His Excellency Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday 19th May, 2020 appointed Mr. Paul Subba Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, being the 3rd Executive Director appointed in just two years of the President Bio’s New Direction Government.

The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration exists to regulate and develop improved standards of performance in the maritime safety, security and marine environment in the maritime industry in Sierra Leone.
Over the years, SLMA had been on the spotlight for corruption related activities. Most recently, the first Executive Director appointed by State House, Dr. Sarah Bendu was indicted by the Anti Corruption Commission for corruption related offenses. Late last year, the ACC took into custody several members of senior management and later released on self bail.

Events at the SLMA and the persistent interference from external forces angered the President. It is believed that His Excellency Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio expresses serious concerns about SLMA and immediately empaneled an Administrative Inquiry into the activities Sierra Leone Maritime Administration.

As a way of rebranding and restoring sanity, the President appointed Mr. Paul Subba Massaquoi, an experienced Administrator with vast experience in management and leadership. After his appointment, Mr. Massaquoi spent three weeks doing his own personal assessment of the Administration, met with Maritime stakeholders, including members of parliament, Ministry of Transport and Aviation, the American Embassy, the Chinese Embassy and the Navy. He held several senior management meetings, general staff meetings and one on one meetings with members of staff who wished to suggest ideas that may help create a better SLMA.

Mr. Massaquoi compiled his findings and presented them to State House. He also invited members of the Board of SLMA, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, the ACC and other maritime stakeholders to whom he presented his findings and his vision for a new SLMA.

Having received tremendous commendation from State House, Mr. Massaquoi has in just a few weeks made permanent twenty (23) staffs who were on contract before his appointment. He has instructed the procurement department to advertise a call for eligible service providers who will be put in a new data base that will be created to enhance improved standards and transparency in the administration’s procurement process.

The lift that has been out of service for years is now up and running. Twenty first century IT systems are being put in place to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, thus creating a centralized system of operation that protects data and confidentiality.

Staffs are being realigned. One of the things Mr. Massaquoi found, in his personal assessment of SLMA was misplacement of Staffs. Most staff have been working in departments where they do not have the requisite qualifications. In his wisdom, Mr. Massaquoi has realigned staffs, created new units. In his assessment, he found that billions of Leones is spent on security alone, paid to G4S security group. Mr. Massaquoi is therefore pushing for a security unit that recruit and train security personnel to ensure the safety and security within the SLMA domain.

Most importantly, Mr. Massaquoi has given SLMA a new look. The internal facelift project aimed at rehabilitating and refurbishing a dilapidated SLMA building is underway.

For staffs to be able to deliver on set goals, there must be a conducive working environment. Over the years, the SLMA building has been slowly collapsing. The ceiling has been damaged, lack of enough office space, lack of office equipments etc... The New Executive Director has made it a priority to ensure that every staff is able to work in a conducive environment to boost productivity.

For the first time in two years, SLMA now has a capable visionary leader whose sole aim is to rebrand and restructure the administration. President Bio must be proud!