Sierra Leone to learn from Ghana's experience

Accra, March 11, GNA - Mr Yaw Barimah, Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, on Thursday, said the time had come for Africans to relate to each other and develop the linkages that were created in the past for development.

He said African countries that have common histories had focused so much on the West whereas there were some African countries that had good and relevant experiences to share and learn from.

Mr Barimah made these remarks when a seven-member ministerial delegation from Freetown called on him to explore experiences in the areas of employment, labour and minimum wage for workers and security. The delegation included the Ministers of Lands, Country Planning and Environment, Labour and Social Security, a Legal Expert with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and other technocrats.

Mr Barimah noted that there was the strong need to strengthen the ECOWAS Ministerial Co-operation to accelerate the political, economic, infrastructure and social development of the sub-region. He expressed the Ministry's willingness to release the technical experts to take the Sierra Leonean delegation through Ghana's experience.

Dr Alfred Bobson Sesay, Sierra Leonian Minister for Lands, Country Planning and the Environment who led the delegation said "the war has taken us far back and we are now trying to reconstruct the nation and we know that with Ghana's experience, we will catch up even though it will take us years."

He noted that development would never be fruitful if cooperation was not enhanced adding, "it is for this reason why we are here to explore all the avenues for the development of our dear nation." He commended Ghana for the tremendous role she played in bringing peace to Sierra Leone.