SABI hosts national service summit
Strengthening Community-Led Accountability for Improved Service Delivery in Sierra Leone commonly called Strengthening Accountability Building Inclusion (SABI), a citizen led accountability progamme aimed at bringing together communities and national stakeholders held its inaugural national service summit on 6th December, 2017 at the Sierra Leone Bank Complex at Kingtom to promote dialogue between citizens and state actors to enable figure out lasting solution that will improve service delivery across the country.
The Chairman of the ceremony, Mr. Ibrahim Jalloh, said he appreciated the donors and organizers for making the event a success.
He lamented that many a time, politicians refer to the youths as future leaders not leaders, problem shooters, destructive elements and liabilities. He called on the young people to disassociate themselves from being liabilities and make themselves into assets and transform their boys’ quarters to headquarters.
He noted that youths are under-used simply because the right privileges to make them useful are seriously lacking.
The Chairman, Head of the Bombali Youth Council, said SABI has push and pull approaches that enable citizens and state actors to engage and discuss issues.
The Service Summit comprised of members of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, non-Governmental organizations, media companies, Ward Development Committees, Councilors and Paramount Chiefs.
The SABI four year project is being led by Christian Aid and implemented by key international partners and Sierra Leone partners with funds from United Kingdom Aid.
In recent times, SABI has conducted many perception surveys to ascertain people’s experiences of using basic public services like health, education and social protection, water and energy.
SABI’s Head of Programs, Mr. Saiku M. Bah, said from hospitals and schools, to water and energy, improving essential service is the key in breaking the barriers to development, unlocking national potentials and creating an environment where people can thrive.
He further stated that the summit is a unique opportunity to hear voices of women and men about issues that affect their lives thereby overcoming the challenges identified in the citizens’ perception survey and step up to work for the betterment of the society.
The four year project undertaken is communicating of Presidential Recovery Priorities, entitlement to services through national radio programmes and discussions.
It strengthens community structures such as Ward Development Committees and community based organizations, facilitating relationships for problem solving between state service providers and communities and members of the SABI consortium which includes Social Development Direct, Restless Development and the Sierra Leone Aid Volunteers, Social Enterprise Development and Rehabilitation and Development Agency.
By Donstance Koroma
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