By Nasratu Kargbo
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has assured that Parliament will be more open to the people of Sierra Leone.
The MP made this commitment during the launch of the National Council for Civic Education and Democracy’s (NaCCED) Strategic Plan for the period 2024-2028.
He promised that as parliamentarians they will continue to take conscious steps and actions including consultations that will meet the expectations of the populace.
Conteh praised President Julius Maada for what he said are transformative actions and radical changes that he has made in governance, especially in the legislative arm since taking up office in 2018.
Conteh highlighted some of the ways they’ve achieved openness, explaining that they invite media institutions to witness and report on the budget scrutinization process and review of monies allocated to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) without invoking SO75 which forbids publication without authorization from the committee.
He said that they have been consulting to get the views of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), stakeholders, and the masses. He explained that their contributions are included in the enactment of laws in the country, and highlighted several bills such as the Cyber Security and Crimes Act 2021, repealing of the criminal libel law amongst others which were controversial and for which he said proper consultations were made.
Highlighting some of the reforms made towards openness in the fifth and sixth parliament, Acting Clerk Gilbert Bosco N’habay in his statement said they introduced Open Day, where citizens are allowed to learn about the operations of parliament, during which he said a man told him of having resided in Freetown for over twenty years but has never been to parliament before that day.
He spoke of accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the precincts of parliament, noting that they can easily access the different areas of parliament.
The Acting clerk mentioned the library, and research unit amongst others which can provide information to citizens about parliament.
“Our open index indicators have increased significantly. When the recent open parliament index survey was conducted by the parliamentary network of Africa, the Sierra Leone parliament was rated third amongst thirteen parliaments” the Acting Clerk said.
NaCCED's strategic plan aligns with the government’s Big Five agenda and seeks to maximize the use of civic education in strengthening democratic processes and improving governance in a bid to accelerate economic growth, poverty reduction, and peace in the country.
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