…OGI takes the lead
January 23, 2017By Mohamed Massaquoi
With an eye towards the promotion of good governance, accountability and transparency in Sierra Leone, President Ernest Bai Koroma has now determined to strongly work with the Open Government Initiative (OGI) to put together programmes in order to scrutinise certain public and private institutions in the country.
The public accountability strategy by the OGI would scrutinise, the National Telecommunications Commission, NATCOM, the Right to Access Information Commission, GSM operators and institutions directly dealing with the President Ebola Recovery Process.
In an interview with Concord Times, the Director of OGI, Madam Khadija Sesay, said their Governance and Accountability Project would promote transparency and oversee critical issues within governance.
She said last year, her organisation concluded three days stakeholders meeting each across the regions of Makeni, Bo and Kenema to interact with stakeholders and enhance citizen’s engagement on good governance systems.
She noted that the pilot focus would be the Ebola Recovery Priority set up by government and to effectively analysis the success and failures, adding that in the implementation of the Ebola Recovery, the 644 toll Free Line would serve as an entering point for the public accountability project.
She added that President Ernest Bai Koroma was heavily interested in and supportive of their activities in ensuring that citizens fully participate in governance, accountability and transparency in the day today administration of Sierra Leone.
“We will encourage citizens to send in their views on how certain governance institutions operate and the services they render to the people of Sierra Leone. Also, we are concerned about the GSM operators- the National Telecommunications, the Right to Access Information Commission among others because the principles of open government have been established on the notion that the strength and vibrancy of nations depend on an active civil society and robust engagements between governments and their citizens to advance shared goals of peace, prosperity and the well-being of all. Using various media avenues, OGI will continue to solicit public participation on what is happening in their respective communities,” she said.