Njala University Hosts the Leadership of the Civil Service

In his address as Host of the programme, the Director of PSRU, Mr Sulaiman Phoray-Musa said the essence of the symposium is to enhance collaboration and partnerships between the universities and government agencies so-as-to foster synergies and collective efforts to complex issues and challenges.

He informed the students that they are extremely lucky to have in their midst eminent personalities with distinguished carreers and wealth of experience in the civil and public service and encourage them to ask questions that will broaden their knowledge and demystify their thoughts about the civil and public service.

The Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs, Mr. Amara Kallon, said in implementing cluster five of the Big 5 Game changer, revamping the Public Sector Architecture, the leadership will focus on reviewing obsolete policies and acts in line with the Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), Result based Management Systems and Capacity Building. He said public officials have to give account of the stewardship which is why public servants have to be assessed on what they deliver so that service delivery will be enhanced.

The Minister also emphasized the need for capacity building so the civil and public servants will be empowered to deliver on their mandate.
The Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service Mr. John Sumaila dilated on the numerous reforms that have been implemented within the civil service, particularly focusing on Institutional and Legal Reforms, Pay Reforms and Performance Management. These reforms he said are geared towards improving efficiency, transparency, accountability and responsiveness in Government operations.

He pointed out that reforms seek to modernize systems, enhance merit-based recruitment and promotion, streamline bureaucracy, reduce corruption and foster better service delivery to citizens.

The Chairman Public Service Commission (PSC), Mr. K.O. Bah said his institution is constitutionally mandated to recruit, promote, transfer and dismiss civil servants on a merit based, maintaining that recruitment is done based on competence.
Mr. K. O Bah gave the assurance that applicants for positions in the civil service needs to trust the recruitment process as the procedures are fair and transparent and merit based.

The Presidential Adviser on Governance, Dr. Emmanuel Gaima gave a historical perspective of governance from the pre-colonial era to the era of kings and queens where citizens fate are being determined by individuals. He stated that as society as society progresses and population increase, society became more complex, which presupposes that people wanted to be ruled by people they themselves could have voted into office.