If You Do Not Address Our Welfare Concerns, We Will Not Sit On Your Supplementary Budget …Parliament Holds Finance Ministry To Ransom

By Desmond Issac Macauley
Honourable Members of the Sixth Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone voiced serious grievances over their welfare, drawing comparisons between their conditions and those of cabinet ministers and lawmakers in neighbouring countries. These concerns were expressed by the MPs during the visit of the Speaker of the Liberia Parliament to Sierra Leone Parliament.
Speaker Thomas informed the House that, the Liberian Speaker would address MPs regarding the proposed establishment of the Mano River Union (MRU) Parliament.
He added that they had a productive discussion the previous day, noting that the Liberian Speaker came in “heavily,” and that Sierra Leone’s Deputy Speaker was also part of the meeting.
He remarked that the Deputy Speaker would understand what he meant by the Liberian Speaker coming in “extremely heavy.”
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, stated that, the Liberian Speaker and his delegation came to embarrass them.
He emphasized that Sierra Leone is not the poorest country, noting that it is economically better off than Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia. He argued that MPs in those countries receive far better treatment, facilities, and accommodations than their counterparts in Sierra Leone.
“The Speaker’s escort team was impressive, not to mention his vehicle the latest model a Speaker can drive,” Honourable Tawa said. “Meanwhile, the Speaker of our Parliament is driving a 15-year-old vehicle. That is an embarrassment,” he stated.
He informed that this is the only Parliament in the world where its leaders have no official vehicles or offices, and where MPs are forced to sit in the canteen with ordinary visitors.
He urged the Speaker to take decisive action to end the situation. Addressing the Deputy Minister of Finance I, who was present, he warned: “Let this message go down to the Ministry of Finance, if our concerns are not addressed, when you bring your supplementary budget, this Parliament will not sit on it.”
Chief Whip of Parliament, Honourable Dickson Rogers, also expressed frustration, recounting an experience during a visit to China. “Mr. Speaker, when I was in China, almost every Speaker had a photographer and press officer attached to them,” he said.
He revealed that the vehicle currently used by the Speaker is his personal vehicle, just like most MPs who also rely on their private cars. “I have not seen any minister in this country driving their personal vehicle. All the ministers use government vehicles,” he noted.
He further recalled that during the tenure of former Speaker SBB Dumbuya, ministers could not ignore calls from MPs. “This is the only Speaker’s tenure where MDAs disregard parliamentary instructions and show no respect for this House,” Hon. Rogers asserted. He urged the Speaker to “Wake up and work for them.”
Concluding the debate, Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas allowed the Ministry of Finance to lay their paper but that Parliament would not deliberate on it. He warned that, if the Ministry fails to address MPs’ welfare concerns, the House will refuse to consider the Ministry’s supplementary budget.