The Leader of Government Business in the House of Parliament, Honourable Sidi Mohamed Tunis, has presented to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio the Certificate of Approval on the Proclamation of a State of Emergency regarding Rape and Sexual Violence during a brief ceremony held at State House.

During the presentation ceremony, the Member of Parliament said that: “Your Excellency sir, having gone through Parliament, I hereby present you with the Certificate of Approval of the Proclamation on the State of Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence.”

In his brief response, President Julius Maada Bio said he was pleased that Parliament had done their bit of the work to translate his words into action.

He said he was very passionate and cared about the welfare of everyone in the country, adding that he had already made a commitment on rape and sexual violence that had been well received both locally and internationally.

He also thanked Members of Parliament for approving the Declaration and expressed hope for their continued support in implementing the other parts of the Declaration.

It could be recalled that earlier this month, President Julius Maada Bio officially declared a National Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence, Pursuant to Section 29 (3), Act No. 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.

The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party has stood its ground against the Presidential Proclamation against rape and sexual violence on the basis that it will give the SLPP led Government under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio wide political powers to ‘unconstitutionally’ take certain decisions or actions according to their whims and caprices.
This Presidential Proclamation came in the wake of soaring incidences of rape and sexual violation cases with shocking revelations.
However, on the 22nd February 2019 majority of Parliamentarians voted in favour of the coming into being a State of Emergency and on the 25th February 2019 the Leader of Government Business in the House of Parliament, Honourable Sidi Mohamed Tunis presented to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio the Certificate of Approval on the Proclamation of a State of Emergency regarding Rape and Sexual Violence during a brief ceremony held at State House.

Here is the APC bone of contention encapsulated in a Press Release issued out on the 25th February 2019:

“We the APC Members of Parliament wish to inform members of our Party, the International Community, Civil Society, the Media and the general public that, Parliament has not approved His Excellency’s Proclamation of a State of Public Emergency. Section 29 (3) of the 1991 Constitution provides that such a proclamation must be approved by a vote of two-thirds of Members of Parliament present.

Parliamentary sitting was abruptly adjourned to Tuesday 26th February 2019 without votes being taken as prescribed by the Constitution and the Standing Orders.

While we applaud President Julius Maada Bio in his determination to combat sexual crimes, it is in the legislative competence of Parliament to make laws for good governance. In this respect, our Constitution emphatically states in Section 105:

“Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament shall be the supreme legislative authority for Sierra Leone.”

Accordingly, we the APC Members of Parliament made our position abundantly clear in the Well of Parliament that we support the fight against rape and all forms of sexual violence against women and girls and that more punitive measures ought to be adopted to control same.

In addition, we the APC Members of Parliament hold the view that such measures are not beyond the reach of the President, as such can be adequately achieved by strengthening the Sexual Offences Laws and their enforcement followed by stronger regulations.

If President Bio wishes to have Parliament amend the Sexual Offences Laws and enact stricter laws and regulations, he should commence the initiative rather than pre-empt Parliament by proclaiming a State of Public Emergency.

We, the APC Members of Parliament strongly consider the proclamation of a State of Public Emergency as an overreach by the Government in the fight against rape and sexual offences. A State of Public Emergency may be declared by the President under only the following circumstances:

When—
a. Sierra Leone is at war;
b. Sierra Leone is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war; or
c. there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the whole of Sierra Leone or any part thereof to such an extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security; or
d. there is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the whole of Sierra Leone or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert the same; or
e. there is an occurrence of imminent danger, or the occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity affecting the community or a section of the community in Sierra Leone; or
f. there is any other public danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of Sierra Leone.
It is clear our Constitution reserves these specific circumstances to declare a State of Public Emergency in Sierra Leone and the present societal menace doesn’t constitute one. We believe a declaration of a State of Public Emergency is a wrong manner to approach a societal problem for which appropriate laws and regulations may be enacted by Parliament.

A State of Public Emergency may provide temporary measures but it cannot stop a scourge of sexual offences in our communities in the long run when the period of emergency expires. As the Proclamation of a State of Public Emergency is at variance with curbing sexual crimes, so is the ‘collection of voices’ in approving it by Parliament.

