As the debate on President Ernest Bai Koroma’s opening address continues in Parliament, Honorable Rosaline Smith (APC) yesterday disclosed that Members of Parliament (MPs) are not treating the speech with seriousness.
While making her own contributions to the discussion, she lamented that Sierra Leoneans are not living up to their own expectations.
“Sierra Leone is all we have. Nobody will love Sierra Leone more than us. The people of Sierra Leone should appreciate this country. They should appreciate the leadership,” she maintained. Hon. Smith stated that people should start to appreciate what the country has. Negativity is destroying the image of the country; nationally and internationally.
She furthered that, “Our mindset must be committed to transforming and rebranding this nation.”
“Mr. Speaker, let’s begin by examining ourselves; our attitudes. The President’s speech is one of the most important documents presented in this Parliament. If you look at the seats they are all empty. What image are we sending to the people? What image are we sending to the international community?”
Smith maintained that MP’s are receiving salaries, sitting allowances and yet they are not here to debate the speech that is so important. She asked her colleagues, “Can we change the country with such an attitude?”
In supporting Hon. Smith’s statement, the member from Bo District, Hon. Paran Tarawallie, averred that, “Members of Parliament, the Press, the Ministries Departments and Agencies and the people of Sierra Leone, have not treated the speech and address of the President in a manner it should be treated”.
According to him, “The reason for this is that probably they are disinterested or probably the speech does not address the issues that they are yearning for or they distrust the contents of the speech”.
By Alhaji M Kamara
Twitter @alhajimanika
Friday January 20,2017