Samuel Kallon 
By Ragan M Conteh
It is evident that the Public Account Committee (PAC) has taken a U-turn after many years to hold public officials accountable on their stewardship.
The PAC headed by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament has strangled those who misused people’s monies.
It is crystal clear that billions of Leones and millions of dollars are still unaccounted for by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) .
What is more heartrending during the PAC hearing is that even those that are controlling the National Purse are violating the processes and procedures that governed their operations.
The Standard Operating procedures are not properly followed when executing their duties and responsibilities.
It was discovered by the PAC that Le 2.5 billion was overspent by the Ministry of Finance while Le 61.6 billion is also at stake at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank.
These monies that supposed to help alleviate the suffering masses have been squandered by a few.
Apart from the colossal amount been misappropriated by MDAs, private institutions are also not respecting the laws of the land.
The cash lost since 2018 is a clear testament that the state is under serious setback.
The Auditor General’s Report shows cash loss in 2018 to a tune of 140.9 Billion Leones, in 2019: 177.6 Billion Leones, in 2020: 153.9 Billion Leones, in 2021: 187.3 Billion Leones and in 2022: 325 Billion Leones respectively.
During the maiden press conference of APC Members of Parliament held on Wednesday, 29th May 2024, at the party’s headquarters on Old Railway Line, Brookfields, Freetown the Leader of the opposition in the well of parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, criticized the Bio-led maladministration, citing the rapid increase in inflation, exchange rate, external debt, wage bill, and cash lost.
Hon. Abdul Kargbo, known for his eloquence and fearless stance, highlighted significant issues of mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence within the Bio administration. He compared the current government to the previous Ernest Bai Koroma administration, focusing on the economy, governance, and electricity among others. According to Hon. Kargbo, he disclosed that the mismanagement by the current regime will take decades for the nation to recover from such economic meltdown.
