Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698080720054.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 SECOND SESSION - FOURTH MEETING TUESDAY, 26TH MARCH, 2019 SESSION – 2018/2019 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: II NUMBER: 53 Fourth Meeting of the Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
Proceedings of the Sitting of the House Held Tuesday, 26th March, 2019.

2 CONTENTS I. PRAYERS II.

RECORD OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON III.

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

SIDIE M. TUNIS SECONDER: HON.

EMILIA LOLOH TONGI BE IT RESOLVED: THAT THE THIRTIETH REPORT OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE BE ADOPTED BY THE HOUSE AND THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED THEREIN BE APPROVED.
3 THE CHAMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE Official Hansard Report of the Proceedings of the House _____________________________________________________________ SECOND SESSION – FOURTH MEETING OF THE FIFTH PARLIAMENT OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC _____________________________ Thursday, 26th March, 2019.

I. PRAYERS [The Table Clerk, Mrs Bintu Weston, Read the Prayers] [The House met at 11:30 a.m. in Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown] [The Speaker, Hon.
Dr Chernor Abass Bundu, 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 TUESDAY, 19TH MARCH, 2019.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, we go through the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting held on Tuesday, 19th March, 2019.

Page 1?

Page 2?

Page 3?

Page 4?

Page 5?

Page 6?

Page 7?

Page 8?.


There being no corrections or amendments, can someone move for the adoption of the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting held on Tuesday, 19th March, 2019 as presented?

HON.

BRIMA MANSARAY: I so move, Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?

HON.

ALICE J. KUMABEH: I so second Mr Speaker.


[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [Record of Votes and Proceedings for parliamentary sitting held on Tuesday, 19th March, 2019 has been adopted as presented] HON.

DANIEL B. KOROMA: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

I came deliberately at this time because we on this side want to prove to the public that we do not intend to interrupt or disrupt the proceedings of this Parliament.
I would have come a little bit earlier, but I waited until the first item on the Order Paper is discussed.

Mr Speaker, I will refer you to S.O.

11[8], but S.O.

11[2] states the duties of the Clerk thus: “The Principal Adviser to the Speaker of Parliament, as well as the Private Members, Parliamentary Committee and Ministers of Government on the parliamentary practice and procedure.” And S.O.

11[1] is referring to the Clerk of this House.

He is the Principal Adviser to the Speaker.

S.O.


11[8] states: “Not later than the day preceding each sitting, distribute to Members a paper to be known as the Order Paper, setting forth the business of that sitting.” Mr 5 Speaker, this very clear and you do not need to pass BECE to understand what this provision is saying.

This Order Paper ought to have been distributed to all Members of Parliament within 24 hours before this sitting.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we are bringing these lapses to your knowledge for posterity.

I want to inform this House that few weeks ago, the leadership of this House met, including the Speaker on a special invitation.

We agreed that the House Committee, pursuant to S.O 70 [2b] must be adhered to.

It is very simple to distribute the Order Paper.


The rationale is for Members of the House to know the issues to be discussed earlier, in order to enable Members of Parliament speak on an informed point of view.

When I looked through the report of the Committee on Appointments, I found out that and they have very good track records that should be made known to the general public.

Mr Speaker, giving us this document today has already deprived us from doing additional research about these nominees.
Some of us would have been in a better position to inform the public why the President nominated them.

As we speak, we know very little apart from personal acquaintances we have had.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, based on our previous meeting, we took a decision.

In that regard, I submit that with the exception of today’s sitting, any time the Order Paper is provided to us on the very day of sitting, we will not take part.

I am saying this for the records and I want all of us to take note of that.
This is for the attention of the President and the general public.

I want the general public to know that if we refused to take part in any debate, the necessary documents could not have been provided.

HON.
HON.

SIDIE M. TUNIS [Leader of Government Business]: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I understand clearly what my colleague was talking about, but I want to inform this House and the people of this country that at the moment we are having serious problems because we have two institutions that we are dealing with; i.e., Parliament at Tower Hill and Kingtom, Bank Complex, where the proceedings are taking.
Honourable Members would recall that in the last meeting of this Honourable House, colleagues on the other side complained bitterly that they did not receive their Order 6 Papers till they got here.

Some of them said they only found them on their tables.

It is possible that Honourable Members wanted their Order Papers to be collected from Parliament at Tower Hill.

