Freetown, Sierra Leone, Monday 29 October 2018 – His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has met a high-level delegation from the European Union (EU) mission in Sierra Leone at State House, where he discussed progress and pledged his government’s commitment to inclusive governance.
He said for a very long time bad politicians had divided the country during political periods along political or tribal lines but assured that his government was determined to change that narrative. He disclosed that his government was working on plans to set up a national commission on reconciliation that would work toward uniting the nation, adding that only a united nation would promote sustainable development.
The President recalled that although his administration inherited a nearly bankrupt economy, they had been able to carry out some of their priority development projects with internally generated funds, thanks to robust reforms to enhance revenue generation to help the development process. He also assured of his total commitment to an effective administration of the state and, at the same time, to end the culture of corruption in the country.
“My government has been very fair with our appointments, which makes us reflect a national face as opposed to what my critics would say. My critics have always named our quest to fight corruption as a witch hunt but I have always said we do not have time for witch hunt because we have so much on our hands and we do not want to look back. We want to make sure that the little we get is properly managed and we end the culture of corruption with impunity.
“Among other things, the EU has always told us that we cannot engage in genuine development without taking on the challenge of corruption in this country. I have described corruption as a national security threat. We have to draw the line to inform people, including those in my own government, that corruption is unacceptable and that if we talk about development, it starts with a solid anti-corruption move. We are making conscious efforts to let everyone know that there is a cost for corruption so that people can avoid it,” he said.
He commended the EU for its support to Sierra Leone, saying that the union had been a very supportive partner to the country. He said his administration was looking into more areas of partnership with the EU.
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