The Administrative Building of the House of Parliament yesterday played host to 54 final year students from the Department of Economics and Commerce at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone, where they were lectured by Members and staff on budgetary process, policy formulation and legislation.
Dr. Denis Sandy, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics and Commerce, who spearheaded the venture, told this medium that the initiative is geared towards taking a different dimension in the teaching profession, by taking students out of the class room to the ground in their bid to get first -hand experience on what obtains in government ministries, departments and agencies.
He said that the students were opportune to learn about budget processes and procedures and how they impact on the lives of the people, and to enable them understand the workings of key government stakeholders, including parliamentary committees and subcommittees.
Dr. Sandy said that his strive to foster out-of lecture room learning has been very fruitful in the academic lives of the students since he initiated it in his area of specialties. He said that they have visited other institutions such the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Sierra Rutile mine site, to empower his students on issues pertaining to the operations of the aforementioned entities.
The Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Sesay explained to the student body that it is very important for all and sundry to know the details and technicalities of the budget, as it only through an in-depth knowledge of the budget that citizens would be able to hold MDA s accountable if they do not fulfil their mandates. Therefore, he noted, it is very important for the citizens’ budget to be enforced so that technicalities therein will be simplified to the understanding of the layman.
Hon. Hassan Sheriff, in a simple expose, elaborated on the importance of the budget and stated that it is the duty of parliament, especially through its oversight committee like the Public Accounts Committee, to hold MDAs accountable if monies allocated to them are not satisfactorily accounted for. He therefore averred that the students, as future leaders of this nation, should develop special interest in understanding the role of not only parliament but other state institutions to the development of the country, and also exercise monitoring activities in respect of the duties of they perform.
By Poindexter Sama
August 13, 2013
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