By Sulaiman Jalloh
Hon. Ibrahim Barrie of the main opposition party in Parliament, the All People’s Congress (APC) has said that it is very necessary for the government of President Julius Maada Bio to do more for the people of Sierra Leone.
Barrie who is representing the people of Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone made the remarks while contributing to the first allotted day to debate the presidential address to Parliament on Monday, November 4, 2024.
It could be recalled that the president addressed the house of the Legislature as required by Law on the 6th August, 2024 before Members of Parliament went for recess.
According to Hon. Barrie, the speech of the President is a fundamental tool that Members of Parliament need to critically look at and guide the president on how he and his government can achieve their developmental agenda, saying the government has no excuse but to deliver for the people of the African country. “If you have a ten-year project and you are almost clocking seven years, that means you are almost seventy percent. During this period, it is not about plants it is about harvest. It is not about words; it is about actions” he emphasized. He referenced the speech of the president back in 2018 saying the head of state had talked about agriculture in his party’s manifesto.
The opposition Law Maker noted that in 2018 the county was 49.8% food insecure but now it is about 82% he quoted the WFP report and that it is on page five of the president’s speech of 2018. He added that many citizens don’t know where they can get their food the next day. Hon. Barrie empathized that the president’s speech should not be politicized hence parliament is a House of honourable.
Talking on teachers’ salary, the Member of Parliament said that before now, 800 which is the minimum wage used to buy a bag of rice for teachers, but now it cannot afford to get one even if the person is paid 1,200NLe.
He furthered that the Toma Bum rice and the chiefdom youth farms are celebrated by the government but does not reflect on the ordinary citizens something he not to be was intended to address food insecurity in the country while urging the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to publish their report on the investigation on the Toma Bum rice project.