By Mohamed Foday Conteh
West Africa Bureau Chief for Concord Times, Benjamin Gabriel has told journalists on Friday 1st October 2021 that his institution is ready to launch their 2021 summit that will take place on the 8th October this year.
“The summit is put together to provide a platform for policy makers, citizens, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), men of the media, youths to come together and have a conversation about good governance,” Gabriel said.
He said that the theme of the summit is ‘’Fresh Answers: the people, the citizens, good governance and post COVID-19 inclusive recovery’’. He said that COVID-19 has affected not only Sierra Leone but the world anfd that that his organisation is also concerned about the impact of COVID-19 in Sierra Leone and the Africa region as a whole.
The Bureau Chief said that it is on that basis that they have decided to bring in experts in governance and seasoned technocrats together to devise strategies geared towards the promotion of good governance. He said that most times people are unaware of the development strides of the government leading to disconnect between the citizens and government.
According to Gabriel, the summit aims to bridge the gap between the works of the government and the expectation of the citizenry. He said that the summit will address the development of a cohesive strategy to address the adverse effect of COVID-19.
The keynote address will be delivered by former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The Chairman of the event will be National Grand Coalition (NGC) Party Leader and Parliamentarian Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella.
Gabriel revealed that other seasoned experts like Medina Wesseh, Mano River Union (MRU) Secretary-General; Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown; Marcella Samba-Sesay, Executive Director and Chairperson of Campaign for Good Governance among others will speak on diverse topics including climate change, international cooperation, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and women’s participation in governance.
He said that they will also be releasing a Concord Times commemorative magazine during the summit, the essence of which is to put emphasis on the topics that will be discussed at the summit.
The Bureau Chief also disclosed the staging of Nation Builder’s Awards on the night of the summit. He said the award is to appreciate individuals and organisations that have engaged or contributed to the development of the nation.
Copyright © Politico Online (05/10/21)
