Following yesterday Thursday’s 22nd July, 2021 publication of The Owl Newspaper, dozens of citizens have made comments with regard the fact that the House of Parliament rule is correct and in place in undressing ministers gallivanting the broad and breadth of this country calling themselves ‘honorable.’
This comes against the background with the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, announcing to the Well of Parliament that it is not constitutional for any person besides members of the Judicature and Parliament to be addressed or demand to be addressed as ‘honorable.’ He was outspoken in his warning that individuals in the habit of calling themselves or demanding that they be called ‘honorable’ is something Parliament frowns upon.
In his own words, the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu ruled that. it (the title Honorable) could only be used by persons who are serving or had served in elected offices or who are serving or had served in the superior court of Judicature, or conferment of such title by Parliament.
He added that such persons include the President, Vice President, persons who are serving or had served as MPs, past & present regardless of serving as ministers or not; persons who are serving or had served the Superior Court of Judicature, and persons on whom such title is conferred on by Parliament.
Therefore, persons other than the above, when appointed to serve as Ministers and Deputy Ministers should be addressed as “Mr. Minister or Madam Minister”.
Solomon Buakei, a social commentator thanked Parliament for clearly undressing ministers who unwittingly dress themselves with the title ‘Honorable’ when they even though do not behave themselves honorably.
It has become clear that the attitude of some government ministers is anything but ‘honorable’.
In the same vein, there have been several instances of so-called ‘honorable’ ministers seen publicly destroying ballot boxes and committing a whole range of other deeds that cannot be deemed as being in tandem with the constitution of Sierra Leone.
Sylvester Sannoh, a Political Analyst in his view stated that it is a very good action by the Parliament to strip the title of ‘Honorable’ from government ministers who are using this title that had never been Members of Parliament.
This observer conceded that, the likes of Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, Ibrahim Ben Kargbo and a few others currently in Parliament deserve the title of ‘Honorable’ even though they are not ministers in the government, because they had once darkened the corridors of the House of Parliament.
This observer added that, I.B Ibrahim Ben Kargbo (Honorable) before he was appointed Minister of Information and Communications under the former APC Government headed by former President Ernest Bai Koroma, had been a Member of Parliament under an earlier dispensation, thus earning him the title of ‘Honorable’ in similar vein like Hon. Abass Bundu and some others.
