By Crispina Cummings
On the first allotted day for debate of president Koroma’s speech at the opening of the new parliament, the Deputy Minority Leader, Ansu Kaikai has saidthat the country “is full of uncompleted projects” and called on the president to stop awarding other contracts until existing ones “are financed and completed”.
He said he believes the president was genuine when he addressed parliament in January but he said with parliament being the “heartbeat of the nation”, the opposition will disagree with the government “where we find the president’s speech wanting”.
Hon Kaikai asked if parliament was satisfied with the Anti-corruption Commission andthe Auditor General’s report. He said the president’s proposal for constitutional review was “welcome. But it should be in the best interest of the people”.
Hon. Brima Conteh also of the SLPP said that despite the president’s call for national unity in the speech, he was concerned that because of “tribal geography” people were losing their jobs while others were being sent on “early retirement”
The MP attacked the justice system in Sierra Leone describing it as “slow” or even “absent at times” citing as example, a petition that his party lodged with the Supreme Court during the last election in November on which no ruling has been made. He also said courts have granted injunctionsthat are “not understandable”.
On education, Hon Brima Conteh said the sector is in “disarray”. He said the Committee on Appointments heard from the Deputy Minister Education during his confirmation proceedings thatthe University of Sierra Leone is at the bottom of the world and African ranking of universities.
Hon. Claude Kamanda of the ruling APC in his statement thanked the President for the free health care initiative which he said was being sabotaged. He said the number of mothers now accessing the service has risen sharply.
The MP who represent constituency 95 in rural Freetown, said his people now undertake all financial transactions at banks located in their communities. He said that testifies to the fact that many investors now find Sierra Leone a peaceful place to do business.
The debate continues.
