By Crispina Cummings
House Minority leader of the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party, on Tuesday told the Speaker that she’d observed that members of parliament, especially of her party, would always leave the well while session was on.
Dr. Bernadette Lahai, MP, who sounded livid and appeared worried about the attitude of her colleagues, said they would be blamed if bad bills were passed into laws without the required scrutiny.
She cited, among other bills, the Correctional Services Bill 2014 that was brought in by the minister of internal affairs, Joseph Bandabla Dauda and being debated. She said "a bill as important as that" needed the attention of all MPs, adding that that was what they were being paid for and so should work for it.
Speaker of the House, SBB Dumbuya, supported her claim, noting that not only those MPs in the SLPP but certain MPs even in the ruling All People's Congress were also guilty of the same attitude. He added that they were always in the canteen or other places doing something else whilst sessions were on.
He said it was the duty of the Chief Whip to take up the matter and make sure it was taken seriously.
(C) Politico 05/06/14
