Sierra Leone’s President Julius Masada Bio has slammed a temporary suspension of overseas travel by all government officials.
A memo from the presidency, dated August 1 and directed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which was leaked on social on Monday, said all Ministers, Ministers of State and other officials are allowed only to travel for occasions relating to Statutory engagements.
The statement signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Julius Sandi, said in any event any official is required to travel for statutory engagement they must get the approval of the president.
“Participation at statutory meetings must be cleared with his Excellency the President on the submission of a concurrence for the use of public funds,” the statement reads in part.
Although it didn’t provide any explanation for the decision, the statement will be highly welcomed by many Sierra Leoneans disgruntled with the state of affairs under an administration led by a president who campaigned to cut down on spending.
It is widely believed that many officials are on habit of traveling to pocket more per diem allowances.
But there are many other Sierra Leoneans who are not likely to be moved by this move, given that the president has been accused of being the most widely traveled Sierra Leonean president.
President Julius Maada Bio, as opposition leader, criticized his predecessor for his frequent travels, which he promised to cut down on. But former President Ernest Bai Koroma’s supporters say the new president has traveled in more places in less than two years than the number of travels Koroma made in the entirety of his first term of five years.
KC/abj/APA