The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Honourable Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, has said in Parliament that the clock of the thirty (30) sitting days is ticking following twelve (12) preliminary sittings and seven (7) sittings of parliamentary committees as at Thursday 17th August, 2023.

Addressing Members of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament made a special appeal to members in the National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party to accept the necessity of their elected Members of Parliament coming to take their seats in Parliament to which they have been duly elected.

According to Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, “There is no evidence of compulsion on anyone to stand for elections. On the contrary, they stood for the elections as candidates and freely made promises of all sorts to their supporters, thus demonstrating their willingness and determination to represent their people.”

He added: “On the basis of those promises, the people voted for them as their representatives to Parliament. By failing thus far to come and take their seats, they must know they are in breach of their contract with the people who voted them to power and they must also know that there are consequences for such a breach.”

The Speaker of Parliament averred that whichever side of the argument in the House, lawmakers should know that aside from the courts of justice, there is no present platform in our system for an elected member to vent out their grievances and concerns and interests than within the hallowed Walls of this Chamber.

Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu’s sympathy was unlimited, “especially for the young elected APC Members of Parliament who have been waiting for years for the opportunity, sacrificing, labour and sweat and spending their last cents just to become Honourable Members of Parliament.”

He therefore pleaded with the other fifty-two (52) elected MPs “to go to Parliament and exercise their right of representation and that they will receive the full protection of the noble House.”

The Speaker took the opportunity to thank two of their colleague elected MPs in the APC, Hon. Mohamed Bangura and Hon. Alfred Ayodele Johnson, who have taken their seats in Parliament.

He also thanked those Progressives within the ranks of the APC party who have joined him trying to persuade the other elected APC MPs to see reason and come to take their seats in the House.

“But let me assure them more that they carry with them the respect, the honour and admiration of the citizens of this country for their good use. May Allah continue to shower them with His boundless mercy and blessings,” the Speaker averred.

He also extended compliment to revered Honourable PCMPs of the House for their enhanced involvement in the matter, noting that they consulted with him and he has given them his blessing to proceed with the assignment they have willingly undertaken, which is to convey the strong voices of their subjects nationwide, who are anxious to see their elected MPs of the APC party take their seats in the Sixth Parliament.

The Speaker emphasized that just as the internal democracy of political parties has to be addressed in ways necessary to bring them in line with the national constitution, so it is equally necessary to address decisions taken by political parties to see if they are squared with the national constitution. “Honourable Members, again I say, a word to the wise is sufficient,” he concluded.