By Sulaiman Jalloh
President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday, August 6th, 2024, delivered the State of the Nation’s Address in Parliament, promising more reforms and developments. The address is in adherence to Section 84(3) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
According to the head of state, politics is a pathway to governance and that after election, governance should be handled with equality, saying citizens have entrusted them their hope and trusted while encouraging meaningful dialogue. “We can work together for the betterment of Sierra Leone,” he said.
He maintained that his government has passed a historic gender and women empowerment law, thus encouraging more participation of women in governance and decision-making.
Speaking on national cohesion, he said the cross-party reforms will strengthen democracy, while encouraging all parties to treat the Tripartite Committee recommendations with urgency, including his party and the main opposition All Peoples Congress party, while thanking all citizens who remain committed to maintaining peace and stability in the country despite the security breach experienced, emphasizing the importance of peace in nation-building.
He added that his government has developed a national medium term development agenda for 2030, saying ‘no government will succeed without a national development plan’, adding it guides the country to achieve success in line with the African Agenda 2063.
His Excellency emphasized that his government has prioritized agriculture and food security, pointing out that they are the cornerstone of a nation’s development and prosperity, while recalling his last state of the nation address and that Feed Salone initiative will play a robust role in enhancing the country’s agricultural food value chain. He mentioned improvement in rice production, research and quality input for key value chains, including cocoa and yam, and development of agric business. He continued that his government first supported the production of sardine and eggs and the construction of thirty-five feeder roads across the country to improve access to farms.
He also spoke on human capital development, education and skills training, saying beyond feeding citizens, human capital development is crucial to improving the country’s population and that investment in education will improve the country’s foreign direct investment. “Rural development is crucial to the nation’s development and prosperity,” the President noted.
President Bio spoke on diverse issues including the economy, health care, gender quality and women’s empowerment.
