By Abdoulie Nyockeh
About 70 staffers of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) had recently been elevated to various positions within the department. The promotions were occasioned by their longevity of service and experiences, Mansa Banko Online gathered.
When contacted for more details on the massive promotions, the Director General of DoA, Dr. Saikou E. Sanyang, confirmed that 70 staff of his Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, have been promoted, at once, to various ranks.
The DoA chief itemized the numbers and their grade levels, to wit: 10 members of staff were promoted to Grade 10; 13 staff were promoted to Grade 9; more than twenty-five (25) staff were promoted to Grade 8; about three staff were promoted to Grade 7; that more than 12 staffers were moved to Grade 6; while about three staff got elevated to the Grade 4 level.
As per DG Sanyang’s account, the promotions came as a result of a recommendation was made by himself, in consultation with his team senior staff. He justified that the said staff were promoted based on their experiences and length of services.
He further averred that the welfare of his staff was part of his priority after his appointment as the Director General of Department of Agriculture. Reinforcing his assertion, Dr. Sanyang recalled that upon assuming office as DG of DoA on the 12th November 2018, he visited the six agricultural regions for a familiarization tour with the staff. And that during his tour, he identfied three priority areas, and asked farmers about their welfare, in ensuring that whatever is given to the farmers, would reach them.
“Thank God, this year, the farmers were able to get seeds and fertilizers on time,” DG Sanyang enthused, in contrast to the past years when, he said, fertilizer had been a big issue. But thanks to Agriculture Minister Amie Fabureh and her team of agricultural staff, 600 tones of fertilizers had been provided to the farmers on time, as Dr. Sanyang indicated.
The head of Agriculture Department intimated to Mansa Banko Online that, most interestingly, a bag of fertilizer is being sold at Seven hundred dalasi, of which D650 comes to the department as a Revolving Fund, while the balance of D50 goes to the sales agent, as a commission.
To him, what is even more interesting was the issues of staff; and he had this to say: “I realized that for the past five years, some of the staff were not promoted, and stayed a great period of time without promotion.
“Therefore, since I assumed office, in consultation with my team, we were able to promote about seventy staff of different grades.” He disclosed that the promoted members of staff varied from senior staff to junior staff of the Department of Agriculture. Dr. Sanyang believed the move was “a very commendable and worthy course”, in the sense that most of the staff had stayed for a longer period without being promoted.
He commended the Personnel Management Office (PMO) for taking them through the right channel and process to ensure that those staff received their promotions.
Further commending the PMO for reacting to his recommendation, Dr. Sanyang also saluted his boss, Minister Fabureh, for her support and encouragement. In concluding, the head of DoA regarded Madam Fabureh as a Minister who has the Ministry of Agriculture “at heart”.
