By Kelfala Kargbo
Freetown, 29th October 2026 – Parliament has today approved 16 Presidential nominees including Madiana Nyanda Samba who will serve as the new Electoral Commissioner for the Southern Region.
The nominees were interviewed and vetted last week Friday by the Committee on Appointments, paving the way for their subsequent approval.
Samba served as a Commissioner at the then National Telecommunications Company NaTCom – now National Communications Authority (NatCA ) from 2018 to 2023, and in June 2020 she acted as the first Chairperson of the Authority.
She previously worked at the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) between 2002 and 2004, and also worked in the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) world for some years.
Her new appointment is her first job in the electoral body.
Other appointees include Chairman of the Tertiary Education Commission, Professor John Kargbo and Chairman of the Advisory Council of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Rtd. DIG Sahr Yomba SE Essie.
The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas urged appointees not to continue what he described as the “cycle”, where people are appointed and do not live up to expectation.
