By Alpha Abu
The vacant position of Finance Minister in the government of President Julius Maada Bio has been filled by veteran civil servant Dennis Vandi. His appointment will put to rest the debate of who was the fittest person to take up the Finance portfolio after the then minister Jacob Jusu Saffa was appointed Chief Minister. Saffa had over the past week superintended over the Finance Ministry.
The new Minister of Finance is a well- known figure whose appointment has been well received by many people in the public sector. Vandi had served in various ministries as Permanent Secretary. When President Bio took up office in 2018 he was appointed Secretary to the President but resigned his position months later following an issue related to the suspension of the Financial Acts. Later he was appointed Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security.
He was among those considered Persons of Interest in the Commissions of Inquiry set up by the government to look into the affairs of officials in Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs during the past APC administration. He stepped aside whilst the investigations continued. He was later absolved of any wrong doing. Vandi did not return to his ministry though but has moved on to the highly sensitive Finance Ministry.
Vandi is a well -known figure in Kenema. He has though quite a task at hand to help in stabilising the economy that has been beset with challenges some of which were brought about by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. How much positive development his appointment could bring to the Finance Ministry is yet to be proven.
Also Nabeela Tunis who was Foreign Ministry but lost her job in the reshuffle has been appointed Minister in the newly created Ministry of the Western Region.
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