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APC MANIFESTO FOR 2007 ELECTIONS (The Turn Around Agenda For Sierra Leone)
PREFACE
PREAMBLE.
The All Peoples Congress Party affirms
its belief in the supremacy and inviolability of the constitution of
What emerged in the last ten years
however, has been a pathetic and painful picture of socio-economic
decline corruption and generally poor governance.
The challenge of any incoming
government in 2007 will be to reverse this trend, by establishing proper
governance and sustainable development, and generally breaking the
depressing cycle of poverty.
In this regard, the 2007 national
elections present a decisive opportunity to the people of
No nation can function without the
essential elements of peace and stability. An APC government will
therefore rely on its police and military forces for the internal and
external security of the state respectively. We will ensure that these
forces are properly trained and equipped to enforce law and order to
counter any threats – actual or potential and generally enhance national
security.
An APC government is determined to lift
this country from its current state of disrepair and desperation by
rebuilding its human resources, its social services and physical
infrastructure that will gear the nation towards equitable and
sustainable economic growth. Sierra Leoneans will once again see hope
for a better future.
In every nation today, the principles
of transparency and accountability and the elimination of corrupt
practices are generally recognized as indispensable attributes for good
governance. An APC government will ensure the strict adherence to these
principles and practices, and will subject itself to an African Peer
Review Mechanism (APRM) and any other international benchmarks.
Under the principle of separation of
powers as provided for in our national constitution, the Sierra Leone
Parliament has, in the last ten years, clearly demonstrated an inability
to exercise its functions as an institution distinct from the
executive.
Unfortunately, executive interference,
coupled with the pursuit of political party interests have clearly
undercut the constitutional role of the legislature. In addition to
this, general conditions of service for members of Parliament remain
unattractive. This situation will be thoroughly examined by an APC
government, and proper and adequate policies will be put in place to
make Parliamentary work attractive and productive.
Our immediate and general concern for
our people will be to provide the basic social services which many other
countries take for granted, but which our people continue to be deprived
of. Necessities such as affordable staple food (rice), electricity,
water, basic health care, an expanded education system, and jobs for the
bulging numbers of unemployed youth. All these will be our focus.
This 2007 APC Agenda for change is our
manifesto. It clearly presents our deep understanding and appreciation
of the aspirations of our people for a better future for themselves and
their children. In presenting our objectives and strategies for change,
we are keenly aware of the challenges and limitations that will face a
new government in its efforts to fulfill the demands and expectations of
its people. We have therefore presented, in this manifesto in the
honesty and humility, our priorities and areas of focus in the immediate
and long term.
It should be a useful
reminder that the All Peoples Congress was the first opposition party in
Sub-Saharan Africa to unseat an incumbent government through the ballot
box. In its twenty four years in governance, the nation experienced
relative peace and stability, as well as remarkable social and
infrastructural development. These achievements were neither by
accident, nor were they by dint of good fortune. They were the result
of carefully calculated and prudent policies, underlined by wise
counsel, visionary leadership and a good knowledge of the politics and
people of
AN AGENDA FOR CHANGE.
CORE PRINCIPLES.
Faced with the tragic state of despair
and desperation in the nation, as a result of corruption, nepotism and
mismanagement of our human and material resources, the All Peoples
Congress Party is committed to reverse this trend and move the country
forward to its rightful position in the community of nations. In this
regard the APC establishes the following core principles as its
guidelines in this noble endeavour. 1. Democracy and good governance 2. Freedom, human rights and human dignity 3. Justice equality and the rule of law 4. Integrity, transparency and accountability in the conduct of public Affairs.
5. Long term sustainable development; through dependable and affordable regular power supply, sound education, basic health-care, abundant food production, appropriate housing, increased youth employment, improved infrastructure, efficient transport and basic services.
1. THE ECONOMY
1.1 OVERVIEW · Large scale unemployment · High inflation and low wages · A weak private sector · An ineffective public sector · Weak basic industry · Inadequate energy and power supply · Difficult climate for doing business · Corruption\ · Inadequate and decaying infrastructure · Weak institutional capabilities
1.2 OBJECTIVES .
As a government we are
committed to:
a) reviving the economy and
improving the standard of living of every Sierra Leonean in line with an
APC agenda of change and the Millennium Development goals.
b) creating a conducive
atmosphere for doing business and embarking on policies that will enable
the resumption of growth in the trading, manufacturing, mining, marine
and agricultural sectors.
c) pursuing policies that will
promote private sector development and encouraging direct foreign
investment.
d) initiating policies that
will help boost our export capacity in order to reduce our balance of
payments deficit, maintain a strong currency, reduce inflation and
achieve economic growth.
