Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698841654701.pdf (Sierra Leone)
OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ (HANSARD) ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT THIRD SESSION -THIRD MEETING TUESDAY, 20TH MARCH, 2015 SESSION – 2014/2015 1 OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ (HANSARD) ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VOLUME: I NUMBER: 22 Third Meeting of the Third Session of the Fourth Parliament Of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
Proceedings of the Sitting of the House Held on Tuesday, 20th March, 2015.

_____________________________________ 2 CONTENT: I. PRAYERS II.

RECORD OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON FRIDAY, 17TH MARCH, 2015.

III.

MOTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE PROPOSER: HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH SECONDER: HON.


KOMBA E. KOEDOYOMA 3 THE CHAMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE Official Hansard Report of the Proceedings of the House _____________________________________________________________ THIRD SESSION-THIRD MEETING OF THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC _____________________________ Tuesday, 20th March, 2015.

The House met at 10:07 a.m. in Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown.

I. PRAYERS [The Clerk of Parliament, Hon.


Ibrahim Sulaiman Sesay, Read the Prayers].

[The Speaker, Hon.

Sheku Badara Basiru Dumbuya, in the Chair].

The House was called to Order 4 Suspension of S. O, 5(2) II.

CORRECTION OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON FRIDAY, 17TH MARCH, 2015.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, there was an initial mistake on the Order Paper with regards to the date for the Votes and Proceedings.
The first ones that were circulated had the 6th instead of 17th, but there was an attempt to make a correction and others were circulated.

Therefore, those who do not have the most recent ones should take that date to be Tuesday, 17th March, 2015.

If you do not have that, please make the necessary amendments now.

Honourable Members, we now go to the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting, held on Tuesday, 17th March, 2015.

As usual, we go page by page.

Page 1?

Page 2?

Page 3?


Page 4?

HON.

ROSALINE SMITH: Mr Speaker, I want to refer you to Page 3.

I was absent with excuse, Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: Indeed, Honourable member, you were absent with excuse.

Mr Clerk, please take note of that.

HON.

PATRICIA BROWN: Mr Speaker, I also was absent with excuse.

THE SPEAKER: Noted, Honourable Member.

Page 4?

Page 5?

Page 6?

Page 7?

Page 8?


There being no more amendments or corrections, can somebody move for the adoption of the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting, held on Tuesday, 17th March, 2015 as amended?

HON.

ALHAJI DUMBUYA: Mr Speaker, I so move.

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?

HON.

BINNEH BANGURA: Mr Speaker, I so second.

THE SPEAKER: Any counter motion?


5 (Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) (Record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting, held on Friday, 17th March, 2015 has been adopted as amended).

III.

PAPER LAID HON.

DR ABDULAI SESAY (CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & SANITATION) HON.
DR ABDULAI SESAY: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, pursuant to Section 118(7) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, and as Chairman of the Committee on Health and Sanitation, permit me to lay on the Table of this House the medical items donated by the Committee on Health and Sanitation to the Parliamentary Clinic.

Mr Speaker, the Chairman and Members of the Committee on Health and Sanitation are also working on providing drugs and free-bonus service for this House.
The items donated are: - hospital Linings; - isolation Gowns; - scrub cloth; - BP machine and stethoscope; - shared containers; - covered gowns; - gorse sponges; - assorted gloves; - examination gloves; - nurses caps; - empty prescription bottles; - face masks; - dressing materials; - disposable surgical gowns; and - disposable surgical caps.

6 THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, it is not only an empty paper that has been laid, it is followed by physical evidence of what is being said on the paper.
I want to inform you that these donations are coming personally from Dr Abdulai Sesay.

IV.

MOTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE PROPOSER: HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH SECONDER: HON.

KOMBA E. KOEDOYOMA HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I present to you the 8th Report of the 3rd Session of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service on vetting of Presidential nominations.

1.
1.

Introduction Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service met on Wednesday, 18th March, 2015 and interviewed five Presidential nominees for appointment as follows: i. ii.

iii.

iv.

