Former AYV journalist, Amadu Lamarana Bah, has advised Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio to consider attending meetings virtually to save on travel expenses. This suggestion follows a successful virtual meeting between President Bio and the CEO of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Alice Albright, held on Friday.
President Bio shared details of the meeting on Twitter, stating, “This afternoon, I had an engaging call with the CEO of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, Alice Albright @MCC_CEO. The MCC team and, by extension, the US Government is a great partners to the people of Sierra Leone.
As I stated today, my government remains fully committed to strengthening our
democracy and driving our economic development. The Compact that was recently
approved by the @MCCgov Board is a critical part of our plan for reforming our
energy sector, and we look forward to getting started on implementation.”
In response, Amadu Lamarana Bah commented,
“Hopefully, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio will be attending some of these
non-statutory meetings virtually to save some money. At least there’s Starlink
with some super-fast internet now to make those calls, and the office looks
comfortable too.”
President Bio has faced criticism recently for
frequent international travel since coming into power in 2018. Augustine
Sorie-Sengbe Marrah, a prominent lawyer and activist in Sierra Leone, shared
data on Twitter revealing that government overseas travel expenses have
amounted to approximately USD 28 million over the past six years.
In a recent interview, a senior citizen, who
chose to remain anonymous, expressed frustration over the President’s frequent
travels, suggesting that the money could be better spent on improving the
country’s healthcare system. The citizen criticized the President’s numerous
international engagements, questioning their benefits to the nation.
Imran Sillah, a member of the Strategic
Communications Unit, confirmed that state funds are used for President Bio’s
overseas travel for public lectures. When asked about the financial source for
these travel expenses, Sillah acknowledged that state funds are indeed utilized.
He also emphasized the importance of the social capital President Bio gains
during these engagements.
Amadu Lamarana Bah’s call for virtual meetings
comes at a time when many world leaders are adopting digital platforms for
non-essential meetings, a move seen as both cost-effective and environmentally
friendly. By embracing virtual meetings, President Bio could significantly
reduce travel expenses, allowing those funds to be redirected towards critical
domestic issues such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.