AYV News, September 23, 2025
The Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas has met with the Africa Centre for Disease Control delegation, where they devised the way forward to address Mental Health Issues in Sierra Leone and Africa by extension.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas vocalised the seriousness of mental health issues and considered it a grave concern to the government of Sierra Leone. Speaker Thomas, therefore, assured the Africa CDC delegation of an expeditious enactment of the Mental Health Bill just after the Parliamentary recess.
In a similar development, the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and Children’s Affairs, chaired by the Opposition Whip 2, Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawallie of Bombali district engaged the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs as part of its oversight mandate.
In her opening remarks, Hon. Tarawallie presented findings from the committee’s recent oversight visits across the country. She emphasised that the engagement was not intended to witch-hunt the ministry but rather to obtain first-hand information and highlight the pressing challenges facing the sector.
According to her, the committee visited several one-stop centres in Kailahun, Moyamba, Port Loko, Koinadugu, and the Western Area (Connaught/Kingtom Hospital), as well as Rainbow Centres in Kenema, Bo, Makeni, and Freetown (Cottage Hospital).
Among the challenges identified is the National Children’s Commission (NCC) reported to be on the verge of collapse due to inadequate funding. Basic needs such as electricity, printers, and operational resources remain unmet. Commissioners were said to be largely inactive except when supported by international partners.
Also, the Parliamentary Committee on Finance chaired by Hon. Francis Amara Kai-Samba, over the weekend, concluded its oversight probing at the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbour Authority at the Queen Elizabeth Quay in Freetown.
During probing at Gbalamuya Customs Post in Kambia District, the Committee observed that customs officials of Sierra Leone and Guinea operate together, making the border crossing formalities seamless for passengers and goods, while both countries maintain their administrative independence.
Also, on the Sierra Leone side, customs work in collaboration with other stakeholders/ MDAs to make border crossing formalities seamless. In order to avoid conflicts in their operations, in light of the effect of their different mandates stated in their various Acts, a stakeholders committee had been set to look into matters that may arise during operation.
Comparatively, the Committee discovered that there is an increment in revenue mobilisation between 2024 and 2025.
Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs, chaired by Hon. Sarty Banya recently conducted a three-day oversight and probed officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and related entities. The engagement is part of Parliament’s mandate to hold the executive accountable.
Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sierra Leone Immigration Department, Sierra Leone Police, Sierra Leone Correctional Service, NCRA, and the National Fire Force were respectively probed by the Committee.
Parliamentary Joint Committees Engage Audit Service Sierra Leone on 2026 Budget Proposal
Joint Parliamentary Oversight Committees members comprising the Finance Committee, the Public Account Committee, Transparency Committee, Education, and Legislative, among others, engaged the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) on Friday, 12th September 2025, at the Speaker’s Conference Room in the Parliament Building at Tower Hill in Freetown. The purpose of the engagement was to scrutinise the 2026 budget estimates submitted by the ASSL, in accordance with the statutory provisions that guide the institution’s financial autonomy.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Hon. Francis Kai-Samba emphasised the importance of the meeting. He noted that the engagement was intended to evaluate the Auditor General’s budget proposal and understand the rationale behind ASSL’s call for increased financial independence. He underscored the significance of empowering the Audit Service to carry out its mandate without financial constraints.