1.3 STRATEGIES
Our strategies for
pursuing these objectives shall include:-
a) Financial sector reforms
with emphasis on favourable terms for access to capital for Small and
Medium scale Enterprises ( SMEs) and push micro-finance.
b) Fiscal discipline and
financial prudence to achieve low inflation, low interest rates,
resulting into long term economic stability.
c) Expanding and strengthening
intra African trade in accordance with the principles and policies under
the New Partnership for
d) actively encourage civil
society, non-governmental and charitable organisations that have
expertise and experience in training that can support and finance self
employment schemes.
e) placing emphasis on
productive industries including value added processing of our raw
materials for local consumption and export.
f) Tax reformation to
encourage investment, generate revenue, boost local production and
stimulate economic growth. e) ensuring that our producers conform to international standards and values for commodity export.
g) vigorously addressing unfair
trade barriers, regulations and procedures that inhibit the growth of
our domestic industry and external trade. Accordingly, we shall exploit
the advantage of
h) encouraging the creation of
Economic zones that will enable industry and commerce to flourish.
b) intensifying and
coordinating revenue collection and monitor government expenditure to
ensure transparency and accountability.
d) facilitating an investor
friendly atmosphere that will encourage and accelerate privatization and
fully take our national interests into account.
2. AGRICULTURE AND MARINE RESOURSES
2.1 Overview
Agriculture and Marine resources have
the potential of extricating Sierra Leoneans from poverty and hunger
that are devastating eyesores of our development paradigm. They can be
the real engine for economic revitalization and poverty reduction which
are crucial to peace and security. In spite of their growth potential,
they have not been given any priority by the current government. The
challenge of an in-coming APC government is to reverse this trend and
make these resources the bedrock of our economic growth. Currently the
sectors are faced with the following constraints:
Agriculture:- · Subsistence production · Small acreages · High post harvest Wastage · Limited supply of farm inputs · Poor road networks · Limited access to capital · Limited diversification
Marine Resources:- · Inadequate supervision of our coastal waters · Lack of capital to engage in large scale commercial fishing · Incapacity to quantify foreign fishing catches and thus depriving the country of valuable revenue · Corruption in the management of marine resources
2.2 OBJECTIVES
An APC Government will:-
a). make local food production a
matter of priority so as to bring
b). resuscitate commercial
agriculture and effectively use our arable land for coffee, cacao and
other tree crop production. This will enable our country to become once
again a foreign exchange earner from our agricultural produce.
c) set up an expert task force
to look into research institutions, libraries and the massive
agricultural data stocked in government offices with the aim of bringing
into clear perspective the use of all arable lands comprising uplands,
inland valley and mangrove swamps, bolilands and the vast riverine lands
of Rhombe and Tormabome.
d) make agriculture and
aqua-culture viable options, attractive enough to provide gainful and
rewarding employment and at the same time improving our foreign exchange
inflows.
e) give logistical and other
capacity building ( processing and preservation) support to artisanal
fishermen to enhance their capacity to produce more for home
consumption.
2.3 STRATEGIES
The APC government
will pursue these by:-
a) making available basic
agricultural inputs to stimulate food production, plantation
agriculture, and animal husbandry. In this regard we will pursue a well
structured agricultural loan scheme through rural banks and micro
finance institutions. b) stimulating and promoting agricultural research in our universities and colleges that will lead to the revitalization of productive farming through extension services.
c) seeking expert partners to
facilitate the development of the country’s vast agricultural and marine
resources into commercial production to support local food production
and export.
d) embarking on sustainable
financial schemes that will boost investment and private sector
participation
e) building feeder roads to
make farm inputs and food available in the rural areas and in the urban
markets.
f) encouraging the cultivation
of more land
3. DECENTRALISATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Overview
Poverty in
Decentralization:-
Rural Development:- · Lack of basic services · Lack of employment opportunities · Rural urban migration resulting in unavailability of adequate labour and undue pressure in the urban areas
3.2 OBJECTIVES The Party in government will embark on:-
a) logistical capacity building
that will give real meaning to multi-sectoral devolution
b) instituting strict
supervision and monitoring of local Government authority to ensure
accountability and transparency, without micro managing.
c) introducing a more focused,
coordinated, sustainable and holistic rural development program that
will use both internal and external resources to raise the capacity of
the rural economy for self sustenance and improve standards of living
for the population.
. d) rehabilitating the crumbling
infrastructure and provide where necessary additional rural roads, rural
water supply, affordable healthcare and rural banks through cooperation
with local Government authorities in accordance with our
decentralization policy.
3.3 STRATEGIES
As a Government, the APC will
a) fund rural development
programmes in collaboration with our National and external partners.
b) encourage home-based
industries that will create employment in the rural areas.
c) provide for the rural
population to participate in the development and management of their
affairs through self-help.
d) accelerate the moribund
decentralization process and meaningfully empower local Councils with a
view to achieving the goals of the MDG’s on time.
d) facilitate compilation of
statistical base line studies of all services, facilities and
inadequacies in all districts. Such data will be useful in planning the
needs of the rural population.