Two Members, Sierra Leone Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM) Commissioner, National Electoral Commission Member, Environmental Protection Agency Member, Sierra Leone Roads Authority(SLRA) 2.
Procedure Mr Speaker, the Committee maintained strict adherence to its established procedure.

Inquiring questions put to the nominees were related to their educational backgrounds, track records in pertinent work situations, declared assets, tax obligations and their visions for a successful and nationally productive tenure.

3.
3.

Tenth sitting of the Committee on Wednesday, 18th March, 2015 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the following nominees were interviewed on oath: 7 i. Mr Alpha Abass Sesay, Proposed Member, NATCOM Mr Alpha Sesay is a veteran telecommunication expert.

He joined the Sierra Leone Telecommunication Company (SIERRATEL) in 1989 and was appointed Controller of Planning in 1995.
In 2000, he was promoted Acting Managing Director and later Managing Director of SIERRATEL, a position he held until his retirement in 2012.

Reacting to inquiries on the liberalisation of the „Gate-way,‟ Mr Sesay had this to say, “I am one of those who instigated the exclusivity given to SIERRATEL for the „Gateway.

At that time, it was necessary for the company to get the exclusivity to enable the company to be where it is today, otherwise there was no way we could have done it.
I applaud Government for doing that and Parliament because you actually included that in the Bill and passed it into law.” “In the present situation,” he said, “the liberalisation of the gateway poses some challenges to the country, but NATCOM” he said, “is now there as a regulatory body to seek the interest of consumers.

NATCOM should be seen to create a level playing field and thus attracting more investments into the industry.
There is still a lot of work to be done…” Mr Sesay promised to draw on his experience gained over the years for the success of the Commission.

ii.

Mr Ibrahim Koroma, Proposed Member, NATCOM Mr Ibrahim Koroma is the Vice President, Consumer Protection Agency, an institution that advocates for the protection of consumers‟ interest.

Mr Koroma had previously worked as Public Relations Officer for the „Association for Development and Community Health (ADCOH).
Answering to a question on his role on the Board, if he is approved, Mr Koroma said, “As an advocate for consumers‟ interest, I will jealously guide the interest of my clients and ensure that policies put in place by NATCOM do not unduly disadvantage consumers.” 8 iii.

Mr Macksood Gibril Sesay, Proposed Commissioner, National Electoral Commission Mr Sesay is a seasoned electoral officer with a wealth of experience in election management and its legal implications.
He joined the National Electoral Commission in 2007 as Public Relations and Voter Education Officer for the Western Area Urban District.

He rose through the ranks to the position of Director of Legal Affairs, Research and Documentation.

Responding to pertinent questions, Mr Macksood Sesay said, “I have been a Director of Legal Affairs, Research and Documentation.

I have been in the thick of things, advising and coordinating the work of the legal retainers.
Having gone through that for the past several years, I don‟t think any storm would be too difficult for me to surmount.” Questioned on his independence, Mr Sesay said, “As an Electoral Commissioner, I will have to be independent while working collaboratively with other members of the Commission to tap into their experience.” iv.

Mrs Josephine Estherline Ekundayo Mac-Thompson, Proposed Board Member, SLRA (Rept.
Western Area) Mrs Josephine Mac Thompson is the proprietress of AMA Enterprises, a reputable catering service company.

Mrs Josephine Thompson had previously worked for the Standard Chartered Bank, (1972-1998) where she rose through the ranks from a Clerical Officer to an Officer-in-charge of Fixed and Short term Deposit, with the responsibility of approving all loans, including the supervision of the daily operations of that Department.
Answering to probing questions, Mrs Mac-Thompson said that if given the blessings of parliamentary approval, she would be going to the SLRA with a strong financial background.

She promised to replicate experiences gained in her banking career in the work of SLRA.

She further promised to ensure that policies are put in place to ensure regular maintenance of the nation‟s network of trunk and feeder roads.
9 v. Haja Fatmata Manso-Kamara, Proposed Board member, Environmental Protection Agency Haja Fatmata Manso Kamara is the Head of Nutrition at the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) British Council.

