By Ragan M. Conteh

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament who also doubles as the Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC), Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has informed Members of the public that Members of Parliament are poor.

The Deputy Speaker made the submissions on Wednesday 12th June, 2024 at the Administrative Building in Parliament.

According to Hon. Tawa Conteh, Members of Parliament are barely paid Le 21 million and it is not even enough to take care of their families and their constituents.

Hon. Tawa further stated that most MPs depend on the canteen as their offices.

He however said, MPs are always given loans, but they are not bad debtors.

He maintained that MPs from Nigeria are paid triple than what Sierra Leone MPs received, adding that most of the MPs that took loans from Commercial Bank to buy vehicles are not buying vehicles, but ended up spending the monies on their constituents.

“Every day MPs received messages for assistance for burials, schools fees and even marriages and we honor these requests because they are our constituents” he said.

What is very sad, the Deputy Speaker explained is that most of the vehicles of MPs are parked at car park of Parliament because they cannot maintained them.

Hon. Tawa revealed that most of the MPs gratuities are ended up by paying loans in the banks and they cannot do anything at the end of their tenure in parliament.

He emphasized that MPs took those loans to address concerns and problems of their constituents.

Speaker Tawa also stated that the salaries of MPs are very much minimal and cannot be able to address their needs, and therefore called on Sierra Leoneans to understand what MPs are going through.

“All MPs are indebted and at the end of their tenure, all their benefits will be there only to pay debts to the banks. This is very serious,” he said.

Members of Parliament from both side of the aisles in the committee expressed similar sentiment.