After series of deliberation the Speaker of Parliament Honourable Abass Bundu on Tuesday 20th October 2020 reserved his opinion on the withdrawal statement of the Honourable title on Hon Mohamed Billoh Shaw and Hon Momoh Bockarie. Presenting the Motion on Privileges, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, called on Parliament to approve the committal of the following MPs to the Committee on Privileges and Ethics, whose actions and utterances at different occasion breech Parliamentary privileges and ethics contrary to Section 95 and 97 sub-section (A) Act No. 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
- Hon Momoh Bockarie Constituency 012 Kenema district for intimidation and verbal abuse of Hon Emilia Lolloh Tongi Constituency 001 Kailahun district in Bo on Tuesday 11th February 2020.
- Hon Mohamed Billoh Shaw Constituency 039 Falaba district for indecent and derogatory text messages directed at the person of Hon Veronica Kadie Sesay of Constituency 094 Moyamba district.
- Hon Hindolo Moiwo Gevao Constituency 003 Kailahun for levying unverified corruption allegation against the House of Parliament over a popular BBC focus on Africa program Wednesday 9th September 2020.
- Hon Ibrahim Tawa Conteh of Constituency 132 Western Area for alleging that the Leadership in the House of Parliament arm-twisted him as Chairman of the Transparency Committee in discharge of his duties and subsequently tendering his resignation as Chairman of the Transparency and Accountability Committee.
According to him, this is in accordance with Standing Order 70 section 11 (b and c), the Members mentioned above to be investigated by the Committee on Privileges for their individual conducts in the instances specified above and that a Report and recommendation on the findings be tabled in Parliament for consideration and until such is submitted the above MPs be suspended from all Parliamentary Committee activities.
According to the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Chernor Maju Bah, Hon Mohamed Billoh Shaw Constituency 039 and Momoh Bockarie Constituency 012 issues are not connected to Committees, so suspending them from Committee activities ‘that is a Motion’ he will not support.
“Basically I second the Motion with the understanding that suspension from Committee sittings will not affect 1 and 2,” he said. The Leader of Government Business supported the position of the Opposition Leader and the necessary amendment was made. In response the Speaker of Parliament Hon Abass Bundu said until this House receives the Report of the Committee on Privileges with regard to the allegations against Hon Momoh Bockarie and Hon Mohamed Billoh Shaw the title ‘Honourable’ is hereby withdrawn until this House considers the Report of the Privilege Committee should henceforth be referred to as ‘Mister’ and not ‘Honourable’. The Leader of the Opposition Hon Chernor Bah informed the Speaker that they heard him loud and clear also aware about the power he have as Speaker, but however pleaded with the Speaker to rescind the last part of his statement since they will be facing the Committee. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon. Solomon Segepoh Thomas joined the Leader of the Opposition in pleading with the Speaker to rescind that part of his statement that called for the withdrawal of the ‘Honourable’ from the two MPs until the conclusion of the Committee.
Hon Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella requested for the processes in sending their Colleagues to the Committees of Privilege and Ethics for the sake of posterity, as some of them need to register a procedure that will not become a bad precedent.
“We don’t want sanctions levied before Committees are concluded. I think it is wrong, I Believe it is wrong” he said, stating that Parliament had already set up a Committee to look into the issues of Hon Tawa and Hon Gevao, which he believes they are now moving ahead of.
According to him, the need to know what the rules of the Committee arte to be followed, as it seems to him Parliament have already punished the MPs even before they face the Committee. He maintained that they should not be setting precedent that will prevent freedom of expression as the MPs should be given the opportunity to defend themselves
The Leader of Government Business maintained the Committee would be looking into the various issues concerning all four MPs to ensure all the allegations raised will be looked into properly and the recommendations presented to the House of Parliament.
“We need to instill some discipline in the House of Parliament’” he said.
The Speaker however said on the issue of the withdrawal of the ‘Honourable title’ he would reserve his opinion, until the report is submitted to Parliament.
According to Hon Tawa in an interview, he maintained he was suspended from committee activities and not parliamentary sittings, but however disclosed, “it shows Parliament as makers of laws can institute action before investigation and don’t believe in people that have the ability to challenge the status quo and ready to do things right.
He stated that he was calm and ready to face the Committee to help understand what the definition of arm twisting is and cite provisions in our Standing Orders that shows that they were in contravention of section 97 paragraph (a) which states that ‘the members of Parliament should maintain the dignity and prestige of Parliament within and outside the precinct of Parliament.’
Hon Mohamed Billoh Bah expressed disappointment on the inability of the SLPP Leadership in Parliament for failing to handle the issue internally as a Party after he had apologized for the complaint against him.
He maintained that the issues should have first been forwarded to the Chief Whip who should have engaged both parties before sending it to the Speaker but according to him, such procedure was not followed.
The removed Chairman of the Legislative Committee Hon Hindolo Moiwo Gevao said he has no regrets neither remorse on the charge levied against him for expressing his opinion that Parliament is corrupt, maintaining ‘I did say so and I stand by my statement’.
“That it is my view and perception, or opinion that there is corruption in Parliament. I will not change this statement for anyone. Because of that, in the motion the House agreed that one of my functions as an MP be stripped off me”.
He explained that as an MP one of his functions is to provide oversight over Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), ‘but they have suspended me from all committees, if I am not a Committee member there is no way I can perform oversight functions’.
“So Even though it was not the Speaker; even though it was not my colleague MPs who elected me, it was the people of Sierra Leone who elected me, they have taken upon themselves without going to the courts, to strip me of one of my constitutional functions that I perform in Parliament,” he maintained.
He explained that the effect of that is the people of his constituency now stand to lose from having their representative perform one of the three functions for which they voted him to the House. He disclosed that before he aired his views on the BBC, he was Chairman of the Human Rights Committee.
“The leadership of Parliament decided today to remove me also from the position of Chairman of the Legislative Committee; but what really caught my eyes and shocked me was when the Speaker de-robed two of my colleagues in Parliament, taking away their title of being called Honourable. Those two colleagues were referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges together with me. That really shocked me. I don’t know whether that is a constitutional power bestowed upon the Speaker. But I also saw that one today,” he said.
“For all of those who are conspiring to make me sad on this occasion for speaking the truth, the God I serve will punish them and their generations. If this nation call Sierra Leone fails to come to my defence; this nation will go through agony. I am not a Bishop. I am not a reverend. I am not a Pastor. But mark my words. If the nation called Sierra Leone; the nation that is ceased of everything that is happening in Parliament that I spoke of fail to come to my aid and stand in my defense and allow me to be punished for speaking the truth, agony shall befall the nation I call Sierra Leone,” he prayed.
Alhaji Manika Kamara