On 1st July 2020, Veronica Fortune took office as Chief Administrator of the Bo City Council. She goes down in history as the first woman to hold that position since local government bodies were re-introduced in 2004. She is one of only three Chief Administrators in the entire local government administration in Sierra Leone.
The Bo City Chief Administrator is a native of Pujehun district and a product of the Holy Rosary primary and secondary schools in that district. She holds a Bachelors degree from Fourah Bay College and a Masters degree in Peace and Development Studies from Njala University. She previously worked as Human Resource Officer in NGOs and joined local government administration in 2013.
Chief Administrator Veronica Fortune is married with four (4) children.
Our reporter in Bo, Newman Anthony Levey asked her how she felt being the first woman Chief Administrator of Bo City.
C.A Fortune - Of course I feel good for the lot to have fallen on me as a woman to occupy such a seat, I feel good and at the same time I know it is an herculean task to meet the expectation of the people within the municipality as well as my supervisory body.
Anthony - Which other councils have you worked for before coming to the Bo City Council?
C.A Fortune - I first worked at the Moyamba District Council as a Gender Officer. While working in that position the deputy chief administrator’s position became vacant. The council management at the time, recommended me to act in that capacity. I acted there throughout 2015 and at the end of that year, they saw it necessary, to confirm me as the deputy Chief Administrator.
The following year, I was transferred to Makeni City Council as Chief Administrator. I worked until July 2018 when I was transferred to Moyamba to district council again to serve as Chief Administrator, so I was there again until I was posted here.
Anthony - What was it like, serving as Acting Chief Administrator in those other places?
C.A Fortune - Well, my experience was mixed, really it was not easy for me. But as far as I am concerned, it put me on my toes and it geared me to be who I am today. I did what was expected of me. I played my part and went on vacation leave. I was there until i was posted to the Bo City Council.
Anthony - Bo City Council is dominated by male councilors - 14 male and 3 female councilors. How are you getting along with them?
C.A Veronica - Well, really that aspect of my gender I am not looking at, because I believe and know that whatever men do, women can do. Sometimes women can do it better. It depends on dedication and commitment and your capacity to deliver. So even when the council is dominated by men, these are men who have good level of understanding so they know what it means to work with an administrator for the day to day administration of the council.
Even at the handing over ceremony - that day all of them made commitment to work with me so the welcome was good. My team I will do what is expected of us and take the council from where my colleague and brother left off.
Anthony - Tax payer expectations are great, what is your plan to meet that?
C.A Fortune - The mayor and councilors have signed a social contract with their people, so it is my mandate to carry out or implement the lawful decisions of the council especially in line with the service delivery charter for the benefit of the people of the municipality. So I will step into what I have found here and forge ahead. In all the sectors devolved to the council, we will deliver effective, efficient, collaboration and co-ordination. I know we will deliver.
Anthony -What do you want to achieve as Chief Administrator within the next six months specifically?
C.A Fortune - What I want to achieve is dictated by the annual work plan which is the working document of the council. Because, we have what we call the development plan for the Bo City Council and it has the budgeted activities, so am taking it from the annual work plan with the available resources in 2020.
Anthony – What assurances can you give to tax payers that their monies will be well utilized?
C.A Fortune - My predecessor has given such an assurance to the people, as I said during the handling over ceremony on the first of July and the people will attest to it. I will assure them that their taxes will be used to bring development to the city. So I want to assure them that we will continue with the ongoing development.
Anthony - Do you have the required trained staff to work with?
C.A Fortune – Yes. This type of work depends on existing structures. I came with other core staff and I met good ones here and we will work as a team. My task is to build a good working relationship. So am ready to work with them all to get the desired results.
Anthony - How are you coping with work and family life?
C.A Fortune – In our job, we have to move from one place to the other. I am focused on my work to serve the people. During weekends, if am not so occupied with work, I will travel to Freetown to see my family or I will pick my phone and communicate with them, because my children are not giving me problems. My work and family are both going side by side.
My husband has accepted this job for me long ago, which is why I entered the Moyamba district council and my husband is a native of Moyamba district.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
