Inter-Religious Council Refutes Ministry of Information’s Claims
The President of the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL), Rev. Tamba Charles, has refuted a statement published on the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s (MICoE) website, which claimed that the council had endorsed the proposed modifications to the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Healthcare Act 2024.
Rev. Charles dismissed the claim as false, stating, “I have not yet made any public statement on the proposed modifications of the Bill.”
According to a press release, a meeting was held on January 2, 2025, in Parliament, attended by representatives of religious leaders, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, and the Deputy Minister II of Health and Sanitation. The meeting, chaired by Hon. Suliaman Marray Conteh, Chairman of the Parliamentary Legislative Committee, discussed religious leaders’ request for access to the proposed modifications to the Bill.
Rev. Charles disclosed that the document was made available to him on January 3, 2025, which he immediately shared with the executive members of the Inter-Religious Council and other religious leaders.
He noted that the council is currently studying the document and plans to convene soon to formulate a formal response to the proposed modifications. “Until that is done, it would be improper for me to declare, as claimed by the statement on the website of the Ministry of Information, that the Government has accommodated religious sensibilities,” Rev. Charles stated.
The Inter-Religious Council has urged Sierra Leoneans to disregard the Ministry’s statement, emphasizing that it does not represent the council’s position on the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Healthcare Act 2024.
