By Alhaji Haruna Sani
In his handing over speech delivered at the Ministry of Works and Public Assets, Hon. Peter Bayuku Konteh, the outgoing Minister, said he had neither sold any government asset ,gave freehold to anyone, nor approve the construction of any building on government land over the past five years.
Hon. Peter Bayuku said except for the construction of a temporary structure by the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank at the grounds of Youyi Building, he had never rented any government confiscated house or personalised any government asset.
In her welcome remarksearlier on, J.C Jones, Permanent Secretary,Works Ministry said everything in the sun must one day comes to an end and if humans realised that, the world would be a better place for everyone.
She bade farewell to the outgoing minister and welcomed the new minister to the ministry.
As he presents a comprehensive Handing-Over-Note that outlined the Ministry’s mandate, functions, and ongoing tasks to the new Minister, Dr. Denis Sandy and his Deputy, the former minister expressed his gratitude for the opportunity given to him by President Bio to serve Sierra Leone over the past five years.
While receiving the Handing-Over-Note from the outgoing minister, the new Minister,Dr. Denis Sandy assured staff that he will not promote, demote, favour or disservice anyone.
“I am here just to recalibrate the way you have been doing things to tailor it in line with the aspiration of the New Direction mandate. Here in the capital, we will make sure that potholes in all major streets are covered so that President Bio and all other citizens will be driving smoothly on the roads,” he said
He promised to pour new and fresh energy into the staff of the ministry so that they could speed up in delivering and further promised a mutual respect to each other.
Hon. Konteh said individuals who want to do enquire related to government assets should direct such enquiries to the National Assets and Government Property Commission, while on road contracts and payments, enquires should be addressed to the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) management. Financial and project-related queries were to be directed to the Permanent Secretary and the Professional Head of the Ministry.
He added that the Ministry’s Internal Audit Unit had diligently cross-checked the items in his office, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Hon. Konteh expressed his gratitude to the dedicated staff of the Ministry, acknowledging their professionalism and hard work. He commended the Permanent Secretary, secretaries, office assistants, budget officer, accountant, procurement officer, personal secretary, and IT unit for their contributions to the Ministry’s achievements.
Statements were made by representatives from the National Assets and Government Property Commission and the Sierra Leone Roads Authority all expressing their supports to the new minister.
During his tenure, Hon. Konteh served as both the Minister of Trade & Industry and the Minister of Works & Public Assets. He said despite facing numerous challenges, he made achievements with the available resources and manpower. The Handing-Over-Note provided the new Minister and Deputy Minister with a detailed understanding of the Ministry’s structure, agencies under its supervision, and financial standing.
Some staff members expressed their overall sentiment towards Minister Konteh, describing him as a person of integrity, a team player, and someone who prioritized achieving results. They expressed their sadness at his departure and wished him well.
