By Foday Moriba Conteh
On the 2nd January 2021, the Parliament of Sierra Leone approved Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah Isatta Max-Kyne and Jimmy Batilo Songa as Commissioner and Deputy for the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA).
This follows weeks after their appointment by the President of Sierra Leone; His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio to serve in these capacities respectively.
NaCSA was established in 1996 as a Government Ministry known as the Ministry of National Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation with broad mandates to respond to the immediate humanitarian crisis that emanated from the civil war and to handle the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants.
The Commission has over the years evolved in terms of mandate and nomenclature. In 2001, the Commission was restructured and renamed the National Commission for Social Action through an Act of Parliament with the mandate to provide and engage in social relief programmes, promote community-based demand and sustainable development activities leading to the alleviation of poverty, and also improve on the speed of quality and impact of development initiatives. In 2019, Parliament passed the new NaCSA Act 2019 into law which makes the Commission a permanent Government institution.
Speaking to nominees and Members of Parliament, the Chairman Parliamentary Oversight Committee on NaCSA and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs)- Hon. Roland F. Kargbo advised the Presidential nominees to accelerate performance and seek technical support from Parliament. “… we have agreed on the basis of the result presented to us by the Committee on Appointments and Public Service that the nominees are adequately and carefully qualify to perform effectively at their various positions. For efficiency and effectiveness, we all agreed to make NaCSA a permanent entity in governance and since then, we are so far impressed with their work,’’ he concluded.
In making his submission, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament – Hon. Solomon Sengepoh Thomas stated that the people of Sierra Leone are expecting the nominees (after approval) to discharge their duty professionally and effectively. ‘’… this House is represented in microcosm by the Committee on Appointment and Public Service and I believe that the Committee has done a good work, I therefore urge this House to approve the nominees’’ he reiterated.
With unanimity, Sierra Leone Parliament debated and approved the ten reports of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service chaired by the leader of Government’s Business; Hon. Sahr Mathew Nyuma.
