By Chrispina Cummings
Parliament has started scrutinizing ministers and deputy ministers appointed by President Ernest Bai Koroma, following his reelection in November. Minority Sierra Leone People’s Party leader in Parliament, Dr Bernadette Lahai sounded particularly tough when questioning Musa Tarawally, the proposed minister of lands, housing and country planning. Tarawally was asked whether he owned a house or a plot of land in Freetown. He answered in the negative but added that he owned a piece of land and a house in Moyamba. Dr Lahai wanted to know his impression about the Shears-Moses commission of inquiry and the Gendema incident. She made reference to the findings of the commission claiming that the nominee failed to act to stop the violence in that area while he was Minister of State, South. Mr. Tarawally argued that after the report had been published some people came out openly to testify that they lied in their testimony. Asked whether it was stated in the report that he should not hold public office for five years, the APC strongman said “that has been cleared up because the report itself was baseless and lacked enough evidence.” In a white paper following the Shares-Moses report, the government said it however regretted “its inability to legally effect that recommendation as the banning of citizens from holding public office (other than by law) recommended by the Commission is not provided for in the laws of Sierra Leone”. Government however committed itself to sacking him in due course. Outside parliament, Mr. Tarawally made further reference to the recommendations of the Sheares-Moses report as it relates to him. “...the government, through its party’s internal disciplinary measures, has addressed that issue by instituting appropriate actions including those that affect the way I look at my office as minister since then. I have been disciplined enough,” he said. He promised parliament that he would introduce computerized records-keeping at the ministry to avoid long-standing lands disputes and minimize instances of files getting missing over controversial lands. Tarawally told Politico: “I will go there with the fear of God and work with those I meet there as a team”. The nominee for Minister of Local Government, Diana Finda Konomani said that she would have first on her agenda the effective use of the Chieftaincy Act to handle such perennial problems as they related to councils and Paramount Chiefs. Mamoud Elongima Maligi, nominated as minister for water resources, told parliamentarians that he was determined to face the challenges of the ministry. Muctarr Conteh, nominated for Resident Minister South, said that he would prioritise the education of women and children, especially girls; as well as making his region the cleanest in the country. Theo Nicol, deputy minister of information said he would help bring sanity to journalism through strategic training for journalists. When asked about the Criminal Libel Law, the onetime journalist said he supported the fight against seditious libel and therefore called on parliament to look into it.
