Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas
Following the resignation of Hon. Dr Abass Chernor Bundu as Speaker of Parliament effective 30/04/2024, the Parliament of Sierra Leone on Thursday 02/05/2024 duly elected Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas as the new Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone assembled, under Section 79 subsection (2) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone (Act No. 6 of 1991) as amended in 2013.
After three successive rounds of voting without securing two-thirds to elect the Speaker of Parliament, the House went for the fourth ballot, giving a simple majority and overwhelmingly voting for the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, who was duly elected as Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, obtained 128 (ayes), 10 (nays) or against, 1 void and 6 abstained from voting.
After the successful conduct of the election, on behalf of the Acting Clerk of Parliament, the Director of Legislative Services, Momodu Lamin Deen Rogers, announced that the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas was duly elected as Speaker of Parliament, under Section 79 subsection (2) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone (Act No.6 of 1991) as amended in 2013.
Earlier, after a third round of voting, the opposition candidate for the position of Speaker, Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma, withdrew his candidature on grounds of adhering to provisions of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, democracy, peace and national cohesion. Just after the election of the Speaker, two letters of resignation as Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker were tendered by the former Deputy Speaker and read by the Director General of Parliament, Mrs Finda Findosia Fraser, who declared vacancies for the position of Deputy Speaker and a Member of Parliament for Bonthe District to replace Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, given the fact that when a sitting Member of Parliament is elected Speaker, he would lose his seat in Parliament following provisions of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
Before the electoral process, the Opposition Leader, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, cited Section 159 subsection 1 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, which deals with appointments by the President and resignations, and said the former Speaker was obliged to send his resignation letter to Parliament than to the President of Sierra Leone. Responding to the Opposition Leader, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, countered by advancing Section 73 (1) giving the composition of Parliament, including the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
He also said the former Speaker copied Parliament in his resignation letter, and the vacancy had occurred for the position of Speaker and must be filled in respect of Section 79 (5) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. After a heated debate, in light of constitutional provisions, both Leaders agreed to proceed with the election of the Speaker, which was immediately followed by a roll call by the Clerk-At-the-Table. Following the roll call, it was discovered that two Members of Parliament were absent, (one from the SLPP and one from the APC) and two vacant seats for two Paramount Chief Members of Parliament for Pujehun and Kenema districts respectively.
Earlier, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, nominated Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas as a candidate to contest for the position of Speaker and described him as a political heavyweight, legal luminary, highly religious and a philanthropist. Seconding the nomination of Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas to contest for the Speakership position was the former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Mohamed Sidie Tunis. On the Opposition side, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, nominated Hon. Daniel Koroma as a candidate for the position of Speaker, with a specific description that he had discovered water in the desert in the person of Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma.
He referred to his candidate as someone with a satisfactory mind and one who knows what the MPs want and is ready to give what they want. “He is God fearing, corrupt free and one with good desire,” he said. Seconding the nomination of the Opposition candidate, the Deputy Whip of the Opposition, Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally, supported Hon. Daniel Koroma for the position of Speaker of Parliament. After the first ballot, the Ayes got 93 votes in favour of the candidacy of Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas as Speaker, and the Opposition got 52 Nays or voted against. Subsequently in the second round of voting the Ruling SLPP candidate got 96 Ayes and the Opposition or against received 49 Nays; finally in the third round, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas got 95 Aye, whilst the Nay or against was 50.
In another development, the Parliament of Sierra Leone, on Thursday 02/05/2024 elected Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh as Deputy Speaker of Parliament, under Section 80 subsections 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone as amended in 2013 and Standing Order 9 paragraphs 2 and 3 of the rules of procedure in Parliament. Also, after a successful election for the position of Deputy Speaker, the Speaker of Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas announced that Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh scored 94 Ayes, 47 Nays, 2 abstained and zero void. According to the Speaker of Parliament as prescribed in Section 80 in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh was duly elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament by a simple majority.
Earlier in the election of the Deputy Speaker, Deputy Leader 2 of Government Business, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina, nominated Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh as a candidate for the ruling SLPP. Hon. Emerson Lamina recognized Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh for effectiveness and performance as a seasoned Member of Parliament.
His nomination was seconded and endorsed by the Majority Whip, Hon. Dickson Rogers, in which he described him as a humble and respectful personality. On the part of the Opposition, the Opposition Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, nominated Hon. Haja Miatta Amara on gender grounds. He told Parliament that the candidate was a woman of humility, soft-spoken with other positive character. Seconding the motion on the nomination of the Opposition candidate, Hon. Dr. Umpha G. Koroma described Hon. Miatta Amara as a unique character for the position of Deputy Speaker. The election for the position of Deputy Speaker was overwhelmingly won by Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh.
