More than 155 government officials from various ministries faced inquiries on Monday, September 4. This action was taken after Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh conducted an unannounced inspection and discovered their absence from work without valid reasons.
Chief Minister Sengeh recounted his surprise visit to the government's largest office last week, during which he instructed that those not at work without a legitimate excuse should receive query letters in accordance with the law.
He further disclosed that his office could confirm the issuance of over 150 query letters due to workplace negligence.
The Ministry of Agriculture accounted for the majority of the issued query letters, with 111 staff members either absent, arriving late, or leaving early. Additionally, 14 query letters were directed at employees of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, while the Ministry of Health issued 9 query letters. Seven staff members from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources were also subject to queries.
During his visit, the Chief Minister also inspected the offices of Audit Service Sierra Leone and the National Commission for Democracy and Decentralisation Secretariat, where he found that all employees were present and fulfilling their duties.
Expressing his concerns on Facebook, the Chief Minister questioned the dedication and performance of certain civil servants, highlighting that the public sector potentially loses around 500 working hours per day due to individuals not showing up, arriving late, or leaving early.
Local residents have expressed their dismay regarding the level of negligence observed within the mentioned ministries, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture. Some have applauded the Chief Minister's efforts and encouraged him to conduct similar visits to other government departments in the West African nation.