By Joseph Allieu Sesay, NYS Corp (NP-SL Limited)
The President of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation (SLEF) and Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd), Kobi Walker, on the 25th May 2021 at the NP House, Cotton Tree, in Freetown hosted the National Youth Service Executive Director, Mohamed Onanah Jalloh and Deputy Executive Director, Paul Saffa Tapema and assured them of his support to the development of graduates in the areas of Corps Deployment and Training.
The Sierra Leone Employers Federation (SELF) was established in 1966 as a non-profit business association. It serves as the main employers’ organization in Sierra Leone. It has collaborated with hosts of businesses and organizations including the International Labour Organization (ILO) as well as the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC). SELF is part of the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency and is present on the Board of the National Social Security Trust (NASSIT).
Speaking on his support to the National Youth Service, Kobi Walker, who already has two (2) NYS Corps deployed at NP-SL Limited, assured the Executive Director of more deployment opportunities at NP SL Limited and SLEF Secretariat.
He commended the NYS Executive Director on Graduate Deployment Maximization and assured him that he will encourage the membership of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation to accept NYS Corps in their various institutions.
President Kobi Walker explained about the structures, functions and operations of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation and highlighted some of its achievements. He maintained that despite the outbreak of COVID-19 to date, his Federation has been working relentlessly with key partners to ensure that workers’ rights and conditions of service are well improved.
In his contribution, the Executive Director of the National Youth Service, Mohamed Onanah Jalloh applauded the efforts of the SLEF President and requested for support in the areas of training and deployment. He explained that the NYS came into being by an Act of Parliament in 2016 and implementation started in 2018.
He disclosed that the first batch of corps trained and deployed were 200 in 2018. He continued to explain that they later increased the number to 500 in 2019 and 800 in 2020 respectively.
Mohamed Onanah Jalloh explained some of the success stories of the NYS especially within the private sector and commented on the challenges with particular reference to the payment of stipends to serving Corp members.
Kobi Walker presented the Executive Director and his Deputy to Mr. Thomas, the Executive Secretary of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation (SLEF) and encouraged them to work on a Memorandum of Understanding.
