Amara Kallon, serving as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs, convened with Prof. Dr. Saleh El Sheikh, the esteemed head of Egypt’s Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA), within the halls of the Public Administration Centre in Cairo. This gathering underscored the enduring partnership between Egypt and Sierra Leone.
Minister Kallon extended sincere appreciation for Egypt’s substantial support and elucidated that the purpose of the visit was to advance pillar 5 of President Bio’s transformative agenda, “Big Five Game Changers – Transforming the Public Service Architecture.” This particular pillar is dedicated to augmenting efficiency and professionalism within Sierra Leone’s public sector. Conversations revolved around the restructuring of public service priorities to better cater to the populace. Key topics included the establishment of the Ministry of Political and Public Affairs, currently engaged in defining its vision, responsibilities, and the crafting of a comprehensive public service act. This act encompasses civil service appraisal systems, promotion protocols, incentive mechanisms, and the introduction of a mortgage system aimed at enabling civil servants to own property, thus mitigating corruption. The minister underscored that collaboration with Egypt will facilitate Sierra Leone’s implementation of vital workforce reforms crucial for realizing its Medium-Term National Development Goals. Egypt’s involvement will be instrumental in fostering south-south cooperation for Africa’s holistic development.
Prof. Dr. Saleh El Sheikh warmly welcomed the Sierra Leonean delegation, emphasizing the pivotal role of modernizing human resource management in the reform of public administration. He highlighted the considerable portion of public spending allocated to civil servant wages, necessitating a more efficient, transparent, and service-centric civil service. He affirmed Egypt’s eagerness to collaborate with Sierra Leone in this endeavor.
Kalilu O. Bah, head of Sierra Leone’s Public Service Commission, underscored the commission’s longstanding commitment to effective service delivery management. He acknowledged the public’s clamor for enhanced administration efficiency, bolstered human rights protection, and strengthened governance. Additionally, he mentioned the establishment of the Wages and Compensation Commission to rectify wage disparities within the public service.
Sadiq Silla, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Egypt, reiterated the embassy’s dedication to facilitating this partnership, which aligns harmoniously with a broader military agreement between the two nations. Establishing an efficient human resource management system is deemed imperative for the realization of President Bio’s “Big Five Game Changers.”
Sulaiman Phoray Musa, Director General of the Public Service Reform Unit (PSRU), expressed keen interest in assimilating insights from Egypt’s public sector reform model. The PSRU aims to enhance civil service allure by improving incentives, operationalizing performance management strategies, and implementing the Wages and Compensation Commission.
The meeting further explored avenues for accessing international support for the seamless implementation of the new Public Service Law and advancing digitalization and e-government initiatives. This comprehensive strategy is poised to reshape Sierra Leone’s performance management framework, elevate human resource management training standards, and align qualifications to foster organizational growth.
Noteworthy attendees included Ambassador Ashraf, National Chairman of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM); Samuel Alie Kargbo, Counsellor/Head of Chancery at Sierra Leone Embassy in Cairo; Mohamed Abel, Judge and Legal Adviser; Assistant Minister of Restructuring Abel Haggag; Media Adviser Dr. Sumaiya Hanafi; Head of IT Dept. Dr. Ahmad Bashion, and Mona Zaghloul, Secretary to the Ambassador.
