Change of guard at NaCSA

A new team of Commissioners has taken over the management of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA). This follows the replacement of Commissioner Alhaji Kanja Ibrahim Sesay and his deputy Justin Bangura.
The new commissioner Saidu Conton Sesay and his deputy Charles Rogers were welcomed by a cross-section of NaCSA staff, including field representatives, at a colourful ceremony in Freetown yesterday.
The chairman of the ceremony, who is also NaCSA Executive Director, congratulated the new commissioners and assured them that the critical mass of professionals were committed, ready and enthusiastic to work, as always, in achieving the objectives of the commission.
Mr Syl Fannah commended the out-going commissioner for working very hard in transforming the commission from a recovery entity to a dynamic peace consolidation agency.
He described the two new commissioners as seasoned operators in the field of development generally, and the new commissioner in particular, as one very familiar with NaCSA’s operations.
In his 24–page handing over notes, out-going commissioner Kanja Sesay catalogued the achievements of the various projects implemented by NaCSA and its predecessors since 1996.
Dwelling on the current programme portfolio, Alhaji Kanja Sesay spoke on the status and implementation of each of the projects, noting especially the National Social Action Project, (NSAP), with all 600 sub-projects targeted, generated and approved, with about 60% completed and closed. He said through staff dedication and hard work, NaCSA had been a success story, especially in moving the institution from “a mere name and concept in 1996” to implementation of over two thousand multi-sectoral, socio-economic sub – projects in all 149 chiefdoms of the country and the Western Area.
He however assured that the high operations cost associated with running large scale activities countrywide, especially for fuel in generating electricity, posed a threat as it affected recurrent expenditures.
He paid gratitude to all NaCSA staff for what he described as wonderful support provided him during his stay, noting that he was going with a satisfied mind since it was ‘an old boy of NaCSA that is now at the helm of affairs”.