By Kelfala Kargbo
Freetown, 16th December 2025- The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, has issued a firm warning to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) boycotting Parliament during the ongoing debate on the Appropriation Act of 2026, declaring: “Parliament will not approve budgets of MDAs that fail to appear before the respective committees.”
This stern caution follows reports that several MDAs have been absent from committee proceedings, particularly the Finance Committee.
As the debate on the Appropriation Act continued this morning, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Nyuma, criticized the conduct of the MDAs, stating that many have “deliberately refused to attend Parliamentary proceedings.” He noted that despite repeated attempts to engage them, they continue to offer excuses.
Hon. Nyuma proposed that strong measures be taken against defaulters, including withholding approval of their budgets.
Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh reinforced this position, stressing that Parliament can only approve a budget when MDAs present their estimates.
“Parliament approves the budget together with the estimates. The estimates provide a clear indication of the policy direction of each MDA,” he explained.
