By Lemuella Tarawallie
Honourable Alpha Ben Mansaray, an All People’s Congress (APC) Member of Parliament representing Moyamba District, on Tuesday (21 January 2025) stood under Parliamentary Standing Order (SO) 23 in the well of parliament and expressed frustrations over the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA)’s limited centres nationwide.
He added that, “in the Western Area Rural, we only have one centre just like many other districts in the region”. He noted the constraints faced by hundreds of citizens to collect their identification cards.
Hon. Ben Mansaray stated that it was hard to imagine pregnant women, lactating mothers, and people living with disabilities queuing the whole day or maybe two or three days without them getting their ID cards.
The APC Member of Parliament revealed that in his Moyamba District, people could spend Le150 for transportation just to access NCRA centres.
Concurring, Hon. Dickson Rogers representing Pujehun District supported what his colleague MP from Moyamba District had raised. He also called on the attention of the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, that the issue of NCRA had “become burdensome on us Members of Parliament”.
Hon. Dickson Rogers revealed that, “most of my Pujehun brothers and sisters are being disqualified from joining the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) because of the laid down criterion of getting a National ID card set by the Ministry of Defense”. He, therefore, urged the Speaker to invite the hierarchy of NCRA to give parliament comprehensive information on their operations.
In his submission, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas ordered the Clerk of Parliament to write a letter, with immediate effect, to summon NCRA to parliament.