From 2000 to date, Mrs. Kamara has been the Chief of Kossoh Town community, off Kissy Road, Freetown.
Responding to the Committee‟s inquiries, Haja Fatmata Manso Kamara promised to work collaboratively with colleague Board members to put policies in place, so as to forestall events of environmental disasters happening in the country.

She further promised to convince fellow Board members to embark on mass sensitisation of communities in disaster-prone areas.

5.
5.

Recommendations Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Committee adjudged the following Presidential nominees to be adequately qualified for their proposed appointments and are recommended to the House for approval: i. Mr Alpha Abass Sesay, Member, National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM); ii.

Mr Ibrahim Koroma, Member, National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM); iii.

iv.
iv.

Mr Macksood Gibril Sesay, Commissioner, National Electoral Commission; Mrs Josephine Estherline Ekundayo Mac-Thompson, Board Member, Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA (Rept.

Western Area); and v. Haja Fatmata Manso –Kamara, Member, Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Eighth Report is the unanimous view of the Committee.
I therefore move that the Eighth Report of the Third Session of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service be adopted by the House and that the recommendations contained therein be approved.

Signed by Honourable Leonard S. Fofanah, Acting Chairman 10 HON.

KOMBA E. KOEDOYOMA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I rise to second the motion.

(Question Proposed) HON.

KOMBA E. KOEDOYOMA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, my contribution is in the form of an advice to the nominees before us this morning.
They should not consider it as a matter of right, but on the basis of their past performance and experience.

I hope that when this House approves of their nominations, they will display their hard work and honesty.

The Speaker of this House always say, „to thyself be true.‟ Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want the nominees to be sincere and honest, because sincerity will definitely help them to succeed.

You would recall that corruption is eating into the fabric of this nation.
I want to remind you, like I have always said, that Parliament is supreme.

HON.

ROSALINE J. SMITH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am very happy to be back from a very successful conference.

I am extremely happy that we have two women before us this morning.

As the Chairman of the Committee on Lands, Country Planning and the Environment, I want to add my voice in today‟s debate.

There is not much sensitisation going on in the country.
We need massive sensitisation to ensure that the death rate in the country is minimised.

The Western Area is now a hot spot of the Ebola disease.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to talk about Mrs Josephine Mark-Thompson, who is going to the SLRA.

I want to inform her that the President of this nation, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, has worked very hard to ensure good roads in this country.

We have proven that and it is very visible to everybody.

The government has done remarkably well in that direction.
The problem we have in this country is lack of maintenance culture.

As a woman, I have no doubt when given the chance, we will do more.

Mr Speaker, I do not know much about the other nominees, but I am sure the President did not make any mistake in nominating them to this House for approval.

I 11 want to wish all nominees well and I want to ask this House to approve their nominations.

Thank you very much.

HON.


FRANK KPOSOWA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, a colleague on this side did admonish the nominees to take their new jobs very seriously if this House approves their nominations; and failure should not be an option for them.

In this respect, I would like to start with Mr Alpha Sesay, former Managing Director of SIERRATEL who has, for a very long time, exhibited untainted nationalism.
From what I know, this was the man who was badly wanted and who could have worked under better position, but not withstanding that he served his country under various capacities.

That institution was not anything to write home about, but he has succeeded in transforming and it is now seen as a paradise.

I hope you will exhibit the same level of commitment if this House approves your nomination.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to briefly talk about Mr Macksood Gibril Sesay, proposed Commissioner, National Electoral Commission.

This man was a student of the Speaker because he passed through his hands at the St. Edwards Secondary School.

He is the son of the late Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay.

He was hard working and he was not selfish at all.

He is a diligent young man; and if he stands before lawmakers today, it is because of what he has done for himself.
He is going to play a very sensitive role in this country.

His output may bring peace to strengthen democracy in this country.

With these few words, I want to recommend all the nominees for approval.

I thank you very much.

HON.

BENNEH BANGURA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to start by thanking the President for presenting to this noble House such a beautiful team.

I want to inform the nominees that they should count themselves to be very lucky.
This is because for you to be selected from a population of more than six million people is indeed a blessing.

I hope that when they go in their respective offices, they will do what is expected of them.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am very happy to see a brother of mine among the nominees.

He is a brilliant man whose interest is geared towards the development of 12 this country.

