AYV News, November 15, 2024
The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), the All People’s Congress (APC) Party and other Members of Parliament have concluded the debate on a Motion of Thanks to President Bio on the speech delivered in Parliament.
During his submission to the debate on the final day, Honourable Abdul Karim Kamara from Kambia district, began by saying that if they allow politics to take over as a nation, it would affect development. He added that the President admitted that the actual owner of power is the people.
Speaking on Agriculture, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara acknowledged that the Feed Salone seeks to address the issue of bread and butter in Sierra Leone and that bread and butter should not be politicized. He added that it is incumbent on the government to address food security.
He continued that food security is the ability of people to afford food and feed themselves. Regarding health, he said it is pathetic for Members of Parliament from the ruling government to have admitted that the health sector is doing well, which, according to him, means the health conditions in villages and towns are extremely poor.
He said medication on affordability is needed, so the government should find ways to address the people’s basic needs. Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara concluded by advising the President to work for nation-building, “let treat the people of Sierra Leone with respect, he ended”.
Deputy Leader 2 of Opposition Hon. Aaron Aruna Koroma from Tonkolili district lauded the Opposition Whip for his statement, decrying the President for various fallacious promises in his Manifesto. He said they are not in the Well to Make the President happy but to work in line with their mandates enshrined in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone as MPs.
He refuted that the hospital and the girl’s school in Port Loko were not built by the Bio’s Administration but rather by Mercury’s International as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Hon. Koroma noted that the prices of food commodities had unprecedentedly skyrocketed.
He also mentioned that even the cost of eggs had gone up exponentially. The MP also pegged his debate on the Feed Salone project and considered the Feed Salone to be fallacious and a gimmick to cover up his promise in his 2019 Presidential Speech to provide food sufficiency in the country.
He said the President failed to allocate 10% of the National Budget to the Agriculture Ministry. He aligned himself with the President’s National Calls for Unity, adding that the President had failed to involve the Private Sector in the Energy Sector. He acknowledged that the country had a bigger economic boost with bigger debts, astronomical inflation, and the highest exchange rate.
He called on the Government to boost the country’s reserve as the World Bank had warned of the country’s inimical reserve. He also reminded House of the high cost of Mobile Network tariffs across all the networks. He questioned the Government, especially on the lack of action to seek the interests of the citizens. He underscored the President’s quest to boost the energy sector.
The Leader recalled past elections that were taken to court by the SLPP that were denied and went on to reference the importance of the Court by addressing election grievances. He also recalled elections that were against the SLPP party during the national election and went on to emphasize the rules of the game during the national election.
On Agriculture, the Leader said the President is consistent and called on the MPs not to politicize Agriculture. He narrated how past presidents had contributed to the development of the agricultural sector. “We have full donor support and confidence in this government,” he affirmed. He said many presidents had tried to make Sierra Leone’s food self-sufficient, but President Bio’s Leadership in agriculture is outstanding.
Hon. Nyuma highlighted the amount of donor support the government has received on agricultural matters so far and went on to encourage colleagues MPs to work together to develop the nation. He said the National Revenue Authority had done a lot in terms of revenue mobilization. He said the previous government had put this country in an economic mess and noted that this government would set the trajectory for the country’s economic growth straight.
He said donors have confidence in the current government and recalled the positive economic growth of the nation. He said the President had played a pivotal role in promoting human capital development in education and had transformed the country’s image on the international stage.
“We are recognized. Let’s put Sierra Leone first in the interest of moving forward”, he concluded.