We refer our objections to the International Community, Civil Society Organizations, the Media and all men and women of goodwill, that we share President Julius Maada Bio’s quest to fight sexual offences but we do not share his Proclamation of a State of Public Emergency and we frown on the heavy-handedness of the Speaker in attempting to carry the Motion for the approval of the State of Public Emergency by a mere ‘collection of voices’ contrary to the mandatory Provision of Section 29(3) of the 1991 Constitution and Standing Order 44(4) – for a two- thirds vote for its approval.
We therefore wish to reiterate that the Debate for the approval of the said Proclamation was inconclusive; hence a Public State of Emergency does not exist. The Debate on the Proclamation is to continue on the next sitting of Parliament.

The Declaration of a State of Emergency by H.E. Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio in an attempt to seemingly address the increasing spate of the incidence of rape has raised worrying eyebrows to many persons and organizations, including the Bar Association and civil society groups.

The Premise underlying emergency powers is simple: The government’s ordinary powers might be insufficient in a crisis, and amending the law to provide greater ones might be too slow and cumbersome. Emergency powers are meant to give the government a temporary boost until the emergency passes or there is time to change the law through normal legislative processes.

The Declaration of a State of Emergency regarding Rape and Sexual offences, appears well meaning, but the road to meet the challenge is risky and could open the floodgate for the abuse of the powers that go with the invocation of a State of Emergency.

It is no gainsay, that most of the citizenry support an aggressive pursuit in the fight against gender violence and other related offences that have besmeared the good image of our country and engender our women to serious physical and emotional injury. Yet, concerns have been raised on the extent of powers been sought and the applicability of such powers to meet the challenge being fought.

It is important to note, that this article by no means lessen, nor belittle the desire to seriously address the issue of rape and sexual violence, but rather query the wide ranging powers to be conferred on the President, that may have no bearing in that quest and could salivate the appetite of quashing dissent.

The moment a president declares a “Public Emergency”—a decision that is entirely within his discretion—he is able to set aside many of the legal limits on his authority. While many of these powers tee up reasonable responses to genuine emergencies, some appear dangerously suited to a leader who may be bent on amassing, or retaining power and crushing opposition elements. For instance, the president can, with the flick of his pen, activate laws allowing him for the detention of persons; restriction of movement of persons; authorise the entering and search of any premises; taking of possession or control on behalf of the Government of any property or undertaking, or freeze; provide for the apprehension, trial and punishment of persons; or freeze bank accounts, to name but a few of the wide powers to be exercised by the President once the Proclamation is approved by Parliament.

The Constitution confers on the President sole, unquestionable and unchallengeable power to determine the existence of a situation deserving of a Declaration by Proclamation of the existence of a State of Public Emergency. “The enjoyment of, or right to the enjoyment of, such rights and freedoms as guaranteed under the Constitution is neither absolute nor unlimited in scope, but relative and restrictive in all its aspects in the interest of an orderly society under the sovereignty of the law” expounded by the immortalized words of Kutubu, C.J. (then of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone) in the case of the State v Adel Ousman and Others (1988) LRC.

Furthermore, the same Court held, that an Emergency situation inevitably connote the curtailment of the rights and freedoms of the individual, and Emergency Regulations are laws to which the fundamental rights constitutionally have to give way.

This edifice of extraordinary powers has historically rested on the assumption that the president will act in the country’s best interest when using them. With a handful of noteworthy exceptions, this assumption has not held up in the case of Sierra Leone. But what if a president, backed into a corner and facing increasing public resentment or paranoiac apprehension of fear of being removed, were to declare an emergency for the sake of intimidating or harass the opposition with a view to cling on to power? In that scenario, our laws and institutions might not save us from a presidential power grab or longevity as the case may be. They might be what takes us down as a Nation!

Worthy of note however, is that other powers are available within our legal framework, even without a Declaration of Public Emergency, including laws that allow the president to seek, through Parliament, to amend and strengthen the Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (as amended); and the Offences against the Persons Act 1861, and to even to punish sexual penetration with life imprisonment. So, what begs the question is, why declare State of Emergency? Many other laws permit the executive branch to take extraordinary action under specified conditions, such as war and domestic upheaval, regardless of whether a national emergency has been declared or not.

