By: Saidu Jalloh, Reporter, D.S
In a significant move to bolster institutional reform and governance excellence, His Excellency Brigadier (Retired) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has issued an Executive Directive that transfers the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process from the Ministry of Political and Public Affairs (MPAPA) to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED).
This directive, effective immediately, strategically repositions the APRM within the government’s development and accountability framework. It ensures the operational autonomy of the APRM National Secretariat, affirming its status as an independent technical and administrative body in line with the Revised APRM Statute. The Secretariat will maintain full authority over staffing, procurement, and program delivery, while the National Governing Council will remain strictly advisory, akin to oversight institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission.
In a notable diplomatic gesture, the APRM Executive Secretary has been tasked with formally notifying the APRM Continental Secretariat about this transition and introducing the Minister of Planning and Economic Development as Sierra Leone’s new APRM Focal Point.
Additionally, President Bio has directed the immediate resumption and acceleration of Sierra Leone’s Second-Generation Country Review, a vital element of the country’s governance evaluation process.
To facilitate this transition, an inter-ministerial taskforce led by Dr. Emmanuel A.R. Gaima has been established. The handover is expected to be completed within 30 days, with a new integration framework to be submitted to Cabinet within 60 days. This decisive action underscores President Bio’s “Big Five Game Changers” agenda and consolidates Sierra Leone’s leadership within the African Union’s continental governance structure.
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