(NCRA, Friday 15 January 2021)
The Director-General of the National Civil Registration Authority, Mohamed Mubashir MASSAQUOI has held a one day working meeting with Senior Management staff of the Authority at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall, on George Street, Freetown.
The meeting was attended by District Registration Officers (DROs) from all the 17 offices across the country including Falaba and Bonthe Island, Regional Registration Officers (RROs) from the 5 regions and senior management staff from Headquarters.
The DG’s maiden engagement with senior management staff of the Authority for the year 2021, speaks volume of the fact that the Authority under the astute leadership of Mohamed Mubashir MASSAQUOI is ready to ensure that the NCRA continues to work in the implementation of its mandate and the New Direction Agenda of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
In his address to the staff, the Director- General expressed thanks to all Senior Staff present, particularly Districts and Regional staff for attending the meeting despite the long traveling distance. The DG commended staff for their hard-earned support towards his leadership and for their diligent, efficient and effective work for the NCRA throughout last year. He said that despite the COVID-19 outbreak that weighed on the activities of the Authority, the NCRA was able to make gains in the implementation of its mandate and activities. He said that the successes recorded by the Authority in 2020 was not due to his mere effort or hard work but rather, the collective effort of every staff of the NCRA. “Our diligent and efficient work as a family in strengthening Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management in the country has restored much confidence in the system among our international partners,” Mr. MASSAQUOI affirmed.
Mr. MASSAQUOI noted that the significance of the meeting was to reflect on the tremendous work done so far in 2020 by the NCRA and its various Departments in ensuring that Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management becomes a functional tool for development in Sierra Leone. He added that the meeting will also serve as a platform for deliberations, suggestions and presentation of action plan for 2021 following reflection of 2020. He said that the meeting was also for staff to have a feel of the enormous work they are performing towards the development of the NCRA and the country as a whole.
“We agreed to have this meeting because we want to have a feel of all of you and for you all to feel that we are all in this game together,” the DG said.
Highlighting the successes the Authority recorded in 2020 and since his appointment in 2018 by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, the DG noted that it is now that the NCRA has become a critical institution in the development process of the country. The NCRA, the DG reported, has been able to support Government in restoring the integrity of the payroll of Government by making it accountable and predictable. “This is a feat that many successive past Governments were unable to achieve,” but has been made possible under President Bio’s leadership MASSAQUOI said. He also stated that the NCRA plays a crucial part in vetting the identity of anyone being recruited into the Civil/Public Service.
The DG reported that in 2020, the Authority was able to gain support from donor partners to initiate the review of the laws that the NCRA is working with and to harmonize legislations that are in conflict with the work of the Authority.
The successful biometric verification of Chiefdom functionaries in November last year was also another achievement by the NCRA and the Government of Sierra Leone that the DG highlighted of the NCRA. He added that Sierra Leone was also among 9 African countries to be considered for the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda – UNLIA. In achieving all of these successes mentioned and many others despite the COVID – 19 outbreak, the DG said that it was as a result of the collective effort and support of each and every staff of the institution towards his leadership.
The DG informed Senior Staff that he had made a lot of effort to gain more financial support from Government through the Ministry of Finance for the successful implementation of the activities and programs of the NCRA in 2021. He reported that the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Finance has agreed to construct 5 regional CRVS and ID Management offices in the country and has expressed commitment to supporting the refurbishment of 5 district offices in Kailahun, Kenema, Pujehun, Moyamba and Tonkolili and the procurement of brand new vehicles for the NCRA has also been approved. The DG encouraged staff to thank His Excellency for his continued support toward NCRA and the leadership of the Ministry of Finance for their ceaseless support towards strengthening CRVS & ID management in the country.
According to the DG, he has had constructive engagements with the Finance Ministry and the Development Partners to support the NCRA with motorbikes to ease the constraints in the field when collecting data on vital events and to ease access to hard to reach places in the Country.
Mr. MASSAQUOI also reported that he is galvanizing support from the EU, Irish Aid, UNDP, UNICEF to increase support towards the CRVS programme and thanked them highly for their valuable support toward the NCRA. The DG also noted that through the Ministry of Finance, he has approached the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB) to support the strengthening of CRVS & ID Management in order to make it functional and interoperable.
The DG announced that during the maiden meeting of the Board of the Authority held on 10th December 2020, for which he serves as secretary, members of the Board expressed satisfaction with the work that the staff are doing in pushing the institution forward. He added that deliberations and recommendations were made by the Board members for the restructuring and management of the Authority. He reported that the Board among other things endorsed the plans of the NCRA for 2021 for the review of the NCRA including other administrative restructuring that includes establishment of the Directorate of External Relations and Legal Affairs, Directorate of Vital Statistics, separation of Admin and Human Resources Directorate, upgrading of Finance and Audit Unit to Directorate level, the confirmation of staff that have been acting in various positions for a while now and others.
Mr. MASSAQUOI admonished staff to remain committed to their duties and continue to work as a family in achieving more laurels. He advised that it is through unity and the collective effort of every staff that will continue to raise the flag of the NCRA high. “As staff of NCRA, we have the responsibility to work together as a family in the execution of the institution’s mandate and the overall objective of the New Direction agenda of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio,” the DG said.
He encouraged staff to always have respect for authorities and work within the chain of command.
Presentations on the activities undertaken in 2020 and activity plan for 2021 from the Directors of various directorates, Regional Registration Officers (RROs), and other heads of department were made.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Director General of the NCRA, John Godswill Lavalie, who also admonished staff to remain committed to their work and should continue to work as family if the Authority is to continue to make more gains in the development process of the country.
©IEC DIRECTORATE, NCRA
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