In the case of R v Millberry, [2002] EWCA Crim 2891, [2003] Crim LR 207, the Court of Appeal held that “there are, broadly, three dimensions to consider in assessing the gravity of an individual offence of rape. The first is the degree of harm to the victim; the second is the level of culpability of the offender; and the third is the level of risk posed by the offender to society.” Subsequently, the court held in Attorney General’s Reference (Nos. 91, 119, 120 of 2002) that these three dimensions can be applied to sentencing for other categories of sexual offences. In applying the three different tests enunciated above, none, demand the kind of powers requested for under the emergency power.

Interestingly, it appears to me to be a “copy and paste” of the Donald Trump declaration of ‘National Emergency’ over the building of a wall separating Mexico from the United States of America. This has been challenged by Congress, several States of the Union; and Civil Rights Organizations.
In retrospect, key points in American history, presidents have cited inherent constitutional powers when taking drastic actions that were not authorized or, in some cases, were explicitly prohibited by Congress.

Notorious examples include Franklin D. Roosevelt’s internment of U.S. citizens and residents of Japanese descent during World War II and George W. Bush’s programs of warrantless wiretapping and torture after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Abraham Lincoln conceded that his unilateral suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War was constitutionally questionable, but defended it as necessary to preserve the Union.
Aiming to rein in this proliferation, Congress passed the National Emergencies Act in 1976. Under this law, the president still has complete discretion to issue an emergency declaration, but he must specify in the declaration which powers he intends to use, issue public updates if he decides to invoke additional powers, and report to Congress on the government’s emergency-related expenditures every six months.

By any objective measure, the law before Parliament, attempting to invoke the colossal powers of State of Emergency in Sierra Leone, is singing the same ode as Donald Trump, on extraordinary powers of the executive. The threat of abuse far outweigh the anxiety it seeks to address.

In any event, it is now for Parliament to formulate or amend the necessary legislation to give effect to strengthening the fight against rape and sexual violence. Concomitantly, the Judiciary must exercise its power to deliver timely and competent judgments, and the Law Office must endeavour to prosecute qualitatively, leading to successful convictions. The Declaration of State of Emergency is advisedly to be rejected by our Parliamentarians, but the “ayes” have it, according to the Speaker of Parliament. So mote it be. God save us all!

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Heiko Maas, has paid a courtesy call on His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio at State House in Freetown.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Alie Kabba, who chaired the meeting, said his German counterpart was on his first visit to Sierra Leone. He further stated that they had had lengthy discussions and covered several issues that reflected the core priorities of the New Direction Government, adding that he had also spoken on the need to focus for on foreign direct investment. He used the occasion to highlight some key social issues and, in particular, referenced government’s stance on rape and sexual assaults, noting that that was being done to raise international awareness and support on the issue.

The German Foreign Minister said he was excited about visiting the country for the first time and disclosed that he was very interested in the development process in the country. He also sated that as a member of the United Nations Security Council, Germany was very interested in how conflicts could be prevented and solved, saying that Sierra Leone was a wonderful example which they were ready to learn from.

He further told the meeting that they wanted to put the topic of conflict prevention again on the agenda for the United Nations Security Council meeting in April when they would have the Presidency of the Council, adding that they were interested in examples of how different situations could be overcome and how civil wars, like the 1991-2001 rebel war in Sierra Leone, could be prevented.

He also assured that they were ready to put issues of sexual violence on the agenda while acknowledging remarkable stances the Sierra Leone government had already taken to raise public awareness, help victims through free treatment in hospitals and prepare the judiciary to take actions against perpetrators. He noted that the UN must focus on those issues because the increasing rate of sexual violence, including the use of rape as a weapon of war.

On his part, President Bio said that Sierra Leone was enjoying a very good relationship with Germany, adding that he was now focusing on strengthening that relationship and widening the level of cooperation between the two countries. He said his Government was working on a comprehensive Development Plan as a means of moving a lot of people out of poverty.

“We have placed premium on human capital development as a way to lay a solid foundation for development in this country. We have laid emphasis on diversifying our economy, not just being dependent on diamonds and gold but also on agriculture, tourism and other areas as multiple revenue bases.

