NEWS > Commentaries Finance Minister Fails President Koroma’s Performance Contract Posted by on Jan 13, 2010, 06:30

President Ernest Bai Koroma so-called ministerial contract for Cabinet Ministers in the APC government has been described as another political gimmick devised by State House to play on the intelligence of gullible supporters of the party and the International Community.  The impression from the Presidency to the people is that the life span of ministers of the APC government is based on satisfactory and prudent performance. This arrangement was widely accepted as a move in the right direction, which would force serving ministers to give their best and weed out unproductive ministers in the APC government. 

Meanwhile, evaluation results of the ministers for 2009 has not only exposed the gimmick, but equally highlighted the compromised position of the President regarding some of his ministers who since their engagement has failed to live up to the terms and conditions of the contractual agreement. The question posed by many political observers is what is the rational for contract when failed and unproductive ministers are still occupying their offices and are receiving salaries and other allowances from the consolidated fund for non performance.

What came out clearly from several political debates in certain quarters about these ministers is that President Ernest Bai Koroma is not only experiencing difficulties in replacing them, but equally so pampering them thus giving rise for their poor performance in office. The rating done so far by the Office of the Presidency at State House pegged the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development at 28%. The Finance Ministry is headed by a retired IMF/World Bank officer by the name of Dr. Samura Kamara. The name Dr. Samura Kamara is not strange in the politics of Sierra Leone any longer and with past governments and juntas. If he is not in the SLPP he is in the APC or the NPRC and has always fought his way to work at the Ministry of Finance using uncivilized and undemocratic ways to occupy the seat of Finance Minister. His 28% has brought no surprise to the general populace especially those who are close to him and know him as an individual whose performance is always far below average. “This is the individual President Koroma relies upon to turn the economy of the country” A retired international diplomat with knowledge about him remarked.

It would be recalled that when President Koroma assumed office he appointed Dr. Samura Kamara as the Country’s Central Bank Governor. At the Central Bank his presence was not only meaningless, but made no impact and because of that he fought his way and promised that if posted to the Ministry of Finance he would initiate economic policy that would move the country further. At the Ministry of Finance the situation degenerated as evident in the rating done by State House. While other Cabinet Ministers in other ministries such as the Ministry of Information and Communication headed by the former President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo 68% and President Koroma 71% the Country’s Finance Minister with all his IMF/World Bank experiences is struggling down the ladder.

Since posted to the Finance Ministry, the country’s economy has been in a bad and ugly shape “He is just an empty man put in charge by a President who admires empty Doctoral Degrees” A member of the opposition who worked with him when he was Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance fumed.  In line with Dr. Samura Kamara’s dismal performance according to the scores is the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Local Government headed by the fragile senile tribalist, Hon. Dauda Kamara whose ministry’s recent performance in the Chieftaincy Election left so many Sierra Leonean with the conclusion that he is typical of the old APC with 26%.

Also the Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports headed by another Doctoral Degree holder by the name of Dr. Minkailu Bah, a former Lecturer of the University of Sierra Leone (FBC), scored 22%. Dr. Minkailu’s education policy since he assumed office is a curse to the Ministry of  Education as results of all public examination from 2007 to date clearly showed that he is not the right man for the office despite his academic qualification. The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Political Affairs headed by Hon. Alpha Kanu scored 30%, not different from what his predecessor scored