Hon. Sahr Egbinda Juana, Member of Parliament for Constituency 002, Kailahun District, has protested that the Speaker disenfranchised him from making a point during the ongoing allotted days of debate over President Bio’s address to Parliament on 10 May 2022.

This occurred in the Well of Parliament on Monday 23 May 2022, during the debate on the president’s state opening speech, when he stood up on a point of order towards an issue raised by Hon. Abdul Karim Koroma of the APC.

The Speaker, to manage time and to allow the debate to flow seamlessly, immediately interjected and stopped him when he wanted to make a point of order. Hon. Juana yielded and quietly sat down.

However, within some minutes, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh stood up to make a point of order towards an issue raised by the same MP, and was allowed to do so. This decision – allowing Hon. Tawa to Smake a point but not him – made him furious and he felt disenfranchised as an elected MP who is there to represent his people.

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But again, the Speaker did not give him the floor to speak. As the debate progressed, he stood up again to make a point order by asking Hon. Foday Lamin, APC, to give a reference of literature. he read. Again, the Speaker told him that he had not given him the floor and thus he should sit down. At that point, Hon. Juana thought it was enough and hence refused to take the Speaker’s orders and continued to vehemently and angrily utter that he was marginalized and had been deprived of his right as an MP and by extension the right of his constituents. He angrily held on the microphone, making his grievances known despite being told to sit down. Therefore, the Speaker ordered the sergeant at arm to put off his microphone. The sergeant did but the MP switched it back on and held on making his points until other SLPP MPs rushed at him and forced him to abide.
abide.

Hon Speaker, after the incident, described it as un-parliamentary and maladroit. He said the rules of the House should be followed. He strongly warned that if he gets that kind of performance again he would ask him out of the Well.

As malcontent, Hon. Sahr Juana could no longer conform to the debate and thus left the Chamber.