Saptieu Saccoh’s stellar public sector leadership in the depoliticisation and democratisation of registration of instruments in Sierra Leone

 

In 2020, I wrote about the new female Administrator and Registrar-General’s Midas touch. Four years on, Madam Saptieu Saccoh’s leadership skills have been spotted beyond her jurisdiction. Recently, she was nominated for the prestigious African Public Sector Leader of the Year 2023 by the African Leadership Magazine among top public sector leaders in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa

 

https://guardian.ng/ama-press-releases/breaking-african-leadership-magazine-unveils-nominees-for-the-african-persons-of-the-year-poty-2023/. The citation for the nomination reads:

 

Before Madam Saccoh took over the Registrar-General’s office, the institution was a decrepit bureaucratic public office swaddled in opaque processes. Less than a year after her appointment, her vision-driven and collaborative approach to leadership led to transformative steps that put users/registrants at the forefront of the institution’s strategic plan. The now characteristic ease of registration of documents has not only been confined to the capital, Freetown, but spread across the other provincial headquarter districts. The decentralisation has substantially democractised the registration of instruments. From registration of instruments being a nightmare, Madam Saccoh and her team have approached registration as a human right to be enjoyed by the people of Sierra Leone and not as a favour or charity given by a public servant. 

 

It is, therefore, no surprise that the African Leadership magazine nominated her for the African Public Sector Leader of the Year award. She has depoliticised the registration of instruments and insulated the institution from the political polarisation that permeates Sierra Leonean society. Madam Saccoh’s leadership has emphasised that registration of conveyances, leases, mortgages, contracts and other processes is a right to be enjoyed by all without sweat or hassle, political favour or patronage. 

 

She’s a great example of transformative leadership by a young female leader in the current administration. She’s a great reference on how young women can lead with grace and impact beyond politics and borders. 

 

I wish her the best and join my compatriots in rooting for her to win the prestigious award. However, with or without this award, Saptieu Saccoh is already a heroine who’s made her mark on the sands of time in the sphere of registration of instruments in recent times.