BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
The Chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs in Parliament, who also doubles as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone Hon. Alusine Kanneh, commended the ratification of the ECOWAS Identification cards agreement.
Hon. Alusine Kanneh expressed profound thanks to the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) for its astute stance in translating the ECOWAS Identity cards in reality. He particularly lauded the leadership of the NCRA and its entire for what he considered as a job well done in making sure that the agreement went before Members of Parliament for an expeditious ratification.
The Deputy Chief Whip also expressed that citizens have been impatiently waiting to have a National Identity cards and the ECOWAS Identity cards. He added that the good thing about the agreement is that the identity card has three categories of which are the ECOWAS identity card, the National Identity card, and the non-national identity cards. He acknowledged the importance of travelling across the ECOWAS region without any hindrance as long as one has the ECOWAS Identity cards.
Hon. Alusine Kanneh furthered that the agreement will help citizens to identify themselves especially when criminal activities are now on the increase in the country. He reiterated that the agreement will further create the avenue for government to clampdown on notorious criminals impersonating senior citizens. He assured Members of Parliament that the agreement is not controversial which precipitated the importance of ratifying the agreement in ensuring that every citizen travels with the identity cards across the ECOWAS Region.
“This morning we are here to approve a very important instrument. I believe Mr. Speaker Members of Parliament are well abreast and they have been waiting for the ratification of this agreement. Mr. Speaker with much I do, I want to crave the indulgence of my colleagues to make sure that this agreement is ratified as soon as possible”, said Hon. Kanneh.
