There is a dangerous mindset in this country of certain segment of the population that tries very hard to discourage hard working Sierra Leoneans in the public sector that are fighting tooth and nail with President Bio’s New Direction government to change the country’s dismal governance narrative of reckless, irresponsible public financial management into one of prudence, transparency and accountability.

Along which line, it would be recalled how quite recently, strenuous effort was made by detractors of the country’s progress to link the Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, with a fictitious 1.5 million dollar bribe scandal that was clearly intended to damage his hard won reputation.

In that same vein, enemies and detractors of Foday Sankoh, the Managing Director of SIERRATEL, the nation’s wholly owned Telecommunications Company, without any iota of evidence reporting in a local tabloid that whilst SIERRATEL is dying from lack of much needed finance, he has used Le400 million of the parastatal’s money to refurbish his house.

So furious is Mr. Foday Sankoh over what he calls defamation of character that he has vowed to see the publisher of the allegation against him in court.

Fact of the matter is that, Mr. Foday Sankoh came to SIERATEL as MD from a very successful corporate telecommunications background as the Managing Director of LimeLine SL (2009-2018), one of the leading internet service providers that provide high speed internet connectivity to homes and corporate institutions in the country, with headquarters at Santanno House, Howe Street office in Freetown.He was the European Fraud Manager for Colts Telecoms UK (1999 to 2008), and served on the board of directors of the Telecommunications- United Kingdom Fraud Forum (TUFF).

Mr. Sankoh worked at Sierra Leone Cable Limited from 2012 to 2013 as Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors.
With over 20 years of extensive experience in professional telecommunications, Mr. Sankoh has expertise in Telecommunications fraud management and revenue assurance, Fraud investigations, Risk and security, Credit collection, business strategy and continuity, anti-money laundry, and disaster recovery.
Coming from the private sector with a wealth of experience, and his money made, his mission at SIERRATEL is not to fleece the company and the people of Sierra Leone for his personal benefit but to raise the country’s moribund telecommunications outfit to one that can stand proud and tall among the country’s operators. He started his mission with rebranding of the Sierratel headquarters' building on Wallace Johnson Street in Freetown.

Determined to make Sierratel transparent, accountable and operating cost-effectively, Foday Sankoh confesses that he has stepped on many toes with regards strict enforcement of financial controls in Sierratel.

He has blocked leakages, drastically reduced overblown departmental budgets and frivolous perks and undeserved financial benefits some people were giving themselves.

The war of calumny against he said has been relentless, with his enemies and detractors taking social media and the corridors of power to bring him down.

However, in spite of the challenges that it faces, under the management of Foday Sankoh, SIERRATEL in loyalty to the people of Sierra Leone who are its shareholders recently reduced its tariff significantly to encourage 'low end subscribers' to access and enjoy its facilities.
On-net unlimited calls now go for Le2,000 daily and Le18,000 monthly.

Sierratel also recently reviewed prices for broadband internet services, including offering customers’ 50 percent data bonus. More on the Sierratel issue in subsequent edition.