As Parliament Approves Presidential Nominees…Parliament Must Not Be Attacked – Hon. Bernadette Lahai

As Members of the House of Parliament on Tuesday approved seven (7) Presidential Nominees, the Minority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Bernadette Lahai has said that “Parliament must not be attacked unnecessarily especially the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment.”
She quoted section 98 of the 1991 Sierra Leone’s Constitution which states that “there shall be freedom of speech, debate and proceedings in Parliament and that freedom shall not be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament.”

 The Minority Leader of Parliament made these comment while she was addressing an interview aired on  Radio Democracy 98.1 on their “Good Morning Salone” programme concerning the interviewing process of the Presidential nominees by the Committee on Appointment.
According to her, “during the programme, it was said that the committee trivialised the interview process,” noting that “it is very heartrending when we are doing our job and we are criticised but that should not deterred us.”
“As a committee, we treat our work very seriously and God is our judge when we do our work.”

Among Many other things she mentioned concerning the said interviews, Hon. Bernadette Lahai hoped that funds would be provided to the presidential nominees to fulfil their promises made to the committee, stating that they may have all the vision, intension and expertise but without appropriate funds they will do nothing.

After the MPs had consistently thanked President Koroma for appointing such unique personalities and showering amazing sentiments on the nominees, the house without delay approved them for them to work in their various offices at home and abroad.
The following were approved:

 Dr. Christiana Thorpe -  Deputy Minister of Education Science and Technology

 Momodu Lamin Kargbo -  Minister of Finance and Economic Development

 Major Rtd Alfred Palo Conteh - Minister of Internal Affair

 Dr. Kaifala Marah –  Governor of Bank of Sierra Leone

 Miss Mabinty Daramy, - Ambassador to Guinea

Miss Rugiatu Neneh Turay - Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs and

Major-General John E. Milton - Chief of Defence Staff.
There was no critic in the House as it was chocked by supporters of “the iron lady, women’s voice, discipline, charismatic, good looking and a humble character,” Miss Rugiatu Neneh Turay as described by some Parliamentarians.
While Hon. Veronica K. Sesay cautioned the Presidential nominees not to see the appointment as a political one but as a national appointment, Hon. Bundu called on Major Rtd Alfred Palo Conteh to “defeat the cliques in the country as he defeated ebola”