“We have handled the economy reasonably well and we have been able to identify and generate more revenue than it has been done in the past. With that we have been able to support some of the basic activities of government. We want to stop dependency on aid so we are engaged in activities that are geared towards trade and investments. We are working on providing the right climate here that can be inviting for foreign investors to come in,” he said.

He said sexual violence had been around since the civil war but that it had worsened to the extent that he had to declare it a National Emergency, noting that he was very particular about the protection of girls but also excited at the prospect of discussing the issue at the Security Council.

President Bio, who doubles as Chairman of the Committee of Ten African Union Heads of State charged with leading a common position to secure two seats in the Security Council, said Africa had 1.2 billion people who were not represented in the Council, adding that 70% of the decisions being taken at the Council affected Africa and, therefore, the continent deserved to be represented on it.

Activists in Sierra Leone and the Gambia have criticized recent comments by Sierra Leone’s first lady on female genital mutilation (FGM).
First Lady Fatima Bio in a television interview on Sunday in Banjul, the Gambia said that there are other more important issues to discuss on women rights, in response to a question on the cultural practice rooted in Africa.
“I am a circumcised woman. I have had three successful deliveries without complications,” she said, adding that she had not faced any complication due to FGM.
“The campaigners need to show me convincing statistics of women and girls who have been affected by the practice especially in The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
“I think there should be focus to reduce rape and promote girl child education not FGM,” she told Gambians.
FGM is widespread in Sierra Leone especially among women outside of the capital, Freetown.
Sierra Leone’s regional neighbours such as Senegal, Nigeria and the Gambia have banned the practice, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cause extreme pain, excessive bleeding or haemorrhage, and may spread infections including HIV.
Many activists took to social media to condemn what they called insensitive remarks by Bio.
“I have so many issues with her statement. You are a First Lady and can’t just sit and say things like this and expect no consequence. It’s such a shame that smart women like her put politics before girls. I am very disappointed,” Jaha Dukureh, a Gambian anti-FGM campaigner, wrote on her Facebook page.
Kadie Sannoh Harris, a Sierra Leonean anti-FGM campaigner, also condemned her remarks.
“I can’t begin to voice how disappointed I am by reading this. As an educated and well exposed individual who claim to stand with women, how can women’s suffering be justified by embracing female genital mutilation?
“I personally have lots of evidence to show how female genital mutilation has affected me. To physically take a knife to a woman’s body that creates lifetime complications both physically and mentally cannot be justified in anyway,” she wrote on Facebook.

Pastor Francis A.M Mambu, the General Overseer of Faith Healing Bible Church-worldwide has expressed disappointment over the low turnout of Sierra Leoneans at this year’s national thanksgiving ceremony held at the National Stadium, Friday, February 22nd 2019, compared to last year’s.
The Servant of God noted that on February 2018 – a month before the controversial general and presidential elections, when the nation almost sensed some amount of chaos, many Sierra Leoneans went to the Siaka Steven Stadium to seek the intervention of God through repentance. “This year in February, only few returned to thank Him for the peaceful outcome of the elections, “referencing the one leper who returned to thank the Lord Jesus Christ out of the ten He healed: Luke 17: 11-19.
Many among the few who returned to thank the Lord for answering their prayers were girls, young men and women. Asked why the dominance of women, Georgiana M.T. Harding of 12 Wilkinson Road, Freetown, responded that “women had closely been with Jesus Christ when He was alive; unto His crucifixion, burial, and were the first to discover His resurrection from the dead. This is why we have always been in dominance appearing to love Him than men”.
In spite of the low turnout, cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and the leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party-Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara were in attendance. The Mayor of the Freetown Municipality-Yvonne Aki Sawyer was absent, but represented by a Ward Councilor who made a statement on her behalf.
A very interesting poem about Sierra Leone was read in absentia by the Minister of Works, Housing and Infrastructure-Raymond De Souzza George, who was represented by his wife. According to Pastor Mambu, “this year’s thanksgiving ceremony has been the first to host a considerable number of politicians, indicating God’s readiness for a turnaround of the nation”.
The thanksgiving ceremony marked the end of the twenty one days of national prayer and fasting, where Men and Women of God from various denominations offered strategic prayers of thanksgiving for the three arms of government: the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature; the peaceful outcome of the March 2018 general and presidential elections and the nationwide stability; Ministries, Departments and Agencies including the economy: investors, mineral resources, banks and related financial institutions; the Local Government Ministry and functionaries: Provincial Secretaries, District Officers, Chief Administrators, Mayors, District Council Chairpersons and Councilors; the Judiciary: Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Chief Justice, Judges, Magistrates, Lawyers, Magistrates and Local Court functionaries; the Foreign Affairs Ministry: International Community and Diplomatic Corps, Embassies and Sierra Leoneans living in the diaspora; the Health Ministry: Nurses and Doctors; the Human Resource development; individual homes and families including the youth, aged, and married couples; the Law Enforcement Agencies: Police, Army, Fire Force, Auxiliary Security Agencies, Chiefdom Police, Correctional Service Officials; Patriotism: the nation in entirety, and the Body of Christ-SL, to name but a few. The all-night thanksgiving ceremony was segmented into four phases, coupled with twenty one prophetic trumpet blasts signifying victory over the powers of darkness that are believed to have seated on the nation’s destiny.

