Sierra Leone Seeks More Doctors, Teachers, From Nigeria

Pic.13. Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffery Onyeama (R), receiving his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Dr Allie Kabba, during his visit to the Minister in Abuja on Wednesday (30/5/18).

02873/30/5/2018/ Isaac Aregbe/NAN

Dr Allie Kabba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sierra Leone, has called for Nigeria’s assistance in energy, education and health sectors, especially to help the country defeat the scourge of Ebola.

While visiting to his Nigerian counterpart, Mr Geoffrey Onyema in Abuja on Wednesday, also requested Nigeria’s help for his country’s energy sector.

He stated that the Sierra Leone government was committed to provision of discipline leadership and professionalism, while adding that provision of quality education was the flagship of the programme and would not let the people down in delivering its mandate.

“We will instil discipline in the leadership and make sure that every child in our country has access to quality education. So, that is why education is the centre peace.

“In fact, it is the flagship programme of our new government and we are working on that.

“I hope that we count on the support of Nigeria not just in the area of classrooms but also provide the teachers.

“Our joint commission over the years stipulates that trained teachers from Nigeria to help us.”

According to him, that kind of technical assistance will make a big difference as the government moves forward in translating its manifestos to reality.

He said that the administration also took the health sector very central noting that the country had been trying to build health infrastructure after its civil war.

“One reason why Ebola was decimated in many parts of the country was because of the infrastructure built across the country.

“So, we want to build on the technical support we received from Nigeria to help strengthen in certain areas like building images centres.

“The diagnostic tools are really challenges to us and that is why those who have the means have to come to Nigeria or Ghana

“And, of course they require foreign exchange that is straining on us too and we want to make sure that those diagnostic tools are available locally,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to Nigeria for sending doctors and nurses to assist in the health sector.

“We are very grateful for that, because that is the area we need more help.

“So that those who served their two years are replaced quickly so we don’t create a budge or gap in the health delivery system.

“We also need the help of Nigeria in energy sector we have some exploration going on now and we want avoid some pitfalls

“So we will need your expertise in this area, and I want to assure that they will be received warmly,” he said.

Onyeama, in his remarks, pledged Nigeria’s support to the new government in Sierra Leone, stressing that the present administration had been supportive to the country.

“We have a joint cooperation of bi-national commission that has been moribund to certain extent and we will certainly cooperate to reinvigorate.

“So we will get started on that on time and other areas that we have to cooperate

“We have an extensive programme, the Technical Aids Corp Programme and the Sierra Leone is one of the beneficiaries of that programme as structured to address more emphasis on the area of priority for your government

According to him, the mechanism is there that we have been taken advantages of it.”