Ernest Koroma’s success at a glance

Two years has rolled on into the five year mandate given to Ernest Bai Koroma to captain the affairs of the country – Sierra Leone. Recent proclamations both by the President and some of his men in the cabinet, Ministry Departments and Agencies have reported considerable success in bettering the affairs of the people and state of the country. As much as we can agree with the President that some inroads have been made in certain areas; the fact remains that other areas of mass interest are considerably suffering.

This piece hopes to make a straight evaluation of two extremes lurking between the notion success his government and the cavernous reverse in sector that do not seem match.

Afsatu Kabbah and Freetown Electricity

Where there have been marked successes, one can hardly deny the reality. No one can deny that strides; no matter how little they, have not been made in the energy sector. Haja Afsatu Kabbah was reshuffled from the Ministry of Energy and Power but there was truly no indication that it was done because of underperformance of the Minister. If we can even boast of light in the capital post SLPP, the Lady Minister surely deserves her credit, even the devil as it said deserves it due.

She surely is a devoted servant of the government and the people. Let us even say she made the success she recorded in the Energy Ministry because she had Presidential backing as most would claim, but what about the monumental break through that has been done at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. Either way, she truly is a good and motivated servant. Same goes for the New

Ogunade Davidson and the Bumbuna Trail

Minister of the Energy and Power Prof. Ogunade Davidson it appears is doing his job but it is yet difficult to fully assess him since he is a new kid on the block.  Bumbuna has been achieved but what about the fact that it cannot entirely supply sufficient energy to even the city until the second phase comes through in 2015, six years from now. More work to be done!

IB Kargbo the Erudite

Let me quicken to bring in the erudite Minister of Information and Communication Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo whose personality as I always say matches his role as government spokesman. He has surely never failed in his duty as Minister of information and government spokesman, his is very difficult to criticize except but like I sometimes say he over defends the government and over educate the public on government strides.

His experience cannot be underestimated taking from the way in which he executes his duty in governance. But a word of caution one may like to offer here: I.B. Kargbo is involved in almost everything and sometimes seems to exaggerate government success, he must be careful there lest he ends up taking the blames if the government ends up failing the nation.

Finance: Flabby Economy

The Ministry of Finance is not a total success story. The economy is actually an insipid story, the Leones as it is, has plummeted under the flabby powers of the crawling dollar that has just begun recovering from the whippings of the economic downturn. Investment is zero and joblessness is the order of the day. Conditions of service are still the grubby old case; public servants could hardly live on their pay packets.

Marine Resources: the New Sensation

Marine Resources courtesy of the new Marine Minister is now a source of new hope for the rescuing of our economy. Recent discovery has it that if managed properly, the Marine resources of our country could earn us far more than the aged old Mineral exploit has done for the country.

Health: Little Success but Constrained

We know the health sector records only a little success as far as the 2015 MDGs are concerned but at the same time cannot ignore the fact that the Ministry is greatly constrained resource wise to carry out it function. 

The National Revenue: Life Line

The President made the right choice, much improvement and innovation has been brought into tax collection in the country-credit to the National Revenue Authority. Significant gains made by the NRA has not been left in the dark as the President has got cause to publicly proclaim that the emergence of the country from the dependency syndrome on donors vastly depends on the strides made by the NRA which he said is taking the lead in the agenda for change the country is currently working towards. 

NASSIT: Development Icon

Even if President Koroma had not stated that NASSIT is taking the lead in implementing development initiatives in the country, one would hardly miss such reality when bringing to light coveted successes in the Koroma Government.

Apart from the fact that a formidable pension base has been established in the country, NASSIT has not stopped at just that; series of development and investment port folio have been instituted to ensure that not only contributors enjoy the pension funds, the nation as a whole stand the chance to eat from the scheme.

Education: Sickening!

Education under the Koroma regime has recorded its lowest ever in like 15 years. Reforms are said to have be made when Minkailu Bah took over as Minister of Education but the reforms have turned out being a wrecking force on the successes that had already been recorded under the Alpha Tejan Wurie and Kabbah regime.

It is certainly sickening to see how rotten the educational system is degenerating into.

Tourism and Culture: As Good as Dead!  

The tourism and culture Ministry as a local tabloid once put it, is as good as dead. No progress, no marketing of Sierra Leone, the Minister it seems is too out of fashion to be able to manage such a notable marketing functionary. We certainly must call for change in that sector.

Foreign Affairs

Performs fairly well, represents the country to a very large extent but has been greatly questioned over strides made in the Yenga issue. Although we acknowledge that Yenga is a sensitive issue, but it nevertheless belong to us Sierra Leoneans and must get it back whatever sensible means is used to achieve that.

Transport and Aviation

No break through has ever been made, it seems the Minister there is just there by the mercy of the president and not from ground of merit. Ever since the cocaine saga; the aviation industry seems to have suddenly died.

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