By: Melvin Tejan Mansaray
No reason has been advanced so far as to why all opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) that are members of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service did not attend the public hearing of Dr. Alex Prince Harding on Wednesday 22nd April, 2020 at Committee Room No. 1, Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown Sierra Leone.
It should be recalled that the Office of the Clerk of Parliament issued a public notice informing MPs and members of the public about the parliamentary vetting of nine presidential nominees.
It is apparent that during the fourteenth sitting of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service which was supposed to have interviewed and scrutinise the appointment of Dr. Alex Prince Harding as proposed Chairman National Commission for Privatization among nine other nominees but unfortunately when Dr. Alex Harding was called upon as the first interviewee, no member of the APC, C4C, NGC, Independent and even Paramount Chief MPs was present except for that of SLPP MPs alone.
Whether the absence of the opposition MPs was advertent or inadvertent is still a matter that is being processed but this action or inaction by opposition MPs cast a slurr on the bipartisan and rigid nature of the probing itself against the backdrop of a perceived rubber stamped Parliament.
Dr. Alex Prince Harding is the current Leader and Chairman of the governing Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). He has held several portfolios in previous government’s until recently when he was unceremoniously removed as the Chairman Board of NATCOM Directors.
A couple a weeks ago, Dr. Harding was in the middle of a political spat with the ousted Leader of Government Business Hon. Sidi M. Tunis over the official handing over of his position to Hon. Mathew Nyuma and Hon. Bashiru Silikie but this was quickly resolved with some horse trading.
Dr. Harding’s appointment is coming at a strategic time of COVID-19 outbreak and political discuss on whether active partisans should be giving portfolios in government after President Bio himself said his adminstration will depoliticize institutions.
Unfortunately, the opposition MPs were not around to give Dr. Harding a run for his money in a sitting that can only be described as historic (Hon. Tunis final presiding as Chairman Appointments) Committee) and less probing (no question asked, no answers proffered) for the appointee in question.
However, several issues surfaced on the back stage of the SLPP party Leader’s interview.
Firstly, the Committee struggled to have its Members and the issue of whether the Committee was properly constituted in terms of quorum was seemingly spotted.
Peter J. Kulangbanda Director of Committees said that the sitting had five members at the time of Dr. Harding’s interview which was enough for a quorum.
The issue of the absence of the opposition MPs cannot be overemphasize despite its huge political and parliamentary importance.
“I know that the APC MPs will not be a part of this approval,” a Member of the Appointments Committee who was also absent wrote on social media, making an innuendo that the government should be focusing all of its attention on coronavirus, bringing the rules and regulations for the state of public emergency to Parliament, stick to budgetary projections and operate by the rule of law.
Speaking in what he said was his last as the Leader of Government Business and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Hon. Sidi M. Tunis, Speaker ECOWAS Parliament welcomed all to Parliament saying,
“most likely today will be my last day to serve in this Committee as the Chairman considering the fact that somebody else will be taking over from me as Leader of Government Business as soon as Parliament resumes. So, it is an opportunity for me to serve, to be interviewing the Chairman and Leader of the SLPP for the very last time as Chairman of this Committee at least for now. “
On the screening, quizzing and grilling of Dr. Harding on his appointment, it was unsurprising for MPs of the SLPP party alone who were present at the hearing to ask any stringent question rather than as expected, pay obeisance to the ‘Bullet’ that mastermind the ouster of the APC Dr. EBK’s regime.
It is as per law that Parliament should vet the academic and other proficiencies of presidential nominees without prejudice or canvassing of MPs for whatever position for the House is not to be seen as rubber stamped.
In the case of Dr. Alex Prince Harding, which had a telling exception, he subscribed to the parliamentary oath as a Christian saying that his evidence is the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
“You know he (Dr. Alex) was a former Member of Parliament apart from being Minister, so he is one of us, so me calling him Honorable Dr. Alex Prince Harding is no mistake,” Hon Tunis said, underscoring, “I really don’t have any questions for you because I know for sure that you are highly qualified for the position for which you have be nominated . I know you are capable and that you have served this country in various capacities and this is just more capacity that the President has asked you to serve, except if you want to tell us something, otherwise I will let you go. “
In an interjectory undertone, Hon. S.S Thomas, Deputy Speaker of Parliament said, “Dr. Harding is more than qualify.”
However, some observers were expecting probity on the politicization of state institutions, efficiency in holding a party and a national portfolio, Dr. Harding’s achievements and conspicuous removal from NATCOM, SLPP two years in office, the impact of COVID-19 on privatization among other deep rooted governance and political issues, but unfortunately all of such notions could not be put to Dr. Alex due to the absence of opposition legislators who could have flex their legislative muscles on a man who feels extremely powerful over his party MPs.
The SLPP MPs asked Dr. Prince Harding if he had anything to say to them and jokingly said if he (Harding) want to interview them, a total reverse and mismatch of what was to be the purpose of the vetting exercise.
Dr. Alex Prince Harding however in his submission said, “can I just say thank you and God bless you. May God get raid of this COVID-19 so that things will return to normal in this country.”
Although safe distancing measures were strickly observed along hand washing before entering the precinct of Parliament and Committee Room No.1, that was not enough to deter some few party faithfuls from applauding and cheering the SLPP Leader and Chairman, Dr. Alex Prince Harding, ushering him outside of the Room with thunderous applause and goodwill sentiments.
Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo Deputy Leader APC party said it was just unfortunate that he joined the meeting late but that he said, is not in any way to be mistaken as an orchestrated action by his party to not show up for particularly Dr. Harding’s probing.
Leader of Government Business Hon. Mathew S. Nyuma was surprised when the observation that opposition MPs were not in the sitting for Dr. Harding’s vetting, stating “they were in attendance.”