So, we decided that all reports and Order Papers would be sent to their pigeon holes.
However, I do not want to open up a debate on this issue but to inform my colleagues that their concerns are duly noted.

Thank you very much [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Daniel B. Koroma, I have personally noted your concerns and they are going to be treated very seriously.

Thank you very much.

HON.

DANIEL B. KOROMA: Mr Speaker, let me help the process.

I want to state here based on the challenges we are going through now.

The pigeon holes are at Tower Hill whilst the House is meeting here.
In order to avoid more excuses, the Order Papers should be placed in our pigeon holes within 24 hours.

This will give us ample time to collect them.

THE SPEAKER: Noted, Honourable Members.

HON DANIEL B. KOROMA: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

III.

MOTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE PROPOSER: HON SIDIE M. TUNIS SECONDER: HON.
EMILIA LOLOH TONGI HON SIDIE M. TUNIS: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I present to you the Thirtieth Report of the First Session of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service 1.
Introduction Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service that is charged with the responsibility of vetting presidential nominees to select the most fitted and qualified persons to serve in public offices, met on Monday, 25th March, 2019 and interviewed seven presidential nominees for the following appointments: 7 [i] Seven High Court Judges; [ii] Two Members, Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Roads Authority [SLRA]; [iii] Electoral Commissioner, Southern Region; [iv] Managing Director, Guma Valley Water Company; [v] Two Board Members, National Public Procurement Authority [NPPA]; and [vi] Board Member, Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].
2.

Procedure The Committee relied on specified documents provided by the nominees and other information obtained from the general public to conduct its hearings.

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

Issues of unsuitability or otherwise were closely looked into.
Thirty-Sixth Sitting of the Committee on Wednesday, 20th March, 2019 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the following nominees were interviewed on oath: [i] Mr Sahr Julius N. M’bayo, Proposed Member, Board of Directors, National Public Procurement Authority [NPPA] Ing M’bayo is a result driven professional Civil Engineer with varied works and consultancy experiences in roads, bridges, irrigation water supply, industrial and domestic building etc.

in his forty years of engineering work life.
Agreeing with the Committee that huge amounts of Government resources were wasted through procurement, Mr M’bayo added that a greater part of the resources was in fact wasted on the engineering aspect, “where designs and costing are not properly done, with my 40 years’ experience in engineering, which has enabled me to work in every sector in this country, I am in a position to find out the defects in the engineering aspects of procurement and to advise accordingly.” 8 [ii] Mr Sahr T. Fatorma, Proposed Member, Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Roads Authority [SLRA].
Mr Fatoma was a Member of Parliament of the SLPP [2012-2018].

Answering to the Committees inquires, He said: “as a former Member of Parliament, I view my nomination as a call to national duty at another level.
I promise to do my best to help actualise the dreams of His Excellency, the President.” [iii] Mrs Neneh Daboh, Proposed Member, National Public Procurement Authority [NPPA] Mrs Neneh Dabo is a veteran Civil Servant who rose to the position of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Technical Maintenance [1999-2000] before she joined the Anti-Corruption Commission as Director of System and Processes Review Department.
Mrs Neneh Daboh was highly commended across party lines as an efficient performer in all the public offices she held.

She promised to do her best.

[iv] Ing Maada Senesie Kpenge, Proposed Managing Director, Guma Valley Water Company Ing Kpenge is currently the Acting Managing Director of Guma Valley Company, a position he attained by promotion from the position of Deputy Managing Director [commercial, project and Development Planning].
In his interview, Ing Kpenge deposed that he had been with Guma Valley for the past seven years and was very much au fait with the water supply challenges in Freetown.

“We have been working very hard.

We currently have a number of donor programmes going on to help address some of the problems of water supply.
In the past few months, I have been working with the Minister of water Resources to bring on board, some of the big projects, so that we can effectively and completely address the Freetown water supply problem.

A few weeks ago, we launched the Freetown water supply and Sanitation Master Plan that will map the way forward for addressing the water supply in Freetown up to 2050,” he said.
9 [v] Haja Amie Daboh, Proposed Member, Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Roads Authority [SLRA] By her success in business, Haja Amie Daboh has become a role model and a strong opinion leader in the Wonde Gboyama Chiefdom, Bo District.

Haja Amie Daboh viewed her nomination as a unique opportunity given to her to help the rural agricultural women with access to roads.
“I will advocate for and promote the construction and maintenance of rural roads to help women get their produce to the market centers,” she said.