He is very patriotic and likeable.

Mr Speaker, I will spend the whole day talking about Mr Alpha Sesay.
He needs to be commended for what he has done for this country.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, my contribution will be incomplete if I fail to talk about NATCOM.

As Chairman of the Committee on Information and Communications, I have been going through many problems, especially with regards NATCOM.

I want to advise that if this House approves of your nomination, please go to NATCOM with open hands.
Mr Speaker, I want to inform this House that there is an underlying problem at NATCOM and other Commissions, where Chairmen consider themselves to be Executives Chairmen.

I was going to enumerate the duties of a Chairman or to tell you the difference between a Chairman and an Executive Chairman.

Please, Mr Alpha Sesay, if this House approves your nomination, try very hard to know your roles and responsibilities.
I think the President did not make any mistake when he nominated you to serve in that Commission.

This was deliberate on the part of the President to nominate you to that Commission, so that you will go there and normalise the situation.

We would hate to summon NATCOM to Parliament as we have been doing.

In fact, when I saw your name on the list of nominees few days ago, I told myself that the problems at NATCOM will be solved very soon.

I want you to bring sanity in that institution.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Mr Koroma is another nominee for NATCOM.

You are a very young man and I hope you will go there with open mind.

Go there and do what is expected of you.

Failure is not an option for you and the people of this country want positive results.

With these few words, I want to ask this Honourable House to speedily approve these nominees.

I thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

HON.


ALHAJI S. DUMBUYA: Thank you, Mr Speaker for given me this opportunity to talk about these nominees.

I want to single out Mr Alpha Abass Sesay.

He is my constituent and he played a vital role for getting me to where I am.

He is an integral part of my political success.

I have known him for quite some time and he hails from Port Loko.

Mr Alpha Sesay is an important personality in the politics of Port Loko and he 13 is a stakeholder.
He is very professional, both in written and oral skills.

Those people who know him can quickly testify my assertion.

Mr Speaker, the nominee himself said that he was going to NATCOM to transform that institution.

My colleague Honourable Member said that there are problems at NATCOM, but I am convinced that Mr Alpha Sesay will help to solve them.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want this Honourable House to know that Mr Alpha Sesay is a team player and he is very sensitive to the time constraints of others.

With these few words, I want to recommend Mr Alpha Sesay to the House for approval.

The President did not make any mistake to nominate these people to their respective positions.

I want to thank you very much.

HON.


KARIFALA CONTEH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this debate.

I want to talk about a woman of high accomplishment in society, Ya Alimamy Manso.

Mr Speaker, had it not been for Ya Alimamy Manso, I would not have been here today.

She is always ready to help people who are in need.

I consider this opportunity as a type of appraisal to appraise the nominees before us.
I do not have enough money to give her, but at this time, she will know that we have been appreciating her and we ask her to continue to do her good work.

I am not surprised that the President has identified people who are capable and committed to work for this nation.

However, I want to inform Ya Alimamy Manso that Wellington is the biggest prone disaster area.

She is a mother and has a motherly heart.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to briefly talk about NATCOM.
I have an affinity for communication.

Therefore, it is but imperative upon me to add my voice on the approval of members of NATCOM.

I want to start with Mr Alpha Sesay.

I have never met him and I do not know him, but I learnt of him during 1996/97 academic year at Fourah Bay College, when my colleagues were working at the then SLNTC.

I learnt of him simply because during that time, he created a training school that helped many students in Telecommunication in this country.
One of them is an Engineer at Sierratel, who is Edward Sesay.

He was my classmate and the training school helped those students greatly.

Unfortunately, when he left, the training school collapsed and I am 14 asking him now to re-establish that training school at NATCOM.

It is very necessary and important for that institution.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to move to Mr Ibrahim Koroma.

He is very comfortable in seeking the interest of the consumers.
You have now been placed in a position to seek the interest of consumers.

There has been significant development in the technological aspect of NATCOM.

In fact, two weeks ago, we ratified the IGW here and that is the technical aspect I was referring to.

Unfortunately, complaints are still coming in with respect to consumer services, typically credit-cutting and the like.

