MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Mission Statement

The overall mission statement according to Gazette No. 47 of Tuesday 30th July 2002 of the Ministry is to “carry out the development of Policies and Programmes for maintaining internal security and safety by undertaking activities under the following major headings:

MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Minister:
 Dauda Kamara

Sixth Floor,
Youyi Building

Freetown

Telephone: +232 22 227275

  • The Police (Internal Security)

  • The Prisons and after-care of Prisoners  Immigration Control at Sierra Leone’s Sea Ports and Airport

  • National Registration Secretariat

  • Public Safety Matters

  • Fire and Civil Defence Services

  • Extradition of Criminals

  • Coroner’s Office – Burials, Cremations and Exhumations

  • Fire Control

  •  Collaboration with relevant Government Ministries and National and International Organizations/Institution”.

Structure of the Ministry

a. The Administrative Wing

This wing has broad ministry-wide responsibilities for policy advice and inter-sector collaboration and for the central support functions of Finance, Personnel, Stores and Records Management. A Permanent Secretary (PS) heads the administrative wing, supported by an Assistant Secretary.  In his capacity as Vote Controller, the PS wields authority over spending decisions across the whole Ministry.

A Minister, who is responsible for making all policy decisions, is the political head of the Ministry. The Minister is advised on a day-to-day basis by the PS for all operational matters within the Ministry.

b. Departments/Divisions

To enable it perform its mandate, the following divisions and units have been established within the Ministry:

  • The Sierra Leone Police
  • The Sierra Leone Prisons
  • The Immigration Department
  • The National Fire Force
  • The National Registration Secretariat
     

LOCAL GOVERNMENT & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Mission Statement

The Local Government and Rural Development Ministry will ensure the supervisory, monitoring and coordinating role of the activities of all Local Government Bodies nationwide.  It also assists in the identification, planning, implementation and monitoring of development programmes that foster poverty reduction and the socio-economic revitalization of the urban and rural sectors

The overall focus is to ensure the implementation of the Local Government Reform and Decentralization Programme, which involves the strengthening of Local Government Institutions.

Structure of the Ministry

The Ministry has two main divisions: -

  • Local Government Division
  • Community Development Division

Local Government Division

The Local Government Division supervises, monitors and coordinates the activities of Local Government machinery in the entire country, comprising the Western Area and the three Administrative Provinces (South, East and North). The Ministry is responsible for administering the three Provincial and twelve District Offices that oversee the functions and activities of the 149 Chiefdom Councils, 12 District Councils and the 4 Town Councils.  The Ministry also supervises the Freetown City Council, the Sherbro Urban District Council, the Rural Area Council, the 4 Rural District Councils and the Institution of Tribal Administration in the Western Area.

Rural Development Division

The Rural Development Division, a very important arm of the Ministry is charged with the responsibility of co-ordinating various community development programmes / activities, with a view to enhancing rural economic development through Integrated Multi-Sectoral Area Based Programmes that will address rural poverty, provision of basic social amenities, dignity and freedom of rural women, rural reconstruction etc. 

The division has over the period developed strategies to effectively involve the masses in the development process so as to enhance sustainable development.  The basic objective therefore is to empower the local communities with the responsibility as well as the capacity to conceive, plan, execute, monitor and evaluate the development programmes to improve their quality of life.  Equally important, is the identification and development of local leadership which could be groomed to undertake higher responsibilities in the development of their respective rural areas.

"Information on this page was submitted by the former Minister in June 2007"

© DACO/SLIS August 2008