Sierra Leone’s re-elected President Julius Maada Bio has left some of his prominent cabinet ministers on hiatus days after the June 24 Presidential results were announced.

Some of the mounting controversy that surrounded the social media sphere was brought to the fore when a list of newly appointed ministers and key appointments surfaced on Monday afternoon, July 10, 2023.

The new list saw the exclusion of key names including Prof. David Francis, former minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Jacob Jusu Saffa, former Chief Minister and Prof. Alpha T. Wurie, former Minister of Technical and Higher Education.

Several switches have also been made. Timothy Kabba is no longer minister of Mines and Mineral Resources but rather the new replacement for Francis at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Some analysts have said the most surprising appointment, perhaps, is Umaru Napoleon Koroma to serve as the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.

Koroma served as the Deputy Minister of Justice in the former administration of Bio and is also the current National Secretary General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party.

Prof. Wurie has also been replaced by Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie as the new minister of Technical and Higher Education.

Some analysts have predicted that the President will continue on a similar trajectory in appointing his remaining ministers. Bio is yet to announce his cabinet for Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Information and Communication to name but a few.

Bio also made adjustments in key government institutions including the National Revenue Authority where Brima Swarray has replaced Dr. Samuel Gibao as Director-General.