4. EDUCATION
4.1 Overview
An APC government will therefore
facilitate, encourage and provide adequate and appropriate education. It
will promote training and enforce discipline within all educational
institutions so that the young will derive the best benefits to equip
themselves as responsible citizens for life.
Currently the educational system is
characterized by;- · Lack of adequate schooling facilities · Lack of Qualified and committed teachers · Poor classroom conditions · Insufficient teaching materials · Poor conditions of service for teachers
4.2 OBJECTIVES
An APC Government will
a) make education a right for
everyone and accessible to all to enable the country meet the targets of
the Millennium Development Goals.
b) strengthen all legal,
institutional and infrastructural frame work necessary for the
enhancement of education.
c) ensure that books and other
school materials provided by government reach the target population.
d) revive schools broadcast
programmes for countrywide dissemination on regular basis to help with
additional learning for pupils preparing for BECE and WASSCE
Examinations. Community radios will be utilized for this purpose.
e) support adult education
programmes nation wide in order to combat the high incidence of
illiteracy.
f) provide adequate funding
and making University education relevant to the needs of the Nation.
g) Encourage and facilitate the
establishment of libraries and a reading culture nationwide
4.3 STRATEGIES
As a government we will pursue these
through:-
a) training more teachers and
improving their conditions of service and at the same time make
available relevant educational materials
b) re-examining the whole
educational system critically with a view to determining the
effectiveness, appropriateness and relevance to our national development
goals.
c) strengthening the
Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Education and make it more
effective.
d) setting up adult Educational
centers in the urban and rural areas.
e) effecting compulsory
education up to JSS 3.
f) revising remuneration of
teachers’ package across the board.
5. HEALTH, NUTRITION AND SANITATION
5.1 Overview
The health system in
Malaria and Tuberculosis are prevalent
and widespread. HIV and AIDS prevalence is estimated at 4.9%. Nutrition
has worsened across the nation owing to the inability of the SLPP
government in fulfilling its promise of attaining food security for all
by 2007. The APC believes that like education, health is both a human
goal and human investment through which development can be achieved.
This is why the APC is committed to providing affordable health services
to all Sierra Leoneans and shall adopt policies towards improving and
upgrading the health, environmental sanitation infrastructural
facilities in both urban and rural areas.
The health service has been
dysfunctional because of:-
5.2 OBJECTIVES
An APC Government shall
a) allocate resources for a
rapid rehabilitation of existing hospitals and health centers in all
districts headquarters and chiefdoms.
b) provide better working
conditions and facilities to our doctors and nurses and support staff.
c) while acknowledging the
important role traditional healers play within our own health care
service, encourage cooperation between them and western trained health
delivery service providers.
d) equip hospitals with
adequate medical supplies.
5.3 STRATEGIES
As a government we will
a) fully empower local council
authorities to take up their responsibilities for the delivery of
dependable health care services to their people.
b) ensure that public health
education (sanitation and hygiene) form an integral part of formal
education curriculum. Adult and community learning on the subject of
public health will also form part of our urban and rural education
programme.
c) pay attention to areas of
the country prone to high levels of infant and maternal mortality, the
incidence of diarrhea, malaria, cholera and river-blindness and ensure
effective health service provision by improving the capacity of all
District referral hospitals.
d) promote a health programme
through environmental sanitation awareness, education on HIV/AIDS and
other sexually transmitted diseases and family planning. In spite of
massive international support, far too little has been done to increase
awareness of HIV/AIDS throughout the country. An APC Government will
continue to collaborate with the international community to control this
scourge.
e) revisit the current cost
recovery scheme with a view to making it more accessible and affordable
nationwide.
6. WATER RESOURCES
6.1 Overview
In spite of the abundance of this
resource, we are faced with the following:-
6.2 OBJECTIVES
The challenge of a new APC
Government is therefore:-
a) to harness and manage the
available water resources efficiently so that the majority of our people
are provided with pipe borne and safe drinking water at all times.
b) Construct dams for
irrigation and hydro-electric energy
c) cut down on water borne
diseases by introducing water and sanitation programmes throughout the
country
6.3 STRATEGIES
In government, we shall achieve
these by:- a) putting in place water management programmes under which communities shall be provided with hand dug-wells, boreholes or piped system accordingly.
b) prioritizing the
rehabilitation and construction of water supply to vital establishments
like hospitals, schools and other public institutions.
c) Ensuring that educational
programmes cover the vital elements of water and sanitation d) reactivating the World Bank rehabilitation support project to ensure delivery of safe drinking water throughout the municipality.
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