Anytime from now the Attorney General and Minister of Justice will take the State of Emergency (SoE) Regulations to the House of Parliament for approval following a protracted furore among lawmakers, especially opposition lawmakers who raised serious concerns over the misuse of the SoE if there were no Regulations that give the SoE powers.
While Parliament is expected to approve the SoE Regulations according to Section (29) (10) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, we also expect that the lawmakers should consider stringent penalties for defaulters of the SoE Regulations, given that many Sierra Leoneans, especially the young people, are not law-abiding at all.
The fact that the President has relaxed many of the restrictive measures for the COVID-19 pandemic fight such as the lifting of the inter-districts lockdowns, the relaxing of the curfew and lifting of ban on congregational prayers doesn’t mean we have conquered the global scourge; the President may have made such adjustments to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic lives of majority of Sierra Leoneans. But that doesn’t mean we should be very complacent about observing other health safety protocols that are supposed to be in force until we conquer the battle against the novel pandemic.
One of the SoE Regulations we expect Parliament to not only endorse but to also recommend punitive measures for defaulters is the wearing of facemask which use is still enforced by all affected countries of the world. This particular health safety protocol should be strictly enforced everywhere, especially in commercial vehicles, market squares, offices and other public places where people often intermingle.
Despite the government and many other offices in the private sector have made the use of facemask compulsory, its use among the populace is still uncommon, especially in the informal sector where people behave at whim. That’s why the lawmakers should highly consider punishment for defaulters in order to avoid the risk of spreading the pandemic at community level.
Hand-washing as another health safety protocol must also be encouraged and enforced in not only public places but also in our communities as well. Though there are ongoing media sensitizations and awareness-raising with regards the hand-washing, most Sierra Leoneans are still reluctant to practice it despite they know Coronavirus is real and can kill like other viruses. Perhaps suggesting punishment for defaulters could make the practice popular among the people.
For Sierra Leone to overcome the pandemic, the SoE Regulations that are about to be debated and approved by Parliament should carry punitive measures for defaulters and there should be no tampering of justice with mercy because most of us Sierra Leoneans are not law-abiding. And if we are to emerge victorious in the COVID-19 pandemic fight, the SoE Regulations should be enforced by the security forces to the letter until life returns to normal.