I want to use this opportunity to inform you that Telecom Companies have benefited from millions of dollars.
You might be aware of this because they will tell you that a minute is x cent, but when you actually consume that minute, the cost is not x cent.

We now have credible people to serve in that Commission.

So, I want to implore Mr Koroma to be very vigilant in terms of ensuring that the people of this country are not cheated.

In view of this, Mr Speaker, I wish to ask Honourable Members to speedily ratify these nominees.

I thank you.

HON.
I thank you.

HON.

NICHOLAS KAMARA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to first of all extend my sincere thanks and appreciations to His Excellency the President, for a wonderful job done.

I want to start with Mr Alpha Abass Sesay.

He is a caring and hardworking man.

Mr Speaker, Mr Alpha Abass Sesay knows the operational area of SIERRATEL and he has mustered wealth of experience that prompted the President to nominate him to this House for approval.
He is now going to NATCOM to use his skills he has gained over the years.

I want to inform this House that Mr Alpha Abass Sesay was Managing Director, he was an expert.

When he was an expert, he was within operational area and he is now moving to a supervisory position.

Therefore, if this House approves you, I want you to bring new reforms that would help to rebrand the image of that institution.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I now turn to Ya Alimamy Manso-Kamara.
She is one of the few women I admire a lot because she has done a lot for the APC and for this country (Applause).

Mr Speaker, Ya Alimamy needs to be rewarded because she 15 deserves to be rewarded.

With these few words, I want to ask this Honourable House to speedily approve these nominees.

Thank you.

HON.

ANSUMANA J. KAIKAI (Deputy Minority Leader of the House): I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I rise to endorse the recommendations that are before us this morning.
I participated in the interview and as a matter of fact, all the nominees did very well during the interview.

They did not only do well, but I also found competencies in their resumes.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let me start by saying that „reward sweetens labour,‟ and Ya Alimamy has done so well in Kossoh Town.

Therefore, she is bound to be rewarded (Applause).

Her husband was my colleague in this House and he sat on the backbench over here.
Mr Speaker, every time he got up to make contributions, I had a good time.

He was a good Member of Parliament.

He reminded me of Members of Parliament who passed through this House in previous years, such as the late Honourable J. P. Kobba of Bo, and the late Honourable Konkoro Koroma.

They were excellent in their own way because they delivered very well in their constituencies.
For the other nominees, they have proven themselves in their previous undertakings as far as serving this country is concerned.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we have a summary of what went on during the interview and believe me I do not expect them not to perform.

However, I want Ya Alimamy, who is going to the Environmental Protection Agency to note that carbon- monoxide is killing the people of this city.
A lot is happening in the city and the Environmental Protection Agency should actively be monitoring and making sure that our environment is protected.

Therefore, Ya Alimamy is going to an institution that has a lot of problems.

The people of this country want to see positive results.

I want to say here that all politics is local, but don‟t localise it to the extent where it would not be to the advantage of the people of this country.
I want you to know that charcoal burning is another issue you are going to face with.

You should work diligently with City Council of Freetown and all other Local Councils in making sure that garbage collection and disposal are done in a descent and appropriate manner.

16 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Mr Alpha Abass Sesay is my friend.

I want him to know that he is extremely competent and he is the son of late Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay.
For those who know the politics of the 1960s should also know who Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay was in Freetown.

For the rest of the nominees, I want to recommend them to the House for approval.

HON.

LEONARD FOFANAH (Deputy Majority Leader of the House): Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we will dance and the dance will continue „as infinitude‟ (laughter).

We have reenergised and we are ready to continue dancing.

Mr Speaker, as people leave the dance, others are replacing and we will continue the dance.
Mr Speaker, let me come to the motion that is before us.

We have a very good blend of the nominees.

If you look at the gallery this morning, supporters are here to honour just one person, Haja Alimamy Manso-Kamara (Applause).

They are here because of what she has been doing in their communities, particularly at Kossoh Town.

We have testimonies in the Western Area about the work she has been doing in their communities.
These are the people the President recognises because of their performance, dedication and openness.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, among the nominees are Mr Alpha Abass Sesay and Mr Ibrahim Koroma.

