In order to educate Members of Parliament on Parliamentary practices and procedures, the Sixth Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Thursday 10 August 2023 commenced a two-day induction for Members of Parliament at the Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Academy in Freetown, on the Theme; “Prepare Well and Perform Better”.
Representing the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, in Parliament, the Deputy Majority Leader and Leader of Government 2, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina said it was necessary to learn parliamentary rudiments and be able to deliver well in their responsibilities as Members of Parliament.
He asked colleague MPs to pay attention as the process unfold to understand the Standing Orders of Parliament and the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, in order to properly utilize them. He also spoke on the misperception of the people on the roles of MPs.
“Hon. Members I employ you to pay attention,” he concluded.
In his keynote address, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu extended felicitation to MPs present and noted that those absent would go through a similar process.
He said MPs exhibited great enthusiasm and resilience during their elections, in light of their efforts to become Members of Parliament. He used the opportunity to extend his felicitation to the electorates and went to explain the primary responsibilities of Members of Parliament.
He informed them of the challenges ahead of their responsibilities in tandem with their abilities to deliver. According to him, MPs would only be able to deliver in Parliament based on experience gained from the induction.
“You have to learn Parliament and Parliamentary rules” he stated and went on to say the induction is the beginning of the process.
The Speaker reminded the MPs of the nature of their work, in light of the high expectations of the people. He cautioned Members of Parliament to consider the people greatly and advised them to solve the problems both in Parliament and their localities.
He reiterated that, the challenges MPs would be facing are unlimited and advised them to conform to the training. “I want to urge all of us to meet the commitment to Parliament and political parties,” he informed.
He admonished them to balance the two roles. The Speaker emphasized on the responsibilities of MPs. He spoke of a well-planned and authenticated continued training process.
He encouraged the MPs to collaborate with the Parliamentary Staff in order to deliver. He expressed hope to leave a legacy where a Member of Parliament would have an office and staff members attached to him or her for service delivery as practice in some countries.
The Speaker used the opportunity to refer to Late President Mandela and quoted him as saying”Education is the only weapon that someone can use to change the world,” he stated and also made referenced to the Constitution and Sanding Orders.
He admonished MPs with regard their privilege and immunity, in light of their conducts and representation to the people of Sierra Leone.
It is expected that, the two-day induction training program would be focusing on Corporate journey of the Parliament, Parliamentary practice and procedures, Consensus and managing conflict in Parliament, Parliamentary Diplomacy and etiquette, Gender, and Parliament.
The Director of Parliamentary and Public Relations, Sheku Lamin Turay moderated the program and went on to highlight the importance of the induction training for MPs.
