By Politico Writer
The new UNICEF Representative to Sierra Leone, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, has vowed to deepen the relation between the UN agency and the government has he assumed office.
Dr. Braimoh made the commitment on Wednesday as he formally presented his credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nabeela Tunis.
Dr. Braimoh, a Nigeria, succeeds Dr. Hamid El-Bashir whose has just ended his three year (2017-2019) tour of duty.
“My predecessors at UNICEF have worked closely with the Government of Sierra Leone towards meeting global commitments to children such as those in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals,” Braimoh said at the office of the Foreign Minister at Tower Hill.
“I would like to guarantee you that during my tenure, I will work closely with the Government to further deepen and strengthen the relations between UNICEF and Government as we focus on achieving more results for children,” he added.
UNICEF, otherwise known as the United Nations Children's Fund, is the specialized agency of the global body responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children around the world.
According to a statement from the UNICEF Country office on the presentation of the letter of Credence by Dr Braimoh, he now has the task of leading the implementation of the 2020 – 2023 Country Programme of Cooperation between UNICEF and the Sierra Leone Government.
In presenting the letter of Credence, Dr. Braimoh reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the Government of Sierra Leone towards improving the situation of children in the areas of Child Health and Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Child Protection and Education.
Foreign Minister Tunis praised the role UNICEF is playing as development partner to Sierra Leone and said she looked forward to continuing the close working relations that had been based on.
“We have had a cordial relationship with UNICEF over the past years, and we hope to maintain that with you at the helm of the organization,’” she stated.
The UNICEF news release revealed that Dr. Braimoh has had a long career with UNICEF, spanning over 21 years and serving in various capacities across the world, including in his home country of Nigeria, New York in the United States. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Chief of Programmes and Planning for South Asia.
Prior to his redeployment to Freetown, Briamoh served as UNICEF Representative for Liberia from 2016 to 2019.
The new UNICEF boss is a sociologist by training and his holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
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