One of Sierra Leone’s best-known, civil society activists, Valnora Edwin, was recently nominated by President Koroma and approved by Parliament to sit on the Civil Registration Authority. Her Parliamentary approval was reported in Awoko on Friday, November 4, 2016. Edwin has over nine years’ experience in governance issues and is the Director Campaign for Good Governance (CGG).
Edwin has said, “I do not see it as a political appointment because this is not the first time staff at CGG and myself have been involved in national processes where we have directly being appointed in one form or the other by the President”.
“We take up these roles because even as civil society activist, we need to have our voices and our say in these processes and we strongly believe we have been invited to be part of that not because they want to shut us down but because they know the value we are going in with and our stands we take on issues,” Edwin continued.
She reiterated that it is another way of contributing to national development, noting, “I know it appears to be a political appointment either we have swayed to a particular political party or become compromised. But, our stands and position of ensuring good governance and democracy has not changed and would not change”.
Director Edwin said she has been engaging in other duties where she collects sitting fees or allowances, “but that does not compromise our position”.
“I sit as the Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Steering Committee of the Anti-Corruption Commission where you have some transportation refunds. But you have heard me talking about ways where we think the ACC have lapses and where we think they do their jobs better”.
“I also sit,” she continued, “on the Constitutional Review process, which is national and it an appoint done through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice by the President but you have heard us raising concerns about the process even though we are part and parcel of the Committee”.
However, she noted, “This is the first time I have gone through a Parliamentary process to sit as Board Member. That will not change me from being a civil society activist and I will not compromise my usual stands on issues.”
Speaking on how will she cope with CGG and her new job, the CGG Director said her role in the Authority is to provide strategic direction and make sure they follow their mandate and also follow issues that are in the Act noting that the Board is not involved in the day-to-day running of the Authority.
The Civil Registration Act dictates that the Board sit quarterly and the Commissioners may have to travel at times. “It will not affect my work at CGG,” she said. “I have a job at CGG which I will retain until I decide to have another job and therefore do not see anybody paying me so that I can dance to their tune.”
Questioned on the impact she’ll make on the Authority, Edwin said, “one value I will be taking on board has to be a lot of public education, civic education, involvement of every Sierra Leonean. We are particular about people living in remote areas to make sure they become part and parcel of the registration process, which means there has to be facilities and structures to accommodate them.” She added, “I will focus on women to ensure that women are not carried away by their domestic work but make sure that when that registration process is going on they are there and also people with disabilities must have a structure to accommodate every challenge”.
By Emmanuella Kallon
Tuesday November 08, 2016