By Ragan M. Conteh
Hon Bashiru Silikie says it is now clear that local people now shift more burden on them as they regularly call them up with mobile phones to bury their dead relatives.
He said the local people needed to be educated about MPs’ functions in parliament.
The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Member of Parliament, Silikie, who doubles as the Leader of Government Business told colleague MPs.
“We will be voted out or in again based on performance by presidential.”
He made the statement on Tuesday 20th February 2024 during the approval of the Presidential appointees in the Well of Parliament.
“We are not responsible for the development in our localities, the councils, the executive armed of government including Ministries, Departments and Agencies are primarily responsible for development and not Parliamentarians,” he said.
According to Hon Silikie government workers are given unnecessary pressure, adding that “sometimes when our people asked us for billion project, I was just asking myself where can I get such money to construct a culvert or whatever. My salary is not even enough to take good care of myself.”
He said their role as MPs is simple and direct but MPs suffer for what MDAs are failing to do, asserting that “We are voted out for doing nothing wrong to the people. We suffer sometimes because the councils and MDAs reneged on their duties for which they were appointed for.
“I could remember an MP was voted out because he had failed to construct a culvert in his constituency and few years down the line, the culvert is still not constructed and the people keep voting out the MPs on the same project. This is happening because MDAs are not working for the people of this country,” Hon Silikie asserted.
What is more disturbing, the Deputy Leader, said is that, MPs are not vote -controllers but they are ordinary representatives to only make laws paid with just meager salaries as compared to other MPs in other nations.
The MP, however; cautions the Presidential appointees to work in the best interest of the people and not to work for their personal interest.
“The reasons why as a political party we faced tough time during elections is because appointees are not performing their duties diligently. The President has bestowed all his trust on you. It’s left with you now to do your work in helping the President’s manifesto successful,” he asserted.
In his statement the Opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon Abdul Kargbo, heaped accolades to the appointees of the SLRA.
He also praised appointees of the Ministry of Information and Communication and those of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank respectively.
Hon Kargbo said the appointees are best-fit in their various positions and that he has no doubt that they could perform in the best of their abilities.