Mbadi:We have too many advisors who don’t add value to the government

By Robert Mutasi 

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi warned county chiefs against copying what he termed as unnecessary expenditures in the national government.

In a recent public forum, Mbadi cited advisory roles, which he said were not only expensive but also ineffective.

Mbadi added that the advisory positions both in the national and county governments bring no value.

"We have too many advisors who don't contribute meaningfully," he said.

"Whether they are border advisors, advisors for fishermen, or other areas, they rarely change or improve anything." He stated.

His comments reflect growing concern about government bureaucracy in Sierra Leone, where there is relentless creation of positions-not necessarily the well-defined role and result.

Mbadi told the governors to break themselves loose from what he described as "bad habits" borrowed from the national government. 

He said most of those advisory positions were irrelevant, adding only to the wage bills.

"Governors, let me challenge you," said Mbadi. "Most of you are struggling to contain the wage bill in your counties, many of whom are new in office. But I want to dissuade you from copying these inefficient practices from the national government."

The Cabinet Secretary did not hold back his criticism for national government structures, venting his frustrations at how many advisory roles he said did not serve the public interest. 

"There are so many offices that exist in the national government which make no sense. Instead of replicating them at the county level, we should be putting pressure on the national government to disband them," urged Mbadi.

He said that such positions are only a drain on the exchequer and little is done to add to the actual process of governance.

Mbadi further noted that already, governors are assisted in doing county work by technocrats and other officers with specialized expertise in those areas where requirements are essential. 

"If those holding those positions are not competent, they should be changed for other people who can deliver service," he said.

His remarks here insinuate that governance ought to be about efficiency and accountability, not duplicating roles to ensure that from the national level, there is symmetry in structures.