July, 2014.
This State of
Emergency as per Section 29 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (1991) was
necessitated by the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
EVD previously broke out in the Ivory Coast, and earlier this year, in Guinea
and later, Liberia before its equallydeadly attack on Sierra Leone in March,
via Kailahun District, Eastern Province.
The Leader of the
House, Hon. Ibrahim R. Bundu made the following proclamation:
Pursuant
to section 29 (3) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act No. 6 of 1991, I
move that this Honourable House ratify the declaration of a State of Public
Emergency made by His Excellency the President and published in the Supplement
to the Sierra Leone Gazette, vol. CXLV No.41 dated 31st July, 2014.
At the end of the
sitting, MP for Lunsar/Marampa, Hon. Isata Kabia who passionately contributed
to today’s debate, was in somber mood from news of two constituents who reportedly,
had just died as suspected cases of the EVD. Contributors to the debate also
included the following Honourable Members: Chief Whip Claude Kamanda, Patrick
Foya of 001, Kailahun; J B Mansaray; Mabinty
Funna (Chair, Health Committee); PC VBS Kebbie; Augustine Torto (Chair, Foreign
Affairs); Emma Kowa; Mustapha Brima; Helen Kuyembeh; A. Manly-Spaine (Chair,
Legislative Committee); Deputy Speaker Chernor R.M. Bah and Alhaji Ansumana
Kai-Kai, the Deputy Minority Leader.
Rounding up the
debate before re-stating the motion, the House Leader affirmed that Ebola is
not a disease to be contained but to be eradicated. Members then voted overwhelmingly
in favour of the Presidential proclamation.
MPs had turned out
in large numbers to this special sitting, breaking their holiday (parliamentary
recess) to ratify the Presidential declaration. The EVD is one of those issues
which have galvanized parliamentary unity as citizens’ lives are at stake. EVD
update from the Ministry of Health says that so far, 223 persons are confirmed
dead, with cumulative confirmed cases of 631.
This special sitting
of the House saw MPs in a very eager mood to join the debate and make their
voices heard. It was witnessed by a large turnout of Ministers, other senior
public functionaries and members of the public and civil society in a sitting
described by the Deputy Speaker as “very, very important.”
PR Department
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