The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Thursday 26 May 2022 continued debates on the speech President, Julius Maada Bio delivered on the Occasion of the State Opening of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone in the Chamber of Parliament on Tuesday 10th May 2022.

In his submission to the debate, Hon. Dominic J. Laville Shombe said within the four years of President Bio’s rule, he had worked in consonance with the Medium Development Terms, Sustainable Development Goals, and the SLPP manifesto promises. He said that the government had delivered policies for the sustainability and development of the nation. He commended the government for championing human capital development, relative to educational sustainability. He heaped praises on President Bios’ administration for developing other sectors.

Hon. Dr. Unpha Sorie Koroma’s said there were inconsistencies in President Bios’s speech, referencing the 2018 presidential speech, relative to economic growth compared to the 2022 presidential speech on inflation with double-digits; adding that it is below eleven percent. He said it is only the APC government that was able to bring inflation to a single-digit. Regarding economic growth for the country, he said the government had failed the people of Sierra Leone in other to give them sustainable development and economic growth. He also spoke about the injustice meted out to the main opposition APC party by the government and called on the president to bridge the gap of peace.

Hon. Festus Mohmed Lassana explained some statistical data in line with economic growth, since 1996, adding that, if one has to talk about GDP and inflation, he or she must check with other sub-regional countries and comparatively analyze. On revenue mobilization, he said the country has been doing extremely well and heaped praises on institutions performing the tasks. In the education sector, he said a massive transformation stride had been accomplished and ascertained that the accomplishment would be translated into human capital development. He spoke intensively on the achievements of the educational sector, ranging from the free quality education, the increment of salaries of teachers, the transformation of colleges to universities, and infrastructural development in the maintenance of schools and universities.

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Hon. Rugiaitu Rosy Kanu said the president spoke a lot about his government accomplishments, but failed to highlight the challenges. In light of the education sector, she highlighted the challenges faced by free quality education, relative to books supplied to children, low salaries, and the negligence of early childhood education for children. She spoke on injustices and police brutality on harmless Sierra Leonean,” The police and court have failed us”, she concluded. She also lamented the poor services on public transportation for the people of Sierra Leone.

Hon. Quintin Salia Konneh an Independent MP from Kailahun District said the president’s speech is “sincere”, and underscored the positive challenges accomplished by the president; he denounced the bashing made against the president by certain MPs on economic development. He said people are not sincere with the president on his achievements, but alluded to the fact that he had done extremely well. He heaped praises on the First Lady’s project “Hands of our girls”, and the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act to deter sexual offenses.

Hon. Hindolo M. Gevao commended President Bio for standing tall in times of difficulties in moving and shaping the development of the nation; adding that the previous government left the country battling with austerity. He used the debate to highlight the accomplishments in the areas of education. He said during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration of President Bios did not fail to supply any commodity to the market.
In the area of human rights, he said the government has been acclaimed Internationally and underscored the accomplishments of the Judiciary of Sierran Leone in the execution of justice for all. He spoke well about the role and responsibilities of the Anti-Corruption Commission in the fight against corruption.

Hon. Dr. Bum Karama decried the medium-term census conducted by Statistic Sierra Leone. “there is no semblance of credibility,” he noted, and went on to speak on the economic challenges of Sierra Leoneans and underscored the uproar on fake certificates in the country.
He commended the government for accomplishing projects, that were started by the previous regime, relative to hospital and road infrastructure. He spoke on the revamping of agriculture, mines, water supply, and the energy sector. He called on the state to speedy investigate the matter of the suspended Auditor General and her Deputy.

He noted that in his constituency, several schools had been constructed and rehabilitated by this government and commended the president for approving nurses and Clinics for his people. He also thanked the president for giving his people electricity supply and pipe-borne water.

Hon. Peter Yamba Koroma said the SLPP manifesto should speak to the people of Sierra Leone and address their challenges. He said the word “resilience” that is mentioned by the president in his speech is totally out of context; citing an inability of the government to bring the people together as a nation. On the ambulance services, he spoke about the constraints, relative to salary for the paramedics and shortages of fuel supply for the vehicles. He questioned President Bio’s diversification promises made in the SLPP manifesto for equal distribution of national resources.

Hon. Joseph Williams-Lamin commended President Bio’s speech so graciously delivered in Parliament and highlighted the role of citizens in the governance system of a state, whilst pinpointing the tremendous strides made so far by the government in the education sector. He said there are bread and butter in the country, but questions Sierra Leoneans’ priority. On the construction of the new terminal at Lungi International Airport, he commended President Bio’s initiatives for transforming the aviation sector.

Hon. Amidu Mansary referred to the president’s speech as “Pa molie ramatulai speech”. He said the youths of Sierra Leone have not been treated fairly by the president. “The youths of the country deserved better, but not a Car Wash Project”, he asserted. He criticized the violent act against the youth in Makeni by the police and the lack of support for certain rural schools in the interior.

Hon. Charles Abdulai responded to several speakers who spoke to the motion of thanks delivered by President Bio and noted that together Sieprra Leoneans are resilient and stronger as a nation. He highlighted the successes of President Bio’s administration. He spoke on gender empowerment and mainstreaming and reform policies, as well as the safeguard of laws, meant for women and children. He pleaded with Sierra Leoneans to unite under one umbrella and develop the nation.