[vi] Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbe-Proposed Member Board of Directors Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbe is a private legal practitioner who is mainly engaged in commercial litigation in all courts [Lower and Superior Courts of Judicature].
Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbe was recently engaged in some research projects that are of relevance to the Environmental Protection Agency and these included: [a] Training Curriculum and Manual Environmental Law for Judges and Magistrates in Sierra Leone; and [b] Climate Information and Early Warning system project.
Responding to probing questions, Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbe said: “As an individual who is very passionate about environmental issues, I believe I would not only bring my passion, but also my expertise to the Board.

As a young person, I feel it is a great opportunity and responsibility to basically have my future in my own hands because it is no longer a picture about saving the environment for the future generation.
I believe that I and that future, and having this opportunity, will be really great responsibility that I would be accountable to myself for.” On the issue of deforestation, she said: “I believe that the EPA has so far done a good job on deforestation in Sierra Leone, but they have failed to perform it as much as the powers they have.

The Act allows the EPA to be more or less a bull dog.

So, as an enforcement Authority, there are lots of rooms for the EPA 10 to ensure that deforestation is curtailed.
Sierra Leone is one of those countries that is very susceptible to the effect of climate change and we have already started to see the impact.

So, we have to take action now.

As a member of the Board, I would ensure that we take proactive actions to ensure that deforestation is not only curtailed, but people who are found wanting are prosecuted accordingly,” she said.
Thirty-Seventh sitting of the Committee on Monday, 25th March, 2019 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members the following Nominees were interviewed on oath: [i] Lornard Jadyn Michael Taylor, Proposed High Court Judge Lornard Jadyn Michael Taylor is a barrister at Law and solicitor [2005] and a private legal practitioner.

Since then, Lornard Jadyn Michael Taylor was highly commended by the Committee as a performer who could be relied upon to deliver.
Answering to the Committee’s inquiries, Mr Lornard Jadyn Michael Taylor agreed with the Committee that indeed there were problems in the Judiciary, particularly those pertaining to the delay of cases in the courts.

He attributed the problem to the lack of adequate judges to deal with the caseload.

“Cases are also delayed in the Court of Appeal because there are not enough Judges,” he said.

[ii] Mr Albert Juma Moody, Proposed High Court Judge.
Mr Albert Juma Moody is a senior Magistrate in the Judiciary of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Albert Juma Moody was commended across the board for his hard work and dedication to duty.

He was nevertheless admonished to continue to work hard for the good of the country [iii] Mr Samuel Omodele Moses Taylor, Proposed High Court Judge Mr Samuel Omodele Moses is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone [2005] who is to date, a member of the Bar Association.
Answering to probing questions, Mr Samuel Taylor said that he had a passion for the defence of children.

“My work with international and various non-governmental organisations has been cantered on the problems women and girls are facing 11 in accessing justice.

It has been a learning process and I was humbled by it.

If obtained the approval of this Honourable House, I will ensure access to justice for all,” he said.
[iv] Mr Augustine Kailey Musa, Proposed High Court Judge Mr Augustine K. Musa is a practicing barrister and solicitor with over twelve years practical work experience.

Augustine Musa was praised across party line as dedicated and diligent in the discharge of his duties.

The Committee admonished Mr Augustine K. Musa to pay special attention to the Backlog of cases.

Mr Augustine K. Musa assured the Committee that he would ensure justice to all.
[v] Mr Aiah Simeon Allieu, Proposed High Court Judge Mr Aiah Simeon Alieu is a professional Lawyer and a member of the Bar Association with over seventeen years work experience at the Law Officers Department.

He is currently the Principal State Counsel and Acting Customary Law Officer, Southern Province.

Simeon was commended as a man who has served this country well as a state counsel and as a Customary Law Officer in the Southern Province.
The Committee referred to him as a performer who could be relied upon to deliver.

[vi] Ms Cosmotina Clarissa Jarrett, Proposed High Court Judge Ms Cosmotina Clarissa Jarrett is a Barrister at Law, [2002] a part-time Lecturer in Law, University of Makeni and Acting Secretary of the Law Reform Commission.

Ms Jarrett was commended by female Members of the Committee and welcomed as someone, who would stand up to fight for women’s rights.

