The SLPP MP from Bo, Hon Eric Jumu yesterday expressed his disappointment in Parliament over a government Gazette to auction a Mercedes Benz car for the President of Sierra Leone and a 40ft container of charitable goods meant for the hospitals of Bo and Kono.
Standing on SO53, Hon Jumu told Parliament he was rising on two issues, the first being matters of operation in Parliament which he said despite them being away, the facilities still remain the same.
The second he made reference to a government Gazette of Thursday 21 August 2008 No 40 under the headline of Ministry of Finance and Economic Development dealing with uncleared containers to be auctioned.
He revealed that during the year 2007, there was a consignment consigned to the President of Sierra Leone which contained a Mercedes Benz car 311 and also reference to charitable goods and relief sent in 2008 for the Bo and Kono government hospitals. The relief items he said were medicines donated by the Fullah Progressive Union in USA to the hospitals.
“Mr Speaker, I am a member of the Health committee and if you visit these hospitals you will actually know they are in dire need of some of these things donated and I wonder what signs this country will be sending to those donors that they can send in medicines for hospitals for needy people but they are here as undeclared items ready to be auctioned”.
It is a very sad mistake moreso he stated for a government that has the people at heart and when the people are in dire need of the medicines to be allowed to be uncleared and then auctioned.
“These are things donated free to the government for its people and now government wants to auction them despite equipments and facilities are not sufficient in these hospitals?”
The Speaker, Justice Nathaniel Abel Stronge strongly advised the Parliamentary Committee on Health to take up the issue urgently.