Popular journalist, Amadu Lamrana Bah, has raised concerns regarding significant disagreements within the Sierra Leonean government regarding who deserves credit for the recent signing of the US$480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Program.
In a Facebook post, Bah highlighted conflicting statements made by key government officials during a recent cocktail event in Washington, D.C.
President Julius Maada Bio publicly thanked Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh for his efforts in securing the MCC Compact, noting that Jalloh diligently tracked every indicator of the MCC Scorecard and collaborated effectively with Ndeye Koroma and her team.
First Lady Fatima Bio echoed this sentiment on her Facebook page, praising the Vice President for his “no noise” approach and successful delivery of the program.
Bah disclosed that the narrative shifted when Chief Minister, Dr. David Sengeh, revealed that he played a crucial role in lifting the Congressional hold on the MCC Compact. Dr. Sengeh disclosed that his one-hour meeting with a Congressional staff member was instrumental in moving the agreement forward.
“I went to Congress last week to meet with a staffer, who had held our MCC Compact on hold. For one hour, we had a one-on-one, which led him to lift the hold that allowed us to sign eventually,” Dr. Sengeh stated, emphasizing the importance of that dialogue in overcoming the obstacles.
The agreement is set to be reviewed by the Cabinet before proceeding to Parliament for ratification. Once ratified, the MCC Compact will enter an eighteen-month preparatory phase, focusing on addressing the electricity transmission challenges in Sierra Leone over the next five years.
As the government prepares for the implementation stage of the program, Bah expressed hope that the internal disagreements among officials will not hinder progress in managing the substantial funds involved.
