The government of Sierra Leone is set to address the backlog of unpaid salaries owed to opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) Members of Parliament, with payments expected to be made by December 2024.
This follows increasing pressure from the APC leadership in Parliament, who have raised concerns over the prolonged delay in receiving their entitlements.
The matter came to light when Hon. Abdul Kargbo of the APC recently highlighted the issue during a meeting between the parliamentary administration and a delegation of international Moral Guarantors.
The delegation was in Sierra Leone to evaluate the progress of the national unity agreement signed between the government and the APC following the 2023 general elections.
Hon. Kargbo specifically referenced Resolution 4(D) of the agreement, which mandates the payment of entitlements to opposition MPs, mayors, and councilors—an obligation the government has yet to fulfill.
The APC took the opportunity to urge the Moral Guarantors to push the government to expedite the implementation of this key resolution. Additionally, the party called for the immediate release of political prisoners as outlined in the agreement.
In response to these concerns, Hon. Paran Umar Tarawally, Clerk of Parliament, reassured the opposition that the leadership of Parliament has been in constant communication with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the backlog payments are processed.
He confirmed that all necessary documents have already been submitted to the ministry, and the final steps are now in the hands of the government.
Hon. Bashiru Silikie, Acting Leader of Government Business, echoed these assurances, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fully implementing the provisions of the national unity agreement.
He acknowledged that the APC MPs had joined the Sixth Parliament later than expected, which may have contributed to some of the delays, but promised that all outstanding issues would be addressed as Parliament moves into its next session, where a retreat is planned to resolve lingering concerns.
This development is expected to ease tensions between the ruling government and the opposition, who have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with the current pace of the agreement’s implementation.