She assured the female MPs that she would do her best.
“While I was working at the Law Officers Department as State Counsel, particularly between 2006 & 2007, at the time Special Court was set up for sexual offences, I prosecuted a lot of cases and I will continue to do so.

I will do my best to ensure that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done,” she said.

12 [vii] Mr Michael P.H.

Mani, Proposed High Court Judge Mr Michael P.H.


Mani is currently the Director of Legal Affairs and Board Secretary, National Social Security and Insurance Trust [NASSIT].

Responding to questions on what he would do about the backlog of cases, particularly at the High Court of Sierra Leone, Mr Michael P.H.

Mani said that the increase in the backlog of cases is not necessarily caused by the Judiciary.

The Lawyers, he said, and the witnesses, contribute significantly in that direction.
“If Lawyers and witnesses regularly attend court, the case-load could naturally be reduced,” he said.

Excerpt of the Twenty-Ninth Report of the Committee Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the following nominee was interviewed on oath: [i] Mr Edmond Sylvester Alpha, Proposed Electoral Commissioner, Southern Region Mr Edmond Sylvester Alpha is an educationist with proven managerial and leadership skills.

He joined the National Electoral Commission in 2005 as District Electoral Officer, Tonkolili District.
He rose through the ranks to his current position as Director of Training and Electoral Education, National Electoral Commission [2010 to date] [5] Recommendations Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Committee adjudged the following Presidential nominees to be fit and qualified for their proposed appointments and they are recommended to the House for approval: [i] Mr Leonard Michael Taylor, Proposed High Court Judge; [ii] Mr Augustine K. Musa, Proposed High Court Judge; [iii] Mr Samuel O. Moses Taylor, Proposed High Court Judge; [iv] Ms Clarissa Cosmotina Jarrett, Proposed High Court Judge; [v] Mr Michael P. H. Mani, Proposed High Court Judge; [vi] Mr Aiah Simeon Allieu, Proposed High Court Judge; [vii] Mr Albert Juma Moody, Proposed High Court Judge; 13 [viii] Mr Edmond Sylvester Alpha, Electoral Commissioner, Southern Region; [ix] Ing Maada Senesie Kpenge, Managing Director Guma Valley Water Company; [x] Mr Sahr Julius N. M’bayo, Member, Board of Directors, National Public Procurement Authority [NPPA]; [xi] Mrs Nenneh Daboh, Member, National Public Procurement Authority [NPPA]; [xii] Hon.
Sahr T. Fatoma, Member, Board of Directors Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA); [xiii] Haja Amie Daboh-Member, Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Roads Authority [SLRA]; and [xiv] Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbe- Member Board of Directors Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].

Mr Speaker, Honorable Members, the Thirtieth Report is the unanimous decision of the Committee.
I therefore move that the Thirtieth Report of the First Session of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service be adopted by the House and that the recommendations contained therein be approved.

[Suspension of S.O 5[2] being 12:00 noon] [Question Proposed] HON.

EMILIA LOLOH TONGI: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to seize this opportunity to congratulate these fine nominees.

All of us know that these nominees are exceptional.
They passed through us for interview and those interviews were not just for formality sake because the President nominated dignified and responsible people who are ready to ensure that the ‘New Direction’ is the correct direction.

I would like to wish you all good luck in your different institutions and I hope and pray that Sierra Leone will be an enviable place in the next five years.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I will start with Mr Albert Moody, Proposed High Court Judge.
Mr Albert Moody is a hard working somebody that a lot of people from Bo have spoken about him.

I have done a lot of research about him and at Pademba Road also people spoke good things about you.

I hope with that spirit, you will make a difference.

14 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I go to Ms Ebunouwa Finda Tengbeh, proposed Member, Board of Directors, Environmental Protection Agency.
As we all know, we have been hearing names of places like Kissy Road, Kissy Mess Mess, Kissy Crase Yard, Tengbeh Town, etc.

Ms Tengbeh is carrying the name of her ancestors.

Finda Tengbeh is a Kissi girl, born by Dr Tengbeh, a Lecturer at Fourah Bay College.

I know a lot about her.

She is a young lady that I appreciate very much.

She is very talented and determined to push Sierra Leone forward.

I am here today to tell you that you have stepped in your father’s footstep.
So, I wish you good luck and I hope you will make a difference.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to talk about my brother.

I am sure a lot of you know him because he was a colleague of yours in the last Parliament.

