Nigerians, who are fond of complaining about their governments, should closely watch events in the West African country of Sierra Leone. That country’s new President, Julius Maada Bio, has announced that the first Saturday of each month will be “national cleaning day,” as part of a campaign to improve hygiene and the work rate of civil servants.
The measures were announced by the President’s office two days after a rally in which President Bio said he would be a stickler for “discipline”.
The National Cleaning Day will run from 7:00 am to 12:00 noon, unlike the situation in Nigeria, where it runs for only three hours. The first National Cleaning Day is Saturday, 5th May, 2018.
President Bio directed that all civil servants and government ministers must be at work from 8:30 am until 4:45 pm, warning that he and the Vice-President would carry out snap checks. He also warned that failure to report for work on time will lead to disciplinary action and potential summary dismissal.
A monthly National Cleaning Day had earlier been introduced in the country between 1992 and 1996. President Bio also declared that businesses would be allowed to open on Sundays from this week. Sunday trading had been interrupted by the 2014-16 Ebola crisis.
Julius Bio, a retired Army officer, was sworn-in last week after a hectic election campaign, ending a decade-long rule by the All People’s Congress (APC). Sierra Leone, which is regarded as one of the poorest countries in the world, continues to suffer from lack of infrastructure, such as sewerage, roads and power.
