His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the newly approved Ministers and Deputy Ministers at State House, in fulfillment of a constitutional requirement for such public officials as ministers and their deputies.
He congratulated the ministers and their deputies, reminding them that he was doing so knowing that their tasks were no mean jobs and describing them as humongous and complicated with expectations that did not have standards. He added that still, as a team, they should work toward exceeding citizens’ expectations.
“We have the soft power of intellect. We have been identified as one of the most intelligent groups in Africa. I have chosen an interesting mix of people in my cabinet, and I am hopeful that I will receive a dividend from you towards ensuring that we deliver in the interest of our people. For me, this is a national task, and it is our duty. Whosoever comes from anywhere is mere assistance to us.
“Sierra Leone is a great country. We are a very interesting group of people. We only need to work together because the nature of domestic politics is such that it divides us all the time. We should not let that division stand. We can always come back together and move this nation. I am excited and I look forward to working with this group,” the President assured.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr Sao-Kpato Hannah Isatta Max-Kyne, on behalf of her colleague ministers, thanked President Bio for giving them the privilege to serve with him in his executive for the next five years. She joined Sierra Leoneans to applaud the President for giving them the kind of demography to serve in the cabinet.
“His Excellency, my colleagues have worked in different capacities, and they have the knowledge and the experience, which is what we believe propelled you to select us among many qualified Sierra Leoneans to serve in this privileged position. We owe it to our families, we owe it to our communities, our constituencies, and the people of Sierra Leone, to make sure that we deliver our services without fear or favour, without any prejudices, to be able to support you as you go into your second term of delivery,” she assured.