The National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), in partnership with one of its project consultant, MYRADA- an International Livelihood Development Service Provider based in India has concluded a 17-day nationwide training workshop for NaCSA field staff.
The team, who were in the country from the 22nd January 2019 to the 9th February 2019 were tasked with the responsibility to jointly review, with NaCSA, the performances and statuses of old and new Self-help Affinity Groups (SAGs) (118 +205); to assess the various Federations and enhance their capacities to support suitable SAGs to morph into Microenterprise Groups (MEGs); and to train NaCSA field staff on the preparation of business plans, concept notes and common entrepreneurship skills and concept, specifically for the SAGs using Business Model Canvas methodology .

Declaring the session opened in Bo, the NaCSA’s Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sao Kpato Hannah Isata Max-Kyne revealed that, the Sierra Leone Community Driven Development Project phase II (GIETRENK) resonates with the Government of His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction in the area of women empowerment and access to small and medium capital to enhance micro enterprise development. She also noted that other components of this project clearly support the government’s flagship program, which is the attainment of free quality primary and secondary education; and is also in tune with other priority areas, including health, water, hygiene and sanitation, and renewable energy .
She further stated that the estimated cost of the SLCDD 11 is US$51.93 million, with the Government of Sierra Leone contributing US$5.25 million as counterpart funding.
NaCSA Micro Finance Officer, Martha Macfoy gave the overview and purpose of the workshop, emphasizing that the continuation of capacity building for NaCSA staff by MYRADA is key to the implementation of the project, which she noted will in turn benefit the targeted beneficiaries in the various communities.

Speaking on behalf of the Bo District Council, Councilor Abu Bakarr C. Foray of Ward 291, Jaiama Chiefdom, expressed his council’s appreciations to NaCSA for transforming the lives of the people in various communities in the District. He further confirmed that NaCSA is a household name in Bo District and highlighted some of NaCSA’s interventions in the district, including road construction, agricultural cultivation, cash transfer etc.
The training was held in five districts (Bo, Moyamba, Kenema, Port Loko & Tonkolili) and was facilitated by four Indian MYRADA Consultants. Training modules delivered include- development of business plans, prioritizing business activities, customer segment and value proposition, identification of customer channels and developing strategies to build customer relation, which is key aspect of this project.

The training exercise was replicated in each growth pole district headquarter town and was combined with field visits to communities, including Masingbi in the Tonkolili District, Gbinti in Port Loko District, Sembehun Nancy Tucker in Moyamba and Panguma in Kenema District.

Climaxing these activities was a debriefing session held at the Commission’s Headquarter in Freetown, where detailed presentation on the outcome of the exercise; activities undertaken, observations from the mission and their recommendations were presented by MYRADA to senior officials of the institution.