They are all professionals in their own rights.

A lot of praises have been showered on Mr Alpha Abass Sesay and he deserves all those praises.

Regrettably, what has not been said about him is the institution that is said to have trained him.
In the mid-60s, when Mr Alpha Abass Sesay was a young man, he met me at the Magburaka Boys Secondary School and there we tutored him to become a man for himself and this nation.

He has excelled professionally in various fields of human endeavours.

In other words, Mr Alpha Sesay has proved himself in both the Telecommunications Department at the Mano River Union School of Telecommunications industry.

This is because he put his shoulders to the wheel and proved his mettle.
He is before us today, having performed excellently well in the Telecommunications.

The President feels that he still has something to offer to this nation and that is the reason why he is sending him back to the Telecommunications 17 industry not as the Managing Director, but as part of the supervisory position that he is going to take in the Telecommunications Department.

I have no doubt that he will do extremely well in that Department.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, with regards Mr Masood Gibril Sesay, a lot of Members of Parliament have spoken about him.

He is going to one of those sensitive institutions in this country.

Those of us who want to come back are praising Masood Gibril Sesay.

He is going to be in-charge of the affairs of elections in this country and he has promised to be independent in the job he is going to do as a Commissioner of the National Electoral Commission.
We have no doubt in his ability for the position the President intends to give him if this House approves his nomination.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Mrs Mark-Thompson went to the bank as a Clerical Assistant and later rose through the ranks and headed one of the most sensitive departments in the bank through hard work from 1972 to 1998.

She has proved her mettle in the bank and we have no doubt that she will do well and bring in the accumulated experience from the bank.
Therefore, we have a good mixture of professionally qualified people that the President has nominated to this House for approval.

With these few words, Mr Speaker, I want to thank Honourable Members for their contributions and urge this Honourable House to speedily approve their nominations.

I thank you.

Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) (Motion of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service has been ratified).
THE SPEAKER: Well, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Parliament, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointments.

When you were sent to this Parliament, you came in as nominees.

You are now going to be appointed only after parliamentary approval; and this has been done.

This is a pointer to the fact that Parliament is supreme.

Mr Alpha Sesay, I have known you for over 40 years.

You are one of the best professionals we have had in this country (Applause).
I am particularly happy that he has been sent to where he would make the greatest use of his 18 experience, expertise and talent.

I have no doubt that NATCOM is going to gain freely from his knowledge.

Honourable Members, Haja Ya Alimamy Manso happens to be the wife of a former Member of Parliament in this House.

He was a very good and an active politician.


The wife seems to have taken after the ways of her husband and I submit to you that Haja Ya Alimamy Manso is a political firebrand that has been amply demonstrated not only in the Freetown, but all over the country.

Many people can attest to what I have just said.

Honourable Members, I am glad that Honourable Leonard Fofanah talked about Josephine Mark-Thompson.

Honourable Members would like to know that this was a woman with whom I grew up (Applause).
We used to call here Eku because that was her House-name.

All Creoles have house-names like Eku.

Eku is the short form for Ekundayo.

I want to inform Honourable Members that we did everything in common (Applause).

This was a girl who used to go to the tap in the 60s to fetch water at times almost naked (Laughter).

Incidentally, her elder brother attended the same school with me, but he was my senior.
However, because we were closed neighbours, her elder brother, Jerry Thomas used to help me out whenever I have difficulties with my academic work.

In those days, there were street lights where Jerry Thomas and myself would sit under a particular street lamp until 2:00-3:00 a.m. studying.

This is why I always say that the best educated people were those of us who were educated in the 60s.

This is because our education was the hard way manual and not the electronic education young people are now having.
I think Mr Alpha Sesay can testify to that.

Mr Alpha Sesay went to the Magburaka School and he later went to Prince of Wales Secondary School.

He went to the Prince of Wales Secondary School because he was a science student; otherwise he would have come to the St. Edwards Secondary School.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you well I have no doubt that you will excel.

Thank you very much.

(The House rose at 12.00 noon.

and was adjourned to Wednesday, 25th March, 2015, at ADJOURNMENT 10.00 a.m.) 19