How best do we know our Minister and Ministries? Survey reveals … Freetownians don’t know Govt. Ministries

Sports

A survey commissioned by Awoko Newspaper and titled “Sierra Leone Government Ministries and Ministers – What Ordinary Sierra Leoneans Know And Think About Them” has revealed that out of the 19 Ministries, majority of Freetownians know only three Ministries while less than 10% but more than 5% are aware of a further four Ministries. The last 12 Ministries have recorded less than 5% level of awareness. A total of one thousand two hundred and twenty two (1,222) randomly selected pedestrians were interviewed, between September 11th and 16th 2010, at 12 different strategic population concentrations around Freetown. These were: Shell Junction, Kissy; Up Gun Roundabout; Clock Tower Area; PZ Junction; Model School Junction; PWD Junction, Pademba Road/Campbell Street; Sweissy Area (CBD); Cotton Tree Area; St John Area; Congo Cross Roundabout; Aberdeen Ferry Road and Lumley Roundabout Area. Respondents were asked to give the full name of the first Government Ministry they could think of. Figures in Table 1 below show that “the three highest levels of awareness were of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (17.0%), the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (11.9%), and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (11.1%). Each of four other Ministries was recalled by 5.0% or more of respondents; these were Ministry of Information and Communications (8.4%), Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry (6.9%), Ministry of Finance and Development (6.4%) and Ministry of Mineral Resources (5.6%). Completing the order of ranking of 10 highest Ministries were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (4.7%), Ministry of Lands and Country Planning (4.5%), Ministry of Transport and Aviation (3.2%) and Ministry of Works, Housing and Infrastructural Development (3.2%). At the bottom of the ladder, of public awareness of the Ministries, were the Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office the Resident Ministers of the North, East and South. Each of these was recalled by fewer than 1% of respondents. Also attracting relatively low ratings in the public’s mind, that is with less than 2% of respondents were the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (1.4%), Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (1.6%), Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs (1.6%), Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Office (1.9%) and Ministry of Defence (1.9%). According to the analysts “this survey has revealed that large sections of the public simply know little or nothing about the current Ministries.” The top ten highest ranked Ministries are therefore (1) Ministry of Education Youths and Sports, (2) Ministry of Health and Sanitation, (3) Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, (4) Ministry of Information and Communications, (5) Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Forestry, (6) Ministry of Finance and Development, (7) Ministry of Mineral Resources, (8) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, (9) Ministry of Lands and Country Planning, (10) Ministry of Transport and Aviation. Next edition Awareness of Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

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