Archbishop Tamba Charles Refutes MoICE Claims On Proposed Abortion Bill

President of the Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone, Most Rev. Edward Tamba Charles Archbishop of Freetown has on Monday 6th January 2025 refuted claims made by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Information and Civil Education (MoICE).
Making the disclaimer, he said that his attention has been drawn to a statement posted on the website of the Ministry of Information claiming that he said government has accommodated religious sensibilities with the proposed modifications to the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Bill.
“I dismiss the statement as false because I have not yet made any public statement on the proposed modifications of the Bill,” Most Rv. Tamba Charles wrote.
He said that at a meeting of representatives of religious leaders and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and the Deputy Minister II of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation held on the 2nd January 2025, he supported the suggestion made by the religious leaders to have access to the proposed modifications to the Bill.
“The document was sent to me on Friday 3rd January 2025, and I immediately posted it to all the executive members of the Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone and other religious leaders,” he stated.
He maintained that as a religious body, they are still studying the proposed modifications and that they will soon meet to prepare their response to same.
He furthered that until the above is done, it will be improper for him to declare as claimed by the website of the Ministry of Information.
“I advise all who are participating in or are interested in the ongoing dialogue between the religious leaders and the Government representatives on the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Bill to dismiss as false the statement posted on the website of the Ministry of Information,” he called.