We have gone into competition and as an elderly sister, I am replacing him in this Parliament.
I know when somebody lost an election, it is not always easy; but today, I am here as an elder sister to congratulate Honourable Sahr Fatorma and to tell him that he is one of the luckiest men in this country.

Honourable Sahr Fatoma, I congratulate you personally and I would like to remind Members of Parliament that there is another second language that is going to be spoken in this Well today; i.e., the Kissi language.
Therefore, I seize this opportunity to welcome you S.O [2] ‘Sahr achahunor balika.’ Mr Sahr Fatorma, you have been selected to work with other Board members and I will like you to make us proud.

People should know that you are not that type of person whose name has been written in black book.

I want you to cooperate with others and let the Kissi name reign in that institution.

Please, Mr Sahr Fatorma, make us proud.

I wish you good luck and all the best.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to talk about the judicial system in this country.

I want to report to this House that there is no justice in the Chiefdom I come from; i.e., Kissi Tongi Chiefdom.

People are being abused especially the women.

However, there is somebody among the nominees I admired and had respected.

I have loved Madam Clarissa Cosmotina Jarrett even before I knew she was going to come here.
We are women, but the laws in this country are at our own disadvantage, 15 especially in the areas of divorce and criminal offences.

We are always neglected, but I want you to step in and remind them of our rights.

Please take your job to the provinces, because we need you there.

Freetown is not Sierra Leone and every part of this country is Sierra Leone.

Our people are crying for justice, but justice does not seem to be there at all.
As a woman, I want to plead, on behalf of my own people, to ensure that justice prevails in my own Constituency, especially Kailahun District.

I wish you good luck and I hope your being there will make a great difference.

I thank you very much and I wish you all good luck thank you.

HON.

LAHAI MARAH: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

On behalf of my leader sitting here and the entire membership of the All Peoples’ Congress in Parliament, we are not against the nominees.
With the exception of the proposed Commissioner for the South, I want to congratulate all other nominees; i.e., the proposed Judges and Board Members.

On a special note, we congratulate Honourable Sahr Fatorma in advance [Applause].

However, I want the Leader of Government Business to look at the introduction on Page 1.

It is stated here that ‘the Committee met on Monday, 25th March, 2019 and interviewed seven presidential nominees for the following appointments.
Mr Leader will agree with me that the proposed Commissioner, South, was not interviewed on the 25th March, 2019.

He was interviewed before that date.

We interviewed him and we found him to be highly qualified for the job and we have no problem with him.

The only problem we have against the National Electoral Commission [NEC] is the manner they handle electoral processes in this country and he has been a key player in the process [Applause].
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the APC has its own stance against NEC and the Chairman of that Commission, Mr N’fa Alie Conteh relating to the recently concluded bye-election at Tonko Limba.

We demanded for his resignation and overhauling the entire staff of that Commission.

NEC as an institution lacks the capacity, integrity and credibility to handle election matters.
We the Majority Members of Parliament here present are saying, Mr ‘N’fa Alie Conteh should leave.’ 16 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I will say until the Public Elections Act is reviewed, the election at Tonko Limba was marred with discrepancies and fraud.

The Commissioner should be able to explain to us the 103% and 105%.

As I speak, we are yet to get the full result for the 2018 General elections.
Therefore, we do not have confidence in NEC as an institution and we on this side will not participate in any approval relating to NEC.

Therefore, I am asking Members of the APC to please leave the Chamber [Members of the APC left the Chamber].

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, please occupy your seats.

Well, Members of the APC have just left the Well of Parliament, but the business of governance must continue.

If we have a quorum, we will continue.

HON.


SIDIE M. TUNIS [Leader of Government Business]: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I stand on S.O.

44 [1] in tandem with Section 91[1] of the Constitution of Sierra Leone.

With your leave, S.O.

44[1] states: “All questions in the House or a Committee of the House, except as otherwise provided in the Constitution and these Orders, shall be decided by a majority of the votes of Members present and voting” [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: Mr Leader, please sit down.


I will allow one speaker from each side of the aisles.

HON.

DR KANDEH KOLLEH YUMKELLA: Mr Speaker, on behalf of the National Grand Coalition, we do not have problems with any of the nominees.

Having stated that, on behalf of my party and based on our consultations, we want to register our concerns about the NEC.

We made that clear in our press statement about our concerns regarding the conduct of bye-election at Tonko Limba.
We have called for a judicial review of that process because we believe that process was fraud.

