By Ragan M. Conteh

In a firm yet constructive address to Members of Parliament, the Speaker of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, emphasized the importance of structured oversight planning before requesting for funds.

He reminded MPs especially Chairmen of the Committees that the current economic climate requires prudent use of parliamentary resources, especially regarding committee oversight activities.

Hon. Thomas stressed that oversight responsibilities must not be taken lightly or approached haphazardly.

“We don’t just get up and start distributing funds,” he said, pointing out that committees need to develop and submit clear, concise oversight concepts, ideally in the form of two- to three-page documents detailing their objectives and rationale for travel or investigations.

He advised that these concepts be channeled through the political leadership either through the Leader of Government Business or the Leader of the opposition-for review and coordination, before final onward submission to the Speaker’s office for approval.

“I told you this about three or four weeks ago, but only one committee has complied,” he noted with concern, cautioning MPs not to later accuse the Speaker of favoritism or bias when oversight activities are delayed or denied due to lack of proper documentation concept.

Hon. Thomas emphasized that standing committees are not exempted from this process, and reiterated that funds would only be disbursed after a thorough review of the concept notes to ensure that they align with the national interest and the oversight mandate of the committees involved.

He concluded by encouraging all MPs to take the process seriously and act with accountability, saying, “If you want your committee to go global-to places like Russia or others-show us something durable, let it be justified.