17/08/2026
As we continue our journey to modernize and transform the Public Service of Sierra Leone, I had the privilege today of delivering the keynote address at the first induction session for newly recruited civil servants in almost a decade.
A total of 704 young Sierra Leoneans will be inducted into the Civil Service at the newly transformed Public Service Academy, formerly the Civil Service Training College over a two month period. The induction was organized by the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), in partnership with the leadership of the Public Service.
In my address, I reminded them that public service is more than a career—it is a commitment, a responsibility, and a calling.
I told them that when a citizen walks into a government office, they may not meet the President or the Minister. They will meet them. And in that moment, they will represent the Government of Sierra Leone. Their conduct, professionalism, attitude, and integrity will shape how that citizen experiences government.
I reminded them, too, that they are entering the Civil Service at a historic moment. They are not inheriting finished institutions. They are inheriting institutions that we are rebuilding together. Their generation has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to help create a Public Service that is more professional, more efficient, more ethical, more responsive, and worthy of the confidence of the Sierra Leonean people.
I also cautioned them that there will be moments when doing the right thing will not be easy. Someone may ask them to bend the rules. Someone may say, “This is how we have always done it.” Someone may suggest that integrity is too expensive. Someone may encourage them to take shortcuts.
But when that moment comes, I challenged them to remember why they joined the Civil Service.
They did not join to become part of the problem. They joined to become part of the solution.
The future of our Public Service will not be built by policies and reforms alone. It will be built by the character, competence, courage, and commitment of the men and women who serve our nation every day.
To the 704 newly inducted civil servants, I say: This is your moment. Serve with dignity. Work with excellence. Lead with integrity. Put the citizen first.
Let us build a Sierra Leone where public service is not simply a career, but a source of national pride; where serving the people is regarded as an honour; and where every citizen can look at their government and say, “These people are here to serve us, and they are doing it with excellence.”
Welcome to the Public Service of Sierra Leone.
Your journey begins today.
