By Ragan M Conteh
The Chairman for Committee on Water Resources has ordered police officers to detain the Director General (DG) of Electricity Water and Regulations Commission (EWRC).
Hon. Musa Lahai who is representing Kailahun district asked for Emmanuel Manah to be detained for contempt of parliament.
The incident unfolded at the New Administrative Building in the house of parliament.
According to the chairman of the committee, they have summoned the Director General (DG), Emmanuel Manah thrice to appear before the Committee for them to know how sachet water companies are operating in Sierra Leone.
He said the DG, on three occasions, has failed to honour the parliamentary summons.
The Committee’s clerk said the DG of EWRC was also asked to bring the head of all water companies or operators before the Committee, but he also failed to do so.
Instead, he sent two of his engineers to appear before the Committee.
Eventually the DG and the engineers were detained at the Parliament police post at Tower Hill in Freetown.
According to the Committee members, DG Manah only answered to parliamentary summons when two of his engineers were detained at the said post.
The Committee members described the DG’s action as affront to the dignity of Parliament and a very big slap on President Bio’s administration.
Out of 100 water companies in the Water Union, none of them appears before the Committee.
According to the DG Manah he was late because he was having meeting at State House, adding that he informed the head of Water Union for them to avail themselves before the Committee, but they also failed to adhere to the parliamentary summon.
DG Manah said he didn’t have the right to arrest head of water operators to bring them in parliament, but he only has the right to close the water companies if they don’t comply with the right regulations.