If those practices continue, it will put our democracy in danger.

So, I want to make that statement in this House that we will continue to pursue it to the latter.

In that regard, we are not going to disrupt the proceedings of this House [Applause].

17 THE SPEAKER: Sergeant-At-Arms, I gave you a simple instruction.

Do not allow anyone in or let anyone out.


Mr Leader of Government Business, you have two minutes to please conclude.

HON.

SIDIE M. TUNIS: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to first of all assure my colleagues and the people of this country that we will continue to dialogue with the Opposition in this House.

I want to inform the people of this country that in the last twenty-four hours, my leadership has held several meetings with the APC Leadership in this Parliament.
We have agreed on almost everything, but it is rather unfortunate that our colleagues chose to walk out.

I want to appeal to people outside this Parliament to leave Parliament to work.

Our colleagues Members of Parliament, especially those in Opposition, have been voted to work for the people of this country.

Please allow them to do their work.

Some of them left this Chamber not because they wanted to leave, but because they have been instructed to do so by their party.
Having said that, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I thank His Excellency the President for giving us these fine nominees.

I have no doubt that they will perform their duties in the best interest of this country.

We all understand the difficulties of the Judiciary, but the President has promised to bring sanity to the Judiciary.

This Honourable House approved nominees of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal last week.

Today, we have before us High Court nominees.

I am sure this is the last set.


I want to assure the people of this country that justice will now be dispensed.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank my colleagues who are here today.

I want to state here that the position of the Honourable Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella is the position of a Leader of Government Business.

If you have issues, bring them to the Floor or the attention of the people of this country.

I want to thank Members of the C4C for their support.
I want to assure you that I will continue to work and dialogue with you.

I also want to ask the Independent Members of Parliament to work with us.

The NGC Leader impressed me when he said they would not disrupt the work of Parliament.

During the consultative meeting, he said they had issues with NEC, but he would flag 18 them up in Parliament without disrupting the work of Parliament.

I thank you very much Sir.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Paramount Chiefs have been with us and they were involved in all of what I have been talking about.

I want to assure them that we will continue to consult at all levels.

As Leader of this House, I will ensure more consultations on issues that have been brought to my knowledge.

Together with the SLPP Leadership, we will address them.

I also want to admonish my colleagues SLPP Members to attend Parliament at all times.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank the leadership of C4C and their membership and the leadership of NGC and their membership.

I do not know whether we have leadership amongst the Independent Members, but I want to thank all of them.

I want to also congratulate our nominees.

Please look up to us in Parliament for parliamentary support.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to move that this Honourable House approve all the nominees who are nominated by His Excellency the President.
Thank you very much.

[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [Motion of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service has been carried] THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the nominees.

I wish you well and of course, I have no doubt in your potentials to ensure that you go all out to make this nation proud.

Honourable Members, I would particularly refer to Mr Edward Alpha.
I want to state here that everything concerning his nomination and approval has been contentious.

Please, go and prove yourself; go and prove His Excellency the President right; and go and make this nation proud.

When I stood my ground several months ago to ensure that the current Anti-Corruption Commissioner was approved at that time, everybody thought that the Deputy Speaker was being high-handed.
Today, however, I have the singular pride to say that I put in place the right kind of person for the Anti-Corruption 19 Commission.

That is the same thing I have done in your case.

Please, go and make this nation proud.

Thank you very much.

ANNOUNCEMENTS HON.

SIDIE M. TUNIS: Honourable Members, please take your seats.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I wish to announce the composition of the Young Legislators Network as follows: Hon.

Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, President; Hon.


Abubakarr F. Sillah, Vice President; Hon.

Mustapha Musa Sellu, Secretary; Hon.

Sahr Charles, Financial Secretary; Hon.

Osman Timbo, Member; Hon.

Edward George, Member; Hon.

Maada Ambrose Lebby Hon.

Abdul Kasim Kamara, Member; Hon.

John Charles Conteh, Member; Hon.

Paul Sahr Sam, Member; and Hon.

Mohamed Billoh Shaw, Member.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I move that the above mentioned names be approved by this Honourable House.

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?


HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: I so second, Mr Speaker.

[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [The composition of Young Legislators Network has been approved] [The House rose at 12:35 p.m. and was adjourned to Thursday, 28TH March, 2019 at ADJOURNMENT 10:00 a.m.] 20