By Foday Moriba Conteh
Parliament has on the 2nd July 2021 at 7:40 PM concluded debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Speech delivered by His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio on the occasion of the State Opening of the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone, in the Chamber of Parliament on Tuesday 18th May 2021 marking five consecutive days of protracted and intensive debates.
Contributing to the motion, Hon. P. C. Bai Kurr Kanagbaro Sanka III of Tonkolili spoke on the need to support the free quality education for the development of the country. On national cohesion, he called on MPs to desist from preaching bad politics in their communities.
Hon. Emmanuel Saidu Conteh opposed Government for “preventing citizens from enjoying their rights to free speech and protests in the country”. Commending President Bio for the fishing harbour, and speaking on high taxations, he observed that the President did not mention anything in his Speech about the incidents at Pa Demba Road Prison and Tombo.
Hon. Alusine Kanneh praised President Bio for the Speech he delivered to Parliament. On education, he said the free quality education programme is meant to build and improve on human capital development in the country. Speaking on Government interventions in agriculture, he said the foreign relations trajectories of the Government are on the right footing.
Hon. P.C. Fatmata Bintu Meama Kajue-Koroma from Moyamba called for sincerity in politics, responsible criticisms and acclaimed previous debaters for putting country first.
Hon. Abdul Kargbo said President Bio is not planning to fail, but due to cacophonous and misleading information and propaganda, he has failed to deliver on his promises to the people of Sierra Leone. Commending President Bio for the free quality education, he said the Government is enjoying the legacy of energy left by APC.
Hon. P. C. Alhaji Badara Sheriff from Bonthe said the Paramount Chiefs have blessed President Bio to succeed in his tenure. Speaking on the construction of the main road leading to Bonthe District, he praised President Bio for making significant gains on the battered economy he had inherited; adding Rome was not built in a day.
Leader of C4C, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina praised President Bio for his dynamic leadership aimed at redesigning the development trajectories of the country sixty years after independence. He referred to President Bio as a Five Star General who has transformed the mining sector to benefit the indigenes in the country. He also said under the administration of President Bio, Sierra Leone has catalogued its mineral wealth and has launched three major mining policies including geodata and artisanal mining in the country.
He pointed out that, President Bio has attracted more mining companies to invest in the country than ever before. He said the ratification of Kingho Rail and Port Agreement by Parliament is a step in the right direction. He thanked President Bio for the expansion of the Lungi Airport Terminal and described him as a phenomenal President of human capital development through the recruitment of 5000 teachers than ever before.
On three new universities, he thanked President Bio profusely for securing a loan for the construction of a University of Science and Technology in Kono District. He also praised President Bio for repealing the Public Order Act of 1965 from our law books, and for not abrogating the law by sacking election officers.
Speaking on the construction of a bridge in his constituency to facilitate trade, he called on the Minister of Tourism to identify and select Waima as a tourist site, where a British Commander Lendy fought and stopped the marauding Samoure boys from annexing Kono District. It was where the British and French clashed and a mass grave was dug to bury those who died on that fateful day.
Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh thanked President Bio for giving facelifts to Kaningo community by constructing a bridge and school to facilitate movements and promote education in his constituency. In three years, he said President Bio has done remarkably well in the areas of energy and education than the eleven years of rule by the APC Government.
Hon. P. C. Matilda Yayu Minah of Pujehun District thanked President Bio for revamping agricultural productivity in the country. Speaking on the free quality education and the school feeding programme, she made reference to the construction of the main road leading to Pujehun and called on MPs to stay and remain united in the country for peace and development.
Hon. Osman Wurie Jalloh acclaimed President Bio for the free education and described him as a man with great vision. Speaking on economic growths, he called on Government to address violence and lawlessness among youth devoid of partisan considerations.
Hon. Sallieu O. Sesay said on economic benchmarks, the Government promised to fix the economy in six months, but had failed to do so in three years now. He called on Government to do the roads in Makeni and improve on electricity supplies in that part of the country. He also asked the Government to subsidize than to allow increments on the fuel pump prices with huge impacts on the masses.
Hon. Francis Amara Kaisamba thanked President Bio and blamed some MPs for criticizing without consideration for the truth. He called on MPs to avoid politicizing the recent increase in fuel prices in the country amid Government subsidy on same to cushion the effects on the masses. Speaking on debts accrued by the APC government, he commended Government for the massive construction of roads in Kenema District.
Leader of NGC, Hon. Dr. Alhaji Kandeh Yumkella said the country is under-developed and that the Government needs to leverage on continuity to succeed in governance. Speaking on the economy, job creation, and debts management, he called on MPs to collectively address the structural problems in the country. Speaking on the necessity for a transition bill with specific date for election and handing over of power, he commended President Bio for efforts geared towards strengthening national cohesion and democracy in the country. On environmental protection and degradation, he called on Government to relocate the fishing harbour from Black Johnson in order to maintain its touristic values.
Hon. Hindolo M. Gevao spoke about the availability of oxygen machines in hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. Following constitutional provisions, he said the incident at Pa Demba Road Prison was resisted by law. Speaking on the independence of the judiciary, he commended President Bio for passing good laws such as the repeal of the obnoxious Public Order Act of 1965 by the current Parliament in fulfillment of his manifesto promise to the people during campaigns.
