Sierra Leone Telegraph: 27 May 2020:
The Office of the Clerk of Sierra Leone’s Parliament issued a statement today, informing Members of Parliament and the General Public that, President Julius Maada Bio will present a State of the Nation’s Address as required by law to Members of Parliament tomorrow, Thursday 28th May 2020, commencing at 10am.
Tomorrow’s state opening of Parliament will take place in the Chamber of Parliament itself, marking the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
But the Clerk’s statement reads: “Due to observing the enhanced measures announced by Government to fight COVID-19, only the few Invited Guests will be allowed to access the precincts of Parliament to witness the Presidential Speech from the Throne in Parliament. Invited Guests are required to wash their hands and use face masks during their stay in Parliament.
“The Ministry of Information and Communication and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy have supported a Virtual Parliament to enable the President to address the nation amidst COVID-19 in light of decongestion and social distancing. Please follow the virtual link below using preferably Google Chrome:
State Opening of Parliament of Sierra Leone Virtual Link:
Share your Click2Meet link to initiate an ad-hoc web meeting: https://gims-govnet-gov-sl.3cx.net/join/speakerofparliament
The event will be streamed live on various television stations and also aired on many radio stations using the link above; and other online platforms.
The idea of dual nationality has always been a thorny issue in the political landscape of Sierra Leone . I think its high time this government take the bull by the horn and rectify this problem. Because denying Sierra Leoneans their birth right, by punishing them for leaving the country, and in the process acquiring citizenship in their host country, makes a mockery of asking Sierra Leoneans living abroad to come back with their experience, and help develop their country. Today most of the development taking place in Somalia, and Eritrea are done by their expatriates that used to live abroad.
The government of Sierra Leone should be encouraging their expatriates rather than discourage them with this type of laws that make no sense.Surely if there is a law called stupid, this one more than qualified to be called as such. In the past two decades Sierra Leone is changing for the better, but I don’t think a lot of people have noticed it. I certainly,have noticed it. Being a student in the 80s,I used to have fist fights with some students in one of the secondary schools in Makeni for taunting me to go back to Guinea, because to those small minded people all Fulani people were meant to be recent immigrants to Sierra Leone.
I used to point out to them both my parents were born in the country, so I have the same rights to be president of Sierra Leone as the then President of Joseph Saidu Momoh.And by the way Fulani people are the largest ethnic group that have roamed West, North, East and central Africa that don’t have a state of their own. Nowadays, I wonder what my fellow small minded students of those days make of the present vice president of Sierra Leone. In terms of nationality our country is changing, even if it is at snail’s pace, but it is changing for the better.
Well thank you Dr. for bringing this issue up today, though in 2018 during election campaign when APC was messing up with the citizens living abroad (DIASPORAS) – not to participate in any the election as they were not recognized as Sierra Leoneans. I wondered if someone had been volunteered to become our voice at the time when we were voiceless. APC started this and they will continue to pay the price for a long period of time. And because of this dual Citizenship issue – led by KKY who stipped himself of his USA Citizenship. Again, thank you for this wonderful contribution.
The government needs to revisit the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone. The national security problem in the country emanated from a poorly written constitution that does not serve any benefit in today’s republic. Past and present governments have used those original wordings of the constitution to persecute and deny civil rights to political rivals for quite some time. The birthrights of natural-born citizens denied taking part in or holding ministerial positions in their government for having dual citizenship. For Sierra Leone, these issues need Parliament’s attention.
Dr. do you want to write one that should be perfect? I’ve a qualm with your phrase “POORLY WRITTEN”. In what context my learned bro? You know say we dae learn every minute – till. Please help.