AYV News, July 11, 2024

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has debated two Youth Bills and committed them to the Legislative Committee for further scrutiny.

The Bills include were debated by Parliament: ‘The National Youth Service (Amendment) Act, 2024, which seeks to provide for an amendment of the National Youth Service Act, 2016 and to provide for other related matters and the National Youth Commission (Amendment) Act 2024, that seeks to amend the National Youth Commission Act, 2009 and to provide for other related matters’.

Presenting both Bills, the Minister of Youth Affairs Mohamed Orman Bangura highlighted the needs for the proposed amendments on these Acts.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth Affairs, Hon. Abdul Latif Sesay appreciated both Bills and requested the House to commit them to Legislative Committee for further and proper scrutiny.

Rounding up the debate, the Acting Opposition Leader, Hon. Daniel Koroma said that issues relating to gender must be taken into consideration in tandem with the proposed amendments.

Concluding the debate, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma also endorsed female representation in the composition of those Acts.

The Leader requested for the age barracks to be addressed relatively to the dynamics of Sierra Leone and also have regard for the youth sector.