In a bid to clarify the wide-ranging social media misconceptions on the submission of the 2021 Audit Report to Parliament, the Deputy Speaker of the Fifth Parliament Hon. Solomon Segepoh Thomas, on Thursday the 22nd of December 2022, educated the general public that the Auditor General complies with section 119 subsection 4 of the 1991 constitution by submitting the 2021 Auditor General’s Report within the stipulated twelve months of the country’s financial years.

In his announcement, Deputy Speaker Solomon Thomas made it categorically lucid that Parliament has not done anything wrong and that the Auditor General is also in compliance with the constitution of Serra Leone.

He said social media bloggers and commentators have decided to use section 119 subsection 4 of the 1991 constitution to justify their erroneous arguments on the submission of the Audit Report.

Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas adequately utilized the opportunity to read the aforesaid section 119 for the edification of the public.

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The section read as follows; “the Auditor General shall within twelve months of the end of the immediately preceding financial year, submits his report to parliament and shall in that report draw the attention to any irregularities in the account audited and to any other matters which in his opinion dim to be brought to the notice of Parliament”.

He stressed that the emphasis in the aforementioned section 119 subsection 4 of the 1991 constitution, is on the submission of the Auditor General’s Report.

He, therefore, allayed the fear of the general public in tandem with section 119 subsection 4 of the 1991 constitution, that the Auditor General Report has already been submitted to Parliament.

He categorically made it known that the Auditor General Report was submitted to parliament five days ago.

He added that the aforesaid requirement of the constitution has been met and therefore, momentously rubbished the social media argument that the report has not been submitted to parliament.

Deputy Speaker craved the indulgence of Members of Parliament not to wallow in social media disinformation and misinformation about parliament.

He sent a strongly worded appeal to Members of Parliament not to allow the opinion of the public to determine what they do as Members of Parliament.

Hon. Thomas also crystallized that if they allow the opinion of the public to blind them, then the work of Parliament would be in a conundrum. He reminded that as Members of Parliament, they have their own rules and that Parliament determines their procedures.

“If we allow the public to push us into doing things, then why are we here? So we should be the ones telling the public what is right or wrong.

I just thought I should make this announcement or comments at least for the edification of the public. We are in Compliance with the law and the Auditor General has not commented on any infraction of the law because he has submitted the report within the twelve months”, he concluded.