Open Letter to Dr. David Tam Bayoh, from the Citizens’ Stakeholders Committee Secretariat. Date: 7th October, 2014 Dear Dr. David Tam Bayoh, I will like to meet with you to discuss how, the Citizens Stakeholders Committee (CSC) secretariat can become a regular contributor on your patriotic popular Monologue Radio Program. In my humble opinion, the temporary suspension of the program has affected the dissemination of credible information relating to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in our country and also the monitoring and evaluation of the efforts being made on the eradication of the disease. There is no doubt in my mind that the Monologue program would have positively contributed to the fight against the spread and eradication of the current Ebola Virus Outbreak. If the Monologue program had not been suspended, you would have focused most of your airtime on sensitization, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the reasons the infection rates have increased since the first case was confirmed over 6 months ago. Majority of fellow citizens have no doubt that you would have unearthed dubious activities in the disbursement and spending of Ebola Emergency Account Funds, the handling of suspected and confirmed cases; the handling of the Dead, and even the state of the Health Workers, and our health system in general. CSC Secretariat Background The formation of a CSC secretariat, meets a key recommendation made by Sierra Leoneans after over six months of nationwide consultations leading to the 2012 Conference on Development and Transformation. Citizens recommended that a Citizens Committee is setup for the sole purpose of “maintaining the momentum of change,” required for the transformation and development of Sierra Leone within 25 to 50 years.. The report on the conference describes the task of the conference as thus: ‘The task of the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation is to rethink our development path over the last 50 years with a view to charting a new trajectory that would take the country to middle income status by 2035, boasting indicators that confirm its stability as a state, and a level of welfare for its citizenry worthy of its status. The Conference is a continuous process to engender positive change in our society so that hope and optimism replace despair and distrust; and all Sierra Leoneans in the richness of our cultural differences will embrace one single objective: transformation to peace, happiness, and prosperity in our motherland” The importance of the conference was also emphasized by President Ernest Bai Koroma in his remarks at the 2013 launching of the AfP when he said: “Following the tremendous progress in implementing the Agenda for Change (2007–2012), we embarked on the preparation of the Agenda for Prosperity (2013 – 2018). Prior to this exercise, when Sierra Leone turned 50 in 2011, I constituted a Committee on Development and transformation, charged with the responsibility to take stock of the progress we have made as an independent nation over the last 50 years and to chart the way forward for the next 50 years. The Committee organized the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation, which came up with a number of outcomes; key among them is the aspiration of Sierra Leone to become a middle income country by 2035. In keeping with the aspiration of our people, we commenced work on the Agenda for Prosperity as the first five year road map towards this forward march.” Against this background, the CSC is tasked with monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the implementation process of the conference recommendations, in order to “maintain the momentum of change,” that will make it possible for the aspirations of the Sierra Leonean people to be realized. At this time of a National Health Emergency caused by the EVD outbreak, our discussions will focus on recommendations made on health, accountability and transparency especially in dealing with the deadly virus -- the efforts being made to eradicate or contain it. Please see related conference recommendations below: Health: • Launch a major drive for human resource development in this sector within a year. • Design programs for improving public health and sanitation including national health insurance scheme within 3 years Accountability and the rule of law • Design robust mechanisms to reinforce the rule of law within 3 years. • Introduce accountability for results at all levels to improve performance, and productivity within 3 years. • Launch comprehensive and sequenced program of results based (performance) management within 3 years.. • Enhance the integrity of the state security apparatus within 3 to 10 years.. • Initiate Security sector reform by publishing, reinforcing and monitoring capacity issues by public watchdog within 3 years. The mandate of the CSC secretariat is to “maintain the momentum of change” by “providing up-to-date information to the public on developments affecting the achievements of the conference’s objectives as described in the Road Map, through all forms of mass communications.” It is against the background that I solicit your invitation to the Monologue Program. Please contact me privately so that we may arrange a meeting. Thanks for your no-nonsense patriotic endeavors. “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” Haile Selassie I. Foday Morris Executive Secretary,
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 08:20:15 +0000
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