SPEAKERS ESTABLISH MANO RIVER UNION PARLIAMENT OUT OF THE MONROVIA DECLARATION

Born out of the Monrovia Declaration, which was staged on Sunday, the 20th of July 2025, the Speakers of the Four Mano River Union Member States the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas of Sierra Leone Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Richard Ngbabe Koon, Speaker of Liberia Parliament, the Rt. Hon Adama Bictogo, Speaker of the Ivory Coast Parliament, and the Rt. Hon. Dr. Dansa Kourouma, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Guinea, converged in Monrovia, Liberia, where they deliberated and unanimously endorsed the establishment of the Mano River Union Parliament.

In his address at the Monrovia Declaration, the Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas on behalf of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, added his voice to such historic and forward-looking deliberation that speaks to the future of the sub-region, to the shared destiny of their peoples, and to the boundless potential of regional parliamentary collaboration. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas confessed that the proposal to establish a Regional Parliament under the Mano River Union framework is both visionary and timely. He added that the MRU nations-Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire share not only common borders but common burdens and aspirations: youth unemployment, security fragility, climate vulnerability, cross-border trade barriers, and the pressing need for infrastructure and economic integration.

Speaker Thomas assured all participants that the Mano River Union Regional Parliament offers a structured and accountable platform to address these challenges through harmonized legislation, democratic oversight, policy alignment, and shared commitments.
He said their common challenges demand Collective Solutions, adding that their countries have experienced the devastating effects of conflict, the fragility of post-conflict reconstruction, the threat of pandemics, and the uncertainty of economic volatility. And yet, he said the region had also witnessed the resilience of their people, the value of peacebuilding, and the promise of regional solidarity.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE CONTINUES ITS ENGAGEMENT WITH MDAs

The Public Accounts Committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament Hon.Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has continued it engagement with Ministires, Departments and Agrncies base on Auditor General’s Report for 2023.

PARLIAMENT APPROVES AUDITOR GENERAL, 9 OTHER PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES

The Fourteenth Report of the Committee on Appointments and Public Service, chaired by the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma has on Thursday 17/07/2025 approved by Parliament containing ten (10) Presidential Nominees.

The following presidential nominees were approved by Parliament:

1. Mrs. Francess Aina Mildred Nyuma. Executive Director National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre
2. Mr. David Fortune Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
3. Mr. Paul Hingha Augustine Charles Tucker Deputy Minister Ministry of Communication Technology and Innovation
4. Mr. Alex Pat Labib Saffa Electoral Commissioner for East
5. Mr. Abdul Aziz Auditor General, Audit Services, Sierra Leone.
6. Mr. Alfred Wonneh Basith Sama, Deputy Governor Bank of Sierra Leone
7. Dr. Michael Johnny Chairman Board of Trustees, National Social Security and Insurance Trust(NASSIT)
8. PC Amy Tator Kallon Tibbie II Member, Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO)
9. Ms. Sally Yeama Myers Member, Board of Directors Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and
10. Mrs. Nancy Veronica Ann Smart Member, Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion.

Presenting the Nominees to the plenary, the Deputy Leader of Government Business, Hon. Bashiru Silikie told Members of Parliament that the aforesaid nominees were interviewed on Wednesday, 17th July 2025, at the Committee Room One of Parliament Building at Tower Hill in Freetown.

MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE SUMMONS MINERS

The Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources, chaired by Hon Saa Emerson Lamina, conducted a hearing on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Committee Room One, Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman outlined the constitutional mandate of Members of Parliament in tandem with the hearing. While commending President Bio’s regime for its huge mining impact, he referenced many recent progressive laws benefiting the nation. The Chairman stressed the need for an increment in surface rent and community development fund, amongst others. He explained Sections 7 ( 1a); 105 and 107 in light of the investigations, and others.

Dojo Mining Company told the committee that they have been on care and maintenance for nearly three years. However, the witnesses were not properly prepared for the Committee due to the failure to produce required documentation and were referred to another date.

Leane Rock Mining Company Representative Ibrahim Sesay and Abdul Rahman Jabbi, Senior Coordinator and Compliance Officer, highlighted the operationalization of the mining project in their presentation. In his presentation Abdul Rahman Jabbi spoke about the expansion of the project and incremental project production. He stated that they are mining iron ore with a concentrate grade of 62% to 67% and have developed a twelve million ton per annum capacity. He went on to explain the standard mining equipment at their processing plant and improvements in energy through solar power to increase production. The company’s mine design plans were also presented.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE EXTOLS SLARIS

The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, chaired by Hon. Salieu Osman Sesay concluded a two-day oversight tour of the Sierra Leone Agribusiness and Value Chain Support (SLARIS) project on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The project is supported by the African Development Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone.

During the tour, Members of the Committee were impressed with the project’s implementation and unanimously agreed that it would complement the Government’s agenda, particularly the Feed Salone initiative, related to agriculture and food security. The Project Manager of SLARIS, Tamba Jumu, informed Members of Parliament that the project is valued at $11.9 million with a five-year lifespan and operates in three districts: Kambia, Moyamba, and Kenema.

The project’s beneficiaries include 32,000 household farmers, with implementing partners such as the Sierra Leone Seeds Certification Agency (SLeSCA), the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARi), Njala University, and Private Seed Entities. The project has three components:

1. Support to Research and Development
2. Support to Njala Enable Youth Program
3. Support to Project Management

PARLIAMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS TO DEPEEN DEMOCRATIC ENGAGEMENT

The Parliament of SierraLeone has on Thursday 17/7/2025 joined Civil society organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Conference Hall at Tower Hill, Freetown.

The dialogue attracted key stakeholders from Parliament, civil society organisations (CSOs), international partners, and governance institutions. The engagement was to deepening civil society participation in pre- and post-legislative processes, strengthening the role of CSO clusters within parliamentary committees, and building institutional capacity through the framework of the Parliamentary Civil Society Organisations Network.(ParlCSONET).

The Chairamn of the program, Sahr Kendema, who is key figure of ParlCSONET, underscored that ParlCSONET’s presence was not about championing isolated causes or representing specific regions is about championing national interest, civic trust, and democratic accountability. He said ParlCSONET aims to amplify the voices of ordinary Sierra Leoneans by connecting local issues to national policy frameworks and ensuring that every citizen has an opportunity to shape legislation that affects their daily
lives.