By: MoS Media Team
Staff members of the Ministry of Sports (MoS) and National Sports Authority (NSA) gracefully received the Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa on his visit to the Ministry on Friday August 13th, 2021.
The Permanent Secretary S.O.Z Alghalie formally welcomed the CM and thanked him for his consideration to visit the MoS. He further noted that at the Ministry of Sports, staff members only speak one language which is “Sports”, and that the Ministry is working in the drive of President Bio’s agenda, which has ensured the safe qualification of Leone Stars to AFCON 2022 in Cameroon.
Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh spoke on the importance of the visit of the Chief Minister Mr. J.J Saffa, citing that the visit was to assess proposals and MoS and NSA’s determination to promote sports in accordance with HE Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction Agenda
He further assured the Chief Minister of the Ministry’s readiness in ensuring that the needful is done. “The Sports Ministry is a force to reckon with; it has delivered and will continue to deliver by bringing more laurels to the government and the people of Sierra Leone through participation”, Minister Nyelenkeh added.
Chief Minister in his statement congratulated the National Team Leones Stars, MoS, NSA, SLFA and Sierra Leoneans for their roles in qualifying the country to AFCON. He briefly explained that he was at the Ministry to get a clear understanding of the MoS and NSA’s deliverables and challenges they are facing.
Defining his role as CM, Mr. J.J Saffa noted that the major function of his office is to coordinate, facilitate, monitor and follow up on Presidential decisions. “A lot of things can be made simple when the Office of the Chief Minister is being used accordingly by Ministers through their respective ministries”, he noted.
He talked about information sharing and collaboration with other Ministries through his office so that progress activities and work plans can be captured into a processing digital system platform for easy access of all applications of data.
He encouraged the Minister through his ministry to develop an uninterrupted and sustainable approach for funding and infrastructural development in the Ministry.
The CM also called on the Sierra Leone Football Association to be supportive to the Ministry of Sports with infrastructural development. He assured workers of Stadium Management of government’s support but however expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of proper management of the facility. “It’s sometimes worrisome when we cannot take care of our assets. If I am not mistaking, stadium is one of government’s largest properties but cannot be managed properly leading to international embarrassment”.
He emphasized on the expedition of the Sports Funds Project, chronologically planned framework of activities and assured that government will continue to deliver and provide the rest for its people and the Sports Ministry.
Steven Kelfala, Director at the National Sports Authority presented a strategic plan approach to ensuring that sports development continues and reaches the highest level.
The Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh highlighted the challenges the Ministry of Sports is facing and kindly pleaded with the Chief Minister to come to their aid in order to enable them get professional wing staff, proper office space and vehicles to continue with the good work of the MoS.
The visit captured the interest of major stakeholders in the sports fraternity as the newly elected president of SLFA Thomas Daddy Brima, Secretary Chris Kamara, Executive Director of NSA Dr. Kenneth Brima, Deputy Executive Director Abdulrahman Swarray and the Deputy Minister of Sports Kai Lawrence M’bayo were all in attendance.