Parliament has thrown out an agreement presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after lawmakers raised serious concerns over procedural and technical irregularities in the document.
The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, directed the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francess Alghali, to return and address the shortcomings in the agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Global Green Growth Institute concerning its legal status and operational certainty.
The development followed the presentation of the agreement to Parliament by the Deputy Minister, seeking ratification. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hon. Mohamed Bangura, had earlier described the agreement as non-controversial and urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to ratify it without delay.
However, the Acting Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Aaron Aruna Koroma, strongly objected, insisting that Parliament would not act as a rubber stamp under the current leadership of the Speaker. While acknowledging that the agreement appeared non-controversial on the surface, he pointed out a fundamental flaw—none of the parties involved had appended their signatures to the document.
He argued that the absence of signatures constituted a serious breach, rendering the agreement incomplete and procedurally invalid. According to him, such an omission raises questions about the legitimacy and enforceability of the document.
In response, the Speaker sought clarification on the matter and called on the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Nyuma, to explain why the document had not been signed. Hon. Nyuma stated that Cabinet had approved the agreement and instructed that it be presented to Parliament for debate and ratification.
He maintained that Parliament would not operate as a rubber stamp institution, leading to a brief exchange between him and Hon. Koroma over the handling of the agreement. Hon. Koroma further emphasized that the document contained technical flaws that required correction.
Addressing the House, Deputy Minister Alghali explained that under normal circumstances, two separate documents should have been presented. She disclosed that issues arose during the preparation and circulation of the agreement, adding that she was uncertain how the legal department handled the documentation submitted to Parliament.
She further noted that the Office of the Clerk had raised concerns about the documentation, which may have contributed to the confusion.
Following the exchanges, the Leader of Government Business apologized to the House, acknowledging the procedural lapses. He admitted that the rules of Parliament could not be bent to accommodate the flawed submission.
Consequently, the Speaker ruled that the agreement be withdrawn and instructed the Deputy Minister to revisit and properly prepare the documents before resubmitting them to Parliament at a later date.
The decision underscores Parliament’s stance on due process and reinforces its role in scrutinizing agreements before ratification.
