By Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly Select Committee on Health, has engaged officials of the health sector to update them on their level of implementation of the Committees’ Health Report for the year 2018.
Momodou Lamin Jaiteh, PS at the Health Ministry, appealed to the Committee to give them ample time; that they were lately informed about their meeting with the Committee.
“We brainstormed and thought that it may not be feasible to appear before the Committee with the required responses and documentation for the fact that our Planning Director responsible for collating progress regarding the implementation of each of the recommendations of the report, was in a retreat and we could not have time to finalise the compilation and to appear. If we have known about the meeting, we would have worked it out while in Tendaba,” he added.
Saikou Marong and Amadou Camara who are members of the NA Committee, all appealed to the officials for their full collaboration and to avert the occurrence of such scenario; that the Committee is mandated by the Constitution to deal with such issues because it involves taxpayers’ money.
Sheikh Omar Dibba, a Subject Matter Specialist in the Committee, advised the Health Officials to assign a personnel at the Ministry who will be in charge of National Assembly Matters to ensure effective conduct of Legislative issues at the Ministry.
Ousman Sillah, the Chairperson of the Committee, said the engagement was to know the level of implementation of the Health Officials in the Committees’ Health Report for 2018; that the Committee was established by Sections 102 (A) and 109 (E) and Standing Orders Clause 85; that this mandated the Committee to invite officials to respond to its queries and to present reports before them.
“The Committee has the powers of the High Court, it can order the appearance of officials and can also compel the production of documents”, he asserted.
The session continues on Thursday February 21st 2019, at 10:00 am prompt.
