PSRU Continues Symposium on The Universities at The University of Makeni

The symposium which is organized by the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs, serves as an entering point to Higher Educational Institutions for the exchange of ideas and intellectual discourse as the University serves as the hub of knowledge, innovation, and critical thinking.

In his statement as guest speaker, the Minister for Public Administration and Political Affairs said the symposium provides a unique opportunity for students to get first hand information about the state of affairs within the civil service from high profile personnel that constitutes the leadership of the civil service. He urged students to learn from the expertise of the eminent speakers to shape their orison for future endeavors.

The Director Of PSRU, Sulaiman Phoray-Musa, said, the public sector has suffered progressive depletion of skilled manpower in the middle- and upper-level cadre that has adversely affected the implementation of critical policies, programmes and activities of government. He said, in spite of the several reforms that have been implemented across various sectors, the Public Service continues to struggle in sustaining some of the gains of reforms.

“Realizing that the success of government lies in a public service that focuses on professionalism, accountability and service delivery, His Excellency, the President has prioritized the “Revamping of the Public Service Architecture”, as the foundation upon which all other clusters can thrive,” he said.
The Public Symposium, he pointed out will presents a unique opportunity for students to take stock of the state of the governance architecture which includes the public administration structures, the possible gains that have been realized and the challenges faced as a country.

The Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, Mr. John Sumaila, gave a historical perspective of the various reforms since independence, ranging from structural adjustment programme, civil service reform, pay reforms and performance management. All these reforms, he noted, are geared towards creating efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.

The Presidential Adviser on Governance, Dr. Emmanuel Giama, said the essence of the symposium is to ensure that governance is taken to the doorstep of the students, as they are the future leaders. He said, the universities should have a fair knowledge of the governance and the public service architecture for them to make informed decisions and judgements.