By Donstance Koroma & Osman Koroma
The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party – SLPP stage managed replacement of the former Sierra Leone lawmaker who has been representing the country at the Economic Community of West African States Parliament, Hon Mohamed Bangura, has been finally actualized with collaboration of both sides of the political divides.
It could be recalled that FORUM NEWS was reliably informed that the former opposition leader, Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah and the current Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo met with the Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Rt. Hon Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu at his chamber in parliament. The reason for their visit was to ensure that Hon. Abdul Kargbo was to be incorporated on the list of MPs to represent Sierra Leone at ECOWAS Parliament.
Upon disclosure of their purpose of visit, the Speaker, Hon Dr. Bundu wasted no time but immediately summoned the ECOWAS Speaker, Hon. Mohamed Tunis to his chamber for an urgent meeting and updated him about the former opposition’s leader visit and the reason that accompanied him.
Upon his arrival, FORUM NEWS learnt that the meeting between the ECOWAS Speaker, Hon. Tunis, the Speaker Hon Dr. Bundu and the former leader of the opposition in the Fifth Parliament, Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah and the current opposition leader of the Sixth Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo on the subject matter.
During their engagement in the Speaker’s chamber the, ECOWAS Parliament Speaker counted it all joy for a platform of such nature that gives him the opportunity to justify the issue in connection with Hon. Mohamed Bangura as a member of the ECOWAS Parliament and its realities.
The ECOWAS Speaker, Hon. Tunis disclosed to both former and current leaders of the opposition that just after the 2023 elections, the Secretary of the ECOWAS Parliament wrote to all member states that have just conducted their elections to submit the names of MPs that will be representing Sierra Leone at the ECOWAS Parliament within a stipulated deadline as requested by the Secretariat in Abuja.
As the deadline date was drawing closer, I personally took my phone and started calling the contacts of APC MPs that were in the Fifth Parliament that also made it to the Sixth Parliament encouraging them to come to parliament and perform their constitutional duties but they didn’t comply.
As the deadline for the submission of names was approaching, ECOWAS Speaker told both former and current opposition leaders that he was left with no option but to do with what was available then. That was how Hon. Mohamed Bangura from the opposition side who was then an Acting Opposition Leader in all of the sittings held since the commencement of the life of the Sixth Parliament became an ECOWAS MP.
The ECOWAS Speaker categorically told the former and current opposition leaders that it will be difficult to overturn such a decision, on the grounds that the decision was based on national and not a party interest.
Hon. Bangura however saved the ECOWAS Speaker from grave embarrassment, on the grounds that as current Speaker of ECOWAS to have not met the deadline for the submission of the names of Sierra Leone MPs to the ECOWAS Parliament.
Regardless of Hon. Bangura’s absence in recent sittings, it does not debar him from being a member of the ECOWAS Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Despite being allegedly side-lined by the APC, Hon. Bangura continues to attract SLPP MPs’ respect and appreciate him for his role played in ensuring that the government of President Bio gain recognition by regionally and internationally.
Since the return of 52 APC MPs to parliament, Hon. Bangura and Hon. Thompson stopped attending parliament as a result of the APC party’s decision to suspend the two for what the party termed as anti-party activities.
In a recent interview on Radio Democracy 98.1, Bangura said that he would leave his case between them to be amended by God. He made this statement in withdrawal of his decision to seek legal redress against the Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, the Honourable Abass Bundu.
It all started when the Speaker was expected to announce the names of the delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament but discovered that five legislators had already subscribed to the oath at the Community Parliament before the announcement. This list was not announced or confirmed by the plenary, resulting in the removal of Honourable Mohamed Bangura from the delegation.
Following this, Honourable Bangura initially expressed his intention to pursue legal action against the Speaker and the Acting Clerk of Parliament if appropriate measures were not taken to include him on the ECOWAS representative list. However, he has since reversed his decision and opted to accept the decision and leave the matter to divine intervention.
He emphasized the reasons for which removal of persons should occur.
“The Speaker has to nominate the names in the form of a resolution and present it to Parliament, and Parliament will vote on the names. They did not say by Party as it is not by Party. As long as the names have been presented in the Well of Parliament in the form of a resolution paper and voted on, that is it,” he said in the interview.
He said that the first time his name was mentioned on the list was because he was called part of the list of names to go and was qualified to go to the ECOWAS Parliament but this time he was not called.
He said if the Speaker used all the wrong procedures and steps to not include him on the list of delegations to go, he had the right to seek legal redress but said when it had come to that, he would allow divine intervention to judge because his life and political career are not governed by the Speaker but God Almighty.
He said his decision to leave everything to God came after he had consulted his lawyers, wife, God, and some people.
He also said to make it very clear that the decision was not made because of his party and that his party had no hand in that as the ECOWAS Policy made it clear in 18, 16, and 17 Standing Orders very clear and no party was mentioned. He said the Speaker sent the official list and the only thing that was mentioned on the Policy was the 30% quota for women on the list of delegations and the list must reflect the political configuration of the country.
In the end, he said he would make a good case in court but the Speaker was not the author of his political career and his life so he would leave everything to divine intervention, expressing his thanks and appreciation to other Members of Parliament who stood up to the Speaker for the said decision.
