for across-the-board structure and a coordinated, holistic, and inclusive approach to keeping Sierra Leone safe for every citizen. This national strategy and policy is critical and central for addressing the country’s security needs.
▪The Hon. Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh continued Thursday 8th his function as Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization and Local Government with a meeting at the City Hall in Freetown where the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councilors were present. They discussed the draft Fiscal Decentralisation Policy, and took concrete actions to support the capacity of councils across Sierra Leone to mobilise resources and deliver effective services. The Hon. Vice President held a similar meeting last week in Bo.In Kenema on Friday 9, he presided over and delivered the keynote address at the social protection Inter- Agency Forum where he said transitioning out of vulnerability requires more than social safety nets as it also involves building a solid economy that supports delivery of essential services to citizens.
▪Government is effectively working on the implementation of the recommendations of the tripartite committee recently shared to the relevant institutions cited in the recommendations. One such institution is the ECSL where they held a 2 day workshop on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 for Commissioners and Senior Staff to discuss tripartite recommendations for Sierra Leone’s electoral reform processes.
▪Telling your own story in an effective manner to reimagine your culture and identity can only be done through civic education. That is why the Ministry of Informarion and Civic Education (MOICE) held a one-day high-level dialogue on the draft National Civic Education strategy and accompanying policies, including the National Media and Information Policy, The National Film Policy and the National Records and Archives Policy.. It attracted senior government officials, partners, civil society organisations, and the media. MOICE has crafted a comprehensive Civic Education strategy aimed at fostering a well-informed and citizenry participation.
▪On May 14th 2024, President Bio delivered the keynote address at the first ever Clean Cooking Summit in Paris where he outlined his government’s strategic initiatives to prioritize access to clean cooking.The fruit of that was seen Wednesday August 7 as the Deputy Minister of Energy l,Dr. Eldred Taylor, signed an Implementation Agreement with Delagua Group for the supply of thousands of cook stoves. The ministry is also working with an investor to sign an agreement in the next few weeks for a further 220,000 stoves which would be distributed free of charge to the rural communities across the country.
▪The African Union Chairman Committee of 10 Heads of State for the Reform of the United Nations Security Council and also serving on the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio, who has led his country to the United Nations Security Council and is now its President for August, made a working visit Wednesday 7th to Burkina Faso where he was received by the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. Both leaders spoke about regional challenges and reinforced their shared commitment to regional security, development and unity of West Africa and to understand the issues in Burkina Faso and the Sahel.
▪Taking the global stage, President Bio Friday 9th arrived in New York to preside over a High-Level Debate on United Nations Security Council Reform. This unprecedented debate is among the key initiatives under Sierra Leone’s presidency of the UN Security Council, which began on August 1st 2024.
