By Theresa Kef Sesay
Reports reaching this medium indicate that the President Bio’s led New Direction Government has fully paid the outstanding End of Service Benefits to former President Ernest Bai Koroma and political appointees of the opposition APC party.
Many political commentators have described this move by the Government as a good political gesture even thou it is the entitlement of the past officials.
To them, making these payments at this time when the country is grappling with the Corona Virus and stabilizing the economy that was battered by the former administration is something commendable.
On Monday 29th June 2020, the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Finance announced the payment of Le 31,463,583,085 to Former President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and other Political appointees as the outstanding end of service benefits.
It could be recalled that in 2019, the Government of Sierra Leone paid Le 38,708,975,799 to the said officials as first installment payment of their severance benefits, gratuities, and arrears of pensions that were not paid by the previous administration.
Additionally, the sum of Le 4,750,797,375 has also been paid to former Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the current administration as their final End of Service Benefits.
