Samuel Kallon 
By Ragan M Conteh
The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has engaged the US Ambassador on the current visa restrictions imposed on some government officials by the US.
The Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) has had a bilateral relationship with Sierra Leone. The initiative to help Sierra Leone governments on many projects such as on energy provision is supported by the United States of America.
The Parliamentary Committee was chaired the opposition party MP, Hon.Mohamed Bangura.
During the engagement the MP spoke on issues surrounding the visa restrictions as well as the need to attract more investors in the country.
Such is believed will create more job opportunities for the people of Sierra Leone.
Chairman Mohamed Bangura thanked the Ambassador for their good job to the nation, Sierra Leone.
He said Amb. Bryan D. Hunt, is the first United States Amb. to Sierra Leone that had played a great role in improving the livelihood of the people of Sierra Leone, citing examples of his recent visit to Tambaka in the Karene district and other places in the provinces.
Hon. Bangura lamented on several issues to Amb. Hunt.
He talked of the MCC’s partnership between the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Sierra Leone and the US Embassy, and the fact politicians have been affected by the visa travel ban.
Hon. Bangura appealed to Amb. Hunt to critically look into the MCC issue and on how Sierra Leoneans could benefit from the MCC’s pact.
He also mentioned that the country had secured seat at the United Nations Security Council for the first time in history of Sierra Leone.
He therefore pleaded with the United States of America to partner with the Government of Sierra Leone to improve on the state of security in Africa in terms of terrorist attacks.
The MP appealed to Amb. Hunt to bring in investors to invest in Sierra Leone.
He described Hunt as one of the best Ambassadors from the United States to Sierra Leone that the country had ever received.
Hon. Charles Conteh, the Dpt. Chairman of the Committee and other Honorable Members of Parliament from the opposition and the ruling bench also shared similar sentiments on the issue.
They spoke on the ways to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Government of Sierra Leone and the United States of America.
In his response, Ambassador Bryan D. Hunt, thanked the Hon Members of Parliament representing the Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for their visits to the United States Embassy.
He said personally he felt delighted when he saw the visitation letter from MPs to the embassy a week ago.
Amb. Hunt said, the issues being raised by the Chairman of the Committee and other Honourable members were very key.
He threw light of the issue on how the United States is awarding visas to the people who might want to visit the United States for state visits or for business purposes.
He buttressed that people needed to apply to the embassy’s website and all the instructions were there, adding that the embassy would check their records adding that if one does not have any criminal records he/she would be awarded a visa.
He said politicians with diplomatic passports holders would find it very simple to travel to the US provided if their records are clean.
Amb. Bryan D. Hunt also said that the issue surrounding the MCC is very complex issue because it is within the confines of the executive of the MCC, an independent body that has its own rules and regulations and methodology.
The Ambassador touched on the bilateral relationship between the Foreign Affairs Committee in Sierra Leone and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives.
He said the House of Representatives in the US, it has sub-committees like the African Affairs Committee which has the sole responsibility to look into issues surrounding Africa.
“I am not a Member of Parliament; I come from the executive arm of government and I don’t want to interfere on their activities (MCC board) but as Ambassador I will use my good office to do the needful,” he said.
Amb. Bryan D. Hunt also said the issue of trade and investment in Sierra Leone is pivotal as far as the US is concerned.
He further said that they had met with the minister of trade and they have discussed lengthy on how to expand the trade market in Sierra Leone.
Amb. Hunt talked on the issue of democracy in Sierra Leone, adding that the two main political parties should work together like what United States did over two hundred years ago.
“To achieve democracy in any country is not a day-job. Like for us in United States it took us almost over a hundred years. Sierra Leone has just started but the country should make sure that as a nation and people you strengthen your electoral laws and you will get there as a county,” he said.
