Abdul Rashid Thomas<\/b><\/p>\n
Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. <\/strong><\/span>President Julius Maada Bio has this week announced his first group of ministers, following the decision of the main opposition All People\u2019s Congress (APC) Party to boycott the ruling SLPP government, including abstention from parliament by the party\u2019s elected MPs, Mayors and Local Councillors as a mark of protest against what the APC Party describes as \u201crigged presidential and general election results\u201d.<\/p>\n Calls by the international community and the opposition APC for the National Electoral Commission to publish all disaggregated polling station results to prove that the ruling SLPP won the presidential and parliamentary elections have fallen on deaf ears, as President Bio prepares his government for office for another five years.<\/p>\n Political tension is now at its highest in the country since 2018, and there is no sign of the election crisis coming to an end soon.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, early this week, President Bio named his first group of cabinet ministers which is largely made up of Northerners, in an attempt to dampen accusations of SLPP tribalism and win the support of the Northwestern Region \u2013 the APC party stronghold.<\/p>\n Two big changes in Bio\u2019s ministerial lineup are Dr. David Sengeh \u2013 the former minister for basic education who will be taking over from JJ Saffa as Chief Minister. It not clear whether Saffa will play any part in Bio\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n Also important is the sacking of Dr. David Francis (Photo)<\/b> as minister of foreign affairs. He has been replaced by Timothy Musa Kabba who is the former minister of mines. There are rumours Dr Francis may be sent to the United Nations to represent Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n The first group of ministers is as follows: Mohamed Lamin Tarawally \u2013 Attorney General & Justice Minister; Sheku Ahmed Fatmanti Bangura \u2013 Minister of Finance; Timothy Musa Kabba \u2013 Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Dr. Ramatulai Wurie (Haja) \u2013 Minister of Technical and Higher Education; Conrad Sackey Ibrahim \u2013 Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education; Ibrahim Alpha Sesay \u2013 Minster of Trade & Industry; Julius Mattai \u2013 Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources; Manty Tarawalie \u2013 Minister of State, Office of Vice President; Mrs Jeneba Bangura \u2013 Deputy Minister 1, Ministry of Finance; Mr Bockarie Kalokoh \u2013 Deputy Minister 2, Ministry of Finance; Mrs Francess Peagie Alghali \u2013 Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Mr Sarjoh Aziz Kamara \u2013 Deputy Minister, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education; Mrs Emily K. Gogra \u2013 Deputy Minister 1, Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education; Mrs Mamusu Massaquoi \u2013 Deputy Minister 2, Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education; Mrs Fatamata Wurie \u2013 Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry; Mr Umaru Napoleon Koroma \u2013 Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.<\/p>\n Other Appointments: Mr Mathew Dingie \u2013 Financial Secretary; Mr Yankuba Askia Bio \u2013 General-Manager, Sierra Leone Ports Authority; Mrs Judith Kosseh \u2013 Deputy Director-General, Sierra Leone Ports Authority; Mr. Brima Swarray \u2013 Commissioner-general, National Revenue Authority; Mrs Ann-Marie Harding \u2013 Deputy Commissioner-general 1, National Revenue Authority; Mr. Gerald Ganda \u2013 Deputy Commissioner-general 2, National Revenue Authority; Mr. Amara Brewah \u2013 Director-general, National Communications Authority; Mrs. Mariama Koroma \u2013 Deputy Commissioner-general, National Communications Authority.<\/p>\n The are still eighteen more ministerial vacancies to fill, including; Youth Ministry; Sport; Lands; Health; Agriculture; Environment; Social welfare & women\u2019s affairs; Children\u2019s Affairs; Political Affairs; Economic Development; Tourism; Fisheries; Internal Affairs; Defence; Information; Local Government; works; and Energy.<\/p>\n It is understood that these vacancies will be filled by loyal supporters of the President in the coming days.<\/p>\n The former parliamentary leader of the NGC Party \u2013 Dr Kandeh Yumkella who left his NGC party to form an alliance with the SLPP, may be rewarded with a ministerial appointment to fill either the Energy or Economic Development portfolio.<\/p>\n For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Abdul Rashid Thomas Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. President Julius Maada Bio has this week announced his first group of ministers, following the decision of the main opposition All People\u2019s Congress (APC) Party to boycott the ruling SLPP government, including abstention from parliament by the party\u2019s elected MPs, Mayors and Local Councillors as a mark of protest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":20025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[291,293,292],"class_list":["post-20026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-sierra-leone","tag-sierra-leone"],"yoast_head":"\n