By Sheikh M Bawoh
I spent six years at the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) as Chairman of the Board of Directors — probably the most challenging period in the history of the Authority.
During those years we grappled with almost everything one can imagine -reforms, employment issues, debts, threat of insolvency and most importantly, we grappled with Autospect, a private company under contract with the Government of Sierra Leone to build modern vehicle testing centres and to install cutting-edge technology in the operations of SLRSA, with a view to providing efficient service and maximizing revenue generation across Sierra Leone.
We all wanted a better SLRSA — at least that was what we professed — but our differences on how to go about it took a heavy toll on us all, both individually and collectively. The animosity, toxicity, defamation and blatant lies became intense whenever Autospect came into focus.
Thus, the leadership of SLRSA split into two groups: those who never wanted Autospect because they thought it would take away jobs and milk the Authority dry, and those of us who believed the company would not kill but rather enhance our operational ability, while also raising the much-needed revenue for the SLRSA, which was already in dire straits.
In the middle of that storm was a young man, quiet, unassuming, and hardly noticed — James Bio, who, for most of this period, was the Deputy Executive Director of SLRSA.
While the noise was loud and the politics was thick, James quietly took the side of history. He vowed not to undermine his uncle, President Julius Maada Bio, who, in that fateful meeting on 20th October 2020 at State House, unequivocally urged the leadership of SLRSA to ensure full implementation of the project, as he was sure it would be a game changer in the operations of the Authority. Judging by the current development, the President has been proven right.
Because of those differences, particularly between the Board and the Management, we were frustrated by the management’s lack of cooperation. For instance, when we needed data to make a difficult decision on vehicle licensing or number plates, only James and /or the Director of Finance, John Momoh, would provide it. When we needed to calm tensions between staff and the Autospect team, James was the bridge. When the Board needed an honest assessment of what was happening on the ground, without embellishment or fear, James was the willing horse. He was efficient without being loud, loyal without being sycophantic.
Many thought that because he did not talk much, he had little to offer. They were wrong. He understood that in a toxic environment, the one who shouts the loudest is not always the one who gets the work done.
Today, as I reflect on those six turbulent years, and as I also reflect on the many successes of the Authority less than two years after his appointment as Executive Director, I realize that without people like James Bio, the SLRSA would have collapsed under its own internal contradictions.
President Julius Maada Bio therefore made no mistake when he appointed him as Executive Director. He has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is worthy of the trust and confidence the President reposed in him.
As a quiet operator who held many things together while others were busy tearing themselves apart, James has proven his doubters wrong-that though he is young, he is capable of leading one of the most difficult workplaces in the country.
In a public service where noise is often mistaken for competence, James Bio reminds us that diligence, humility and quiet effectiveness still matter.
As a former Board Chairman, I have to say that I am very impressed with James and his team- their development strides is glaringly exceptional and felt right across the country.
Indeed Sierra Leone’s journey to achieving safety standards on our road is right on track with James Bio at the helm of affairs.