In a recent Twitter post, Aaron Aruna Koroma, a prominent member of Parliament representing Constituency 048 in the Tonkolili District, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, expressed his apprehension regarding mobile companies failing to fulfill their agreements on resuming weekly bonuses with the government. Koroma directed his concerns to Chernor Bah, the Minister of Information and Civic Education.

Koroma emphasized, ““It’s been 2 months since Chernor Bah issued this Public Notice . While the MNOs enjoy the over 70% exploitative increase in voice calls tariff, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education has kept a blind eye on the resumption of the BONUSES which were promised to be rolled-out effective 6th November, 2023.”

Highlighting the issue, Koroma pointed out that despite over two months passing since Minister Chernor Bah issued a public notice, the promised bonuses have not been implemented. He criticized the mobile network operators (MNOs) for focusing on exploiting the significant increase in voice call tariffs and mobile data charges, leaving the agreed-upon bonuses unaddressed.

According to Koroma, the MNOs have enjoyed a substantial, over 70% exploitative increase in voice call tariffs. He raised questions about the Ministry of Information and Civic Education seemingly turning a blind eye to the resumption of bonuses, which were initially promised to be rolled out effective November 6th, 2023.

The tweet by the parliamentary committee chairman quickly gained traction, drawing attention to the concerns surrounding the agreements between the government and mobile companies. The focus shifted to Minister Chernor Bah, prompting a response from the official.

In response to Koroma’s concerns, Minister Chernor Bah chose to address the matter publicly, expressing his initial intention to ignore the post. He questioned Koroma’s decision to bring the issue to the public domain, suggesting that as an MP, Koroma had access to information and could easily obtain facts. Bah accused Koroma of spreading easily disprovable misinformation and engaging in a publicity stunt to score cheap points.

He emphasized, “I was going to ignore this post but just realized that you are an MP so either you have access to this information or you can get access to the facts easily but have chosen to come to the public here to spread easily disprovable misinformation and score cheap points. We really do a disservice to the public when we choose these publicity stunts over the truth.”

Chernor Bah argued that while discussions about the nature of the bonuses were acceptable, Koroma’s claims of exploitative increases and the absence of bonuses were detrimental to public discourse. The minister emphasized the importance of truth over sensationalism, urging everyone, including the MP, to contribute responsibly to public discussions.

The exchange on Twitter has sparked a broader conversation and as the dialogue unfolds, it remains to be seen how the government, mobile companies, and public representatives will work together to resolve the issues at hand.