By Mustapha Kamara Jnr
The opposition Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) has raised doubts about the chances of Sierra Leone succeeding in its post-Ebola development plan, citing manpower deficit in the government.
ADP fears that vacancies in some government ministries reduce their ability to perform effectively. In a statement signed by its chairman and leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, which was issued Tuesday, the opposition party named the vacant positions in the ministries of Trade; Works and Housing; and Tourism and Culture; as well as Defense, saying the strategic nature of these offices made it difficult if not impossible for the government to succeed without the key people in place.
“The lack of substantive ministers in those ministries, as a party we believe posses threat to the development of Sierra Leone as a country and as a people, especially during this post-Ebola Recovery Period,” Kamarainba said.
He said he believed that there were countless qualified Sierra Leoneans who were qualified and could be better administrators to fill the positions.
State House alone cannot effectively implement the recovery programmes, he added.
The issue of vacancies in ministerial positions has been a concern for many Sierra Leoneans and for a long time. The main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party took issues with it last year following the failure of the president to fill vacant positions created by his sacking of Alimamy P. Koroma as minister of Works and Mohmoud Tarawally as deputy minister I of education. Both offices are yet to be filled.
But ADP`s Mansaray believes President Koroma`s failure to appoint substantive ministers raises some issues about trust between him and the people who elected him.
“The party suspiciously views the act of the president to run those ministries from State House as a clear demonstration of telling Sierra Leoneans that they are not qualified to be ministers,” he said in his statement.
A government spokesman did not return calls for a reaction.
(C) Politico 13/08/15
