The Member of Parliament from Kono District, a onetime leader of Coalition for Change (C4C) party in Parliament, Hon Emerson Saa Lamina has informed Members of Parliament that, “President Julius Maada Bio came as a surveyor, surveys and maps-out strategy to ensure development are placed in the right trajectory.”
He made the disclosure on Tuesday 19 December 2023 when contributing to the debate on the ratification of Petroleum License agreement for the exploration development and production of G-Blocks 53,54,55,71 and 73 between the government of Sierra Leone and F.A Oil Limited.
The agreement was laid before the well on 4th December 2023.
Hon Lamina said the agreement is a broad based that will enhance revenue generation and will benefit the people of Sierra Leone.
He said he had witnessed 99 contract years agreements been passed in the Well of Parliament but at the end these agreements do not continue at the end of the day.
He lamented that the 30 years petroleum contract will help rejuvenate petroleum industry and add more value to the country’s oil production.
“This agreement is human interest agreement that will even benefit the locals in the company’s exploration operational community. It will cater for development in localities and will help manage the people,” he stated.
Hon Emerson Lamina pointed out the President Bio came as President that cares for the people of Sierra Leone, adding that the agreement will help tackle and address government priority areas for the development.
He spoke on employment and royalty, saying that the company will benefit the country and urged the Members of Parliament from both sides to speedily approve the agreement.
In his statement the Opposition Leader, Hon Abdul Kargbo, thanked the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for tabling such important documents for consideration in the Well of Parliament.
Abdul Kargbo said the agreement was good in terms of government revenue generation but lacked support to community.
He said the documents did not highlight or lay emphasizes on employment, and the benefit of locals and the Corporate Social responsibilities, with these issues, he said, should be looked into.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon Sengepoh Solomon Thomas, stated that any petroleum agreement should passed into law in Parliament, adding that in as much as the nation stands to benefit the contract should be approved for development.
Therefore, because of the importance of the documents in term of revenue generation, and to help government project, the entire house unanimously voted and passed the agreement into law.