By Saio Marrah
Member of Parliament, Lahai Marah, of constituency 042 in the Falaba District Thursday 18 March 2021 urged parliament to debate the 2020 Auditor General’s Report.
This, he said, was in line with the provision of the Constitution of Sierra Leone that required parliament to debate the Auditor General’s Report and then make necessary recommendations. He said even though the House had earlier agreed to debate the 2020 report, nothing was being done about it, adding that they had nor debated the reports since 2018.
Paramount Chief Member of Parliament, Bai Kurr Kanagbaro Sanka III of Tonkolili District said parliament was “standing on a weak ground” in the fight against corruption because he and another MPs like Ibrahim Tawa Conteh had moved a motion to debate the 2018 auditor’s report, which hadn’t happened.
He said the 2020 report must be debated, adding that the fight against corruption was not about a particular political party and that most of the officials serving in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies were not appointed by the current SLPP government.
In response to the concerns raised, Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, said as members of parliament they had the sacred responsibility to fight against corruption and that they should not shy away from it.
“The language of the constitution is our guide and, in that regard, we should do due diligence and be faithful to the oath that we all took when we became members of parliament. We should be the vanguards for the fight against corruption. There are no two ways about it except for this house to perform that sacred duty on behalf of the people. We cannot shirk our responsibility, we cannot,” he said.
He, therefore, summoned the leadership of parliament to hold a meeting with him to discuss the said matter.
Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Bashiru Silikie of Constituency 082, Bo District, said the business committee had been informed by the clerk and that the motion for the debate of the auditor general’s report had been well presented but that they were waiting for a notice from the clerk.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (19/03/21)
