By Sulaiman Jalloh
Parliament through the Committee on Appointment and Public Services chaired by the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Nyuma, has, on Monday, 5th August, 2024, at Committee Room No. 1 in Parliament Building, Tower Hill in Freetown, interviewed Fatmata Sawaneh, Asma James, Ing. Andrew Kelly and other presidential nominees.
The Chairman and Honourable Members of the Appointment Committee heaped praises on the former Women’s Leader of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Madam Fatmata Sawaneh for they considered as exceptional and outstanding contributions to the party. They also commended Asma James, Ing. Andrew Kelly and other presidential nominees for their contributions in society. The said commendations could serve as a greenlight for their possible approval by the plenary.
During the interview, the Committee conducted thorough investigation and examined the presidential nominees. However, presidential nominees such as Madam Fatmata Sawaneh and Ing. Andrew Kelly were fortunate to have immune protection from Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Committee and therefore were not questioned by the other Hon. Members. The said immune protection is as result of what the Chairman and Deputy considered as immense and outstanding contributions to the SLPP party, the grassroots, and the country at large and therefore after probing their assets declaration they were given permission to leave immediately.
In a snap interview with parliamentary journalists, Deputy Ambassador Designate to the Republic of Guinea, Madam Fatmata Sawaneh, stated that there is already a longstanding bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and Guinea and therefore as the newly appointed Deputy Ambassador, her primary focus will be on further strengthening the diplomatic and economic ties between the two sister countries. She furthered that she aims to foster mutual understanding and cooperation in areas such as trade, cultural exchange, and security. She maintained that she plans to prioritize addressing any bilateral issues promptly and effectively, ensuring that collaboration benefits both nations. “By working closely with the government and people of our host country, I hope to build a foundation of trust and partnership that will lead to a prosperous future for both our nations,” the SLPP former Women’s Leader asserted.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mathew Nyuma also commended the Deputy Ambassador Designate to Brussel, Mrs Asma James, noting she had been doing very well in the media landscape of the country. The lawmaker jokingly stated that it was their time to interview her, recalling how she used to interview them on FM98.1 Radio Station. The Chairman commended her for surmounting challenges and were able to establish another institution on her own and urged her to keep doing her best.
The President of the Parliamentary Female Caucasus Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay also commended Mrs Asma James and expressed confidence in her while calling on her to continue making the women of Sierra Leone proud.