By Ragan M. Conteh
Even when the country’s political situation is rough, threatening and hanging on the balance regarding the credibility of the June 24 elections in Sierra Leone, it has been rumoured in the corridors of the Clerk of Parliament that, over 130 workers will soon face the sledgehammer at Parliament.
According to sources, the over 130 workers’ service at Parliament will be terminated in the coming months.
Sources said it is unclear why these poor workers who have been in Parliament for decades are being sacked, but they have stated that it is not unconnected to the country’s dismal economic situation.
Others have said most of those that will face the sacking will be those who have either worked for many years or those that the former All Peoples Congress (APC) government employed.
Some say, most of the workers that are on the row to be sacked are those that are ineffective in Parliamentary work while others say the sackings are purely for those that are collecting salaries but are not punctual.
Sources furthered that, Hon Paran Tarawally has reportedly given notice of the sackings in a general meeting held in Parliament Committee Room One a few days ago.
Sources stated that, Hon Paran Tarawally received instructions from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and the decision is aimed at downsizing the staff in the House of Legislations.
According to further reports, there are about 380 workers in Parliament working in fifteen (15) departments and each department has a sub-unit which they said is a waste of government resources.
It could be recalled that, several MPs from the opposition have lambasted the manner in which the SLPP government has bloated the House of Representatives in the last five years.
They said most of these workers have resorted to mere begging, harassing parliamentarians and MDAs invited to Parliament.
Many welcomed the decision of the Parliament Service Commission and the Clerk of Parliament as most welcoming, saying such a move will create a space for competent workers who will be effective and compatible.
The proposed sackings, political pundits said, should not be based on tribe, region or political affiliation, but should rather be done based on merit.
Others have been flabbergasted over the way workers in Parliament gallivant on the corridors of the House of Parliament chasing MDAs, going as far as calling on the administration of Parliament to look into the issue of hanging out at the House.
The Speaker once stated that, ‘The House of Parliament is not for hangers out’, adding that those who failed to do their work effectively should be booted out.
Meanwhile, it is unclear who will be the victims of the Parliamentary Mallet in the next coming days, weeks or months.