The minority People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) Member of Parliament, Legacy K. Sankoh, has appealed to government to be aided with a vehicle to attend parliamentary proceedings.
The MP, who represents a constituency in Bo, said he stayed at the far east of Freetown and that in the morning hours it was difficult to catch a ‘poda poda’ not to talk of a taxi.
“Mr Speaker, you know Freetown has no respect for elders and the hustle and bustle to enter a ‘poda poda’ is disrespectful,” he said.
Hon. Sankoh further explained that parliament was once told by Hon Ibrahim Sorie of the APC that vehicles for MPs would be provided. Despite that promise, he continued, they found it difficult to either visit their constituencies in the provinces or to go to parliament.
He appealed to the Speaker that with the unavailability of private vehicles for them, the staff bus at parliament be made available to be conveying them to the House.
Other MPs supported him by tapping their tables loudly.
The deputy majority leader of the APC, Hon Sheku Bashiru Badara Dumbuya, reassured MPs that the promise was still on focus and that they as a government were poised to accord honour and dignity to MPs.
Another MP from Bo, Foday Rado Yokie, spoke to Awoko that in as much as the government had accorded them with diplomatic passports, the issue of transportation, constituency allowances and salaries should match with the diplomatic passports.
He said they who were coming from the provinces were constrained in the areas of housing and the issue of catering for their constituents from the meager salaries.
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