By Sulaiman Jalloh

Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh deputy Speaker of the sixth Parliament of the second Republic of Sierra Leone who doubles as the chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC) has on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, while probing into 2021/2022 Audit report queries between the immigration department and NETPAGE suggested that the country’s Immigration department deserved to become an autonomous body.

He said the immigration department had no issue with the Audit report query, noting the committee believes that immigration department deserved to be an autonomous body thus will allow them to manage the sacred function of providing identity security for citizens and to manned the borders of the country. “As they produce identity documents and security documents, we must also know that the most important aspect of human life is identity” he underscored while referencing the teachings of religious (Islamic) practice something he said it is sacred in the Quran and it is autonomous.

He furthered that people should live by the detect of the books while advising the immigration department to move forward with legislative document that they may need before Parliament for ratification to get them become an autonomous body hence they will manage border crossing points of the country.

Hon. Tawa none for his unwavering commitment to holding public officials accountable found out that are lapses for separating the work of the immigration to that of NETPAGE emphasis the impact if only the immigration department becomes an autonomous body to carry it functions. “We are guided by Law and the constitution” he tells witnesses who appeared before the committee while encouraging them to uphold the Law in their services.

If approved by Parliament, the department is expected to issuing out passports, residents permit among other valuable documents for both citizens and residents of the African country.