Sierra Leone is looking forward to an end of Fifa’s suspension ahead of a year-packed with football competitions .Abdula Rahman Swaray, Acting General Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), said on Friday that how soon the country’s suspension is lifted now depends on the actions of the Government and the outcome of a court case involving two former SLFA officials: the suspended President Isha Johansen and her General Secretary Chris Kamara.
The suspension of the two prompted Fifa’s decision to suspend Sierra Leone in October 2018. That came following a protracted disagreement among football stakeholders. Mrs Johansen was elected SLFA President back in 2013 as the first female to hold the position.
But much of her tenue was spent fighting with a faction within the football community who accused her of corruption and maladministration. At some point she had a tough time with the former administration of President Ernest Bai Koroma, which had help seen her elected into office.
Due to the problem, serious football could not be played in Sierra Leone for the next four years.
Last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) unsealed an indictment of 10 count charges of corruption and abuse of office against Johansen and Kamara. The ACC went further to evict the two from office, in line with the country’s anti-corruption laws.
Fifa, which had constantly supported Johansen throughout her tenue, suspended the country in line with its policy of non-political interference in football. A high powered government delegation, among them the Vice President, the Chief Minister and the Minister of Justice, held talks with Fifa officials in Zurich, Switzerland, as part of efforts to reverse the suspension. Although that meeting ended in a disappointment for many Sierra Leoneans, officials said it was a success.

The delegation and Fifa signed a MoU which detailed actions to be taken before the country will be reinstated. According to Mr Sawaray, a very important thing that came out clearly in that MoU is the highly contentious issue of Johansen’s unconditional reinstatement was removed from the table.
He said Fifa said that if the matter in court was concluded it might consider lifting the suspension ahead of its Congress slated for this May in Paris, France. “The delay,” he said, “is not Fifa again,” said Mr Swaray.
“Our faith is in the court and the government,” he added in a radio interview. Swaray said the suspension has had an adverse effect on football in the country, leaving the FA particularly financially handicapped. According to the SLFA official, despite the ban, there has been a lot of encouraging signs between the FA and Fifa. He said the world football governing body has been engaging the FA in a lot of competitions in terms of communication.

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Friday 22nd February 2019 debated and approved with some dissenting voices, a presidential proclamation on the commission of rape against women, girls and babies throughout the Republic of Sierra Leone.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu ruled in finality that “the ayes have it”, adding that “rape is an extraordinary situation which warrants an extraordinary measure like a presidential proclamation aimed at curbing this dreadful menace in our society”.
In line with provision of the relevant Section in Act No. 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, that deals with the opinion of the President in declaring a state of emergency in the country whether in part or a whole, the following presidential proclamation was approved in Parliament:
“Now, therefore, I Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Supreme Head of State, Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Sierra Leone, having regard to the prevalence of crimes of sexual violence committed against women, girls and babies, throughout Sierra Leone, do hereby, by this proclamation declare that a State of Public Emergency exists regarding rape and sexual violence in the whole of the Republic of Sierra Leone with effect from the 7th day of February, 2019”.

Seconding the motion, the Deputy Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew S. Nyuma decried the high rate of reported incidences of rape and called on the House to support the approval of the presidential proclamation in light of the oath they had taken to defend and protect the people of Sierra Leone.

Hon. Daniel B. Koroma said that “I preferred an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 regarding rape to a presidential proclamation on rape with the maximum punishment of life imprisonment”.

The Rt. Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas informed the House about an incidence of anal penetration done to a five year old girl by a 43 year old man that has left the girl now “paralyzed”.

Hon. Veronica K. Sesay, President of the Parliamentary Female Caucus described rape as “madness” and even called for rapists to be “sentenced to life imprisonment with castration and hard labour”, whilst calling for a bi-partisan support in light of the Resolution adopted by the House on women, peace and security.

Leader of the National Grand Coalition, Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella said that “I preferred the stiffest of punishment for rapists including life imprisonment, but through an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, to a presidential proclamation”, whilst recalling and alluding to Dr. Abdulai O. Conteh’s Essay on the 1991 Constitution on how the APC used state of emergency to crackdown on their political opponents.

Paramount Chief Member of Parliament from Pujehun, Hon. Matilda Y. Minah also supported the presidential proclamation on rape and other forms of sexual violence against women, girls and babies in the country.

Acting Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo also said that “the APC prefers an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 to accommodate a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, to a presidential proclamation”.

The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis praised President Bio for declaring a state of public emergency on rape against women, girls and babies in Sierra Leone.

Other MPs spoke to the motion.