After the cabinet and sub-cabinet appointments, the next urgent appointments for the President are those dealing with diplomacy. And diplomacy is the profession or skill of managing international relations. Once more the President will be besieged by suggestions from his Kitchen Cabinet for posts abroad. Nobody, not even the most rabid of diplomats, can imagine without actual knowledge all the emptiness and quackery that passes for diplomacy.
-Otto Von Bismark
There is career diplomacy by which citizens in the public service are appointed to the posts of Ambassador/High Commissioner, Head of Chancery, 1st Secretary, 2nd Secretary, 3rd Secretary and Attaches, etc. But there is an exception to this practice. In developed countries, Ambassadors or High Commissioners appointed to their counterpart nations are top politicians. This substantiates the fact that political appointments are not necessarily positions of expertise but require sound knowledge of their party’s policies for effective implementation. President Bio can follow suit for effective compliance of his policies.
This is why the President would do well to consider party faithfuls who could not all fit into the limited ministerial and other posts at home. Also worthy of consideration are those who may be aptly referred to as the biblical prodigal sons and daughters who were led astray. Repentant prodigal sons and daughters with a sense of contrition need consideration.
Attaches
Attaches are members of an Ambassador’s or High Commissioner’s staff and these are appointed as necessary for each mission. With regard to Sierra Leone the convention of appointments was followed accordingly to best practice until former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah bent the rules with regard to the appointment of Information Attaché. This is an appointment that had been within the domain of the public service even in the dictatorial days of former Siaka P. Stevens. That exception became a rule for the benevolent dictator, Dr. Ernest Koroma, who appointed Information Attaches to mini states that did not need them. Not only that, in consonance with their policy of disregard for competence, they appointed mediocre staff who hadn’t the basic training for the job but had party cards.
In his handing over address to the new Minister of Information and Communications, Dr Alpha Khan said, among other things, that the Ministry has qualified staff. These must have been recruited through the Public Service Commission. Some of these officers have been floating around with their functions usurped by a horde of charlatans politically appointed.
If President Bio is to travel in his New Direction he should revert to the system of appointing Information Attaches from the civil service thereby avoiding party appointments and accusations of regional or tribal bias. Meritocracy should be the mission here.