He said the fight against corruption, fair trials, huge scores in the MCC resulting in legibility for Compact Funds and the free quality education have earned President Bio’s administration international credibility. He also accused the opposition of filibustering the Government’s efforts for the conduct of a midterm census in the country.
Hon. Massay Aruna acclaimed President Bio for meeting 70 percent of his manifesto promises to the people of Sierra Leone. She commended the First Lady, Mrs Fatima Bio for her nationwide campaign through Hands of Our Girls aimed at improving the education and opportunities for the girl-child in the country, and appealed to MPs to create safe seats for women vying for representation in Parliament.
Hon. Dr. Roland Kargbo thanked President Bio and observed that there are gaps in the Speech including unfulfilled promises on the Student’s Loan Scheme among others. Speaking on the importance of education, he called on Government to leverage on the gains APC had made for the progress of education in the country.
Hon. P. C. Sahr Kontanday Mbriwa from Kono thanked President Bio for his sincerity in governance and described it as “the right direction”. He said President Bio is hopeful to restore hope to the people due to efforts that have exposed leadership failures and political corruption in the country by the last government. He commended President Bio for giving a University to Kono after a long period of deprivation and neglect, despite its contributions to national development.
Hon. Mohamed Sheriff Rahman-Coker thanked President Bio for providing for the needs of the people of Sierra Leone through the free quality education and efficient revenue mobilization and prudent fiscal management in the country.
Hon. P. C. Prof. Macavoray from Bo appealed to Government for the decentralization of Government Printing and also called for settlements of land disputes in the country.
Hon. Lahai Marah challenged Government on the accumulation of loans, bad economy and reminded them of human rights violations they have committed over the years.
Hon. Sartie Banya said his constituents are celebrating the current Government for the opportunities in education, and for the decentralization of recruitments of teaching and security personnel in the country. Speaking on the physically challenged, he commended President Bio for introducing the free quality education scheme in the country for the enhancement of human capital development.
Hon. Hassan Sesay blamed Government for failing to recognize efforts made by the past APC government relating to development programmes in the country. He also accused Government of failing to provide subsidy on fuel to cushion the economic effects on the masses, which according to him the APC did for the people during Ebola. Speaking on the need for stakeholders engagements on the fishing harbour, he commended President Bio for the repeal of the Public Order Act of 1965 by opening free speech in the country.
Hon. Zainab K. Braima condemned claims by opposition MPs that civil servants were sacked on the basis of ethnicity or regional bias. She said, though a Northerner, President Bio has given her the opportunity to represent people from the Eastern Region of the country.
Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah thanked donors and the people of Sierra Leone for the fight against COVID-19 before the advent of the third wave. He said the people should be given the opportunity in a democracy to express their rights through lawful protests. He blamed the police for being selective on the issuance of certificate to hold peaceful demonstrations and accused the police of using disproportionate force in Makeni and other places in the country.
He also said that Parliament should be privy on the report regarding the incident at Pa Demba Road Prison. Speaking on inalienable rights, he accused the judiciary of not being impartial and described it as worse than the one under the one party system, by giving an injunction on petition cases and presided over the removal of elected MPs from Parliament.
He said it over a year now, at least he furthered that “Kamarainba deserves a bail now”. Commending President Bio for the free quality education, he said the efforts of APC on education should not go unnoticed by this Government. Speaking on the MCC Compact, energy and mining, he called on Government to furnish Parliament with the portfolios of loans and grants, and the utilization of Le 500 Billion approved by Parliament for the production and importation of essential goods through the commercial banks.
Concluding, Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma thanked President Bio for his humanity and sacrifice to make Sierra Leone a better place. He described him as the Father of Democracy and the most vilified presidential candidate ever in the history of the country. He referred to him as a wise man and commended his fight against corruption in the country. On inclusive governance and national cohesion, he said provisions are made in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone for Parliament to allocate responsibility based on the strengths of political parties in the House.
He said President Bio was magnanimous even when he was stoned in Bo. He blamed APC for politicizing the police after they won the election in 2007, even when late President Tejan Kabbah had brought a British who did his best to rebrand the police to serve as a force for good. He recalled that in spite of the massacre of the Bios in Tihun in Bonthe, yet he brought Foday Sankoh from the bush to negotiate a peaceful settlement for the end of the war in the country. He saluted health workers for fight against COVID-19 in the country and called on the citizens to take the vaccines.
To succeed in agriculture, he spoke on the need of using science and soil fixation as the way forward. He said education is the only key that would be used to unlock potentials and opportunities in the world to make yourselves and countries better. He said with Chinese assistance, it would be improper to cancel the toll agreement. He said due to the determination of President Bio, internal resources were generated by Government to kickstart the free quality education in the country.
Speaking on single digit, he said the implementation of the quick action economic recovery programme resulted in cash flows to vulnerable groups, supplies of essential goods and services, and the introduction of the MUNAFA fund to assist small and medium enterprises in the country. He also said that President Bio is determined to curtail excessive powers that resulted in the unlawful sacking of the former Vice President and Mayor of Koidu City. He ended by reading President Bio’s scorecards in several areas of governance including sports (football), the fight against corruption and infrastructural development.
