Speaker Assures MPs

Following his election as Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas on Tuesday 07/05/2024 assured and thanked Members of Parliament for the confidence reposed on him during the election of Speaker of Parliament.

“I was not elected by the SLPP Members of Parliament alone, I was elected by the SLPP Members of Parliament, the APC Members of Parliament and the Paramount Chief Members of Parliament”, he categorically stated and went on to say, “I am one of the most popular Speaker”.

The Speaker thanked all Members of Parliament for electing him. He assured MPs that he would not take them for granted. “I am going to respect your opinions”, he maintained. He expressed fervent hope that the House of Parliament would be united. “I am not going to spare any effort to ensure that we are united as a House”, he vehemently stated and went on to say “We will do the work of our people”.

The Speaker reaffirmed to Members of Parliament that they would treat matters including welfare of Members of Parliament with the utmost seriousness. He used the moment to dilate on the pressure MPs encounter including projects implementation for their people with their meager salaries and hence they must be respected.

“The people of Sierra Leone must sympathize with Members of Parliament”, he revealed and reiterated that MPs are forced to spend their money on their people.

He explained the constraints MPs go through to provide support to their people.

The Speaker asked all Members of Parliament to unite henceforth to treat matters relating to their welfare. “As a House, we need to push a national conversation around Members of Parliament”, he informed and went on to say, they need to push something that the citizens themselves would be engaged to fully understand the circumstances of MPs and Parliament. He said that Members were the most indebted people and many compatriots do not know how they live. “We go all out, we take loans to satisfy the needs of our people”, he maintained.

Contrary to what others are saying that he did not get the two-thirds, the Speaker strongly expressed that he was elected by 128 MPs and that in itself and as a matter of facts and figures is more than two-thirds, given the current mathematical equation in respect of the representative configuration of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.