MOICE Faces Parliamentary Committee

By Lemuella Tarawallie

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Information and Civic Education has urged the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MOICE) to strengthen procurement practices, improve transparency, and deepen engagement with Parliament

Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Rugiatu Rosy Kanu, reminded ministry officials that Parliament’s oversight responsibility was enshrined in Section 93 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991, “which empowers parliamentary committees to monitor and assess the work of public institutions”.

She said the engagement was aimed at reviewing the ministry’s achievements, challenges and future plans while ensuring accountability in the delivery of public services.

Presenting the ministry’s report, Director of Civic Education and Citizen Engagement, Timothy Sam, said MOICE was working to build a well-informed citizenry through civic education and effective public communication.

He highlighted achievements including implementation of the National Civic Education Strategy (2024–2030), National Civic Day activities across several districts, the Presidential Town Hall Meeting in Kenema, school civic education programmes, local language translations of government information, sign language interpretation and progress on the proposed Data Protection Bill.

Sam also cited reforms in public records management, efforts to revitalise the Government Printing Department and the revival of the Daily Mail newspaper.

On funding, he disclosed that although the ministry developed an annual work plan containing 96 activities, financial constraints had slowed implementation. He said MOICE requested Le65.89 million in 2025 but accessed only about Le2.9 million. In 2026, the ministry sought Le92.19 million, received approval for about Le7.7 million, but had accessed only Le2.9 million at the time of the meeting.

According to him, the funding gap had affected procurement of ICT equipment, staff training, nationwide civic education campaigns and institutional expansion. He added that the ministry “employs 348 staff, including 212 personnel in the Public Records and Archives Administration Department”.

Responding to the presentation, Hon. Kanu questioned repeated contract awards to Prince Alive Investments for activities including the Presidential Town Hall Meeting and National Civic Day programmes. She requested the ministry’s supplier database and procurement action plans, stressing that proper procurement practices and framework contracts could help save public resources.

“We have seen ministries awarding contracts to vendors who are not even in their supplier databases. We want to ensure due process is followed because procurement can save institutions significant resources,” she said.

Committee member Hon. Sylvester Boima commended the ministry for its detailed presentation but sought clarification on procurement procedures, the repeated use of the same contractor and reported strategic partnership funding, including support for the Government Printing Department.

He also encouraged the ministry to adopt framework contracts for routine supplies such as stationery and refreshments, noting that effective procurement could reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Hon. Alex Mattia Rogers called for closer collaboration between MOICE and the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, particularly in the planning and implementation of nationwide civic education initiatives such as the Presidential Town Hall meetings.

He said Parliament, as the ministry’s oversight body, should play a greater role in monitoring and evaluating such programmes to strengthen accountability and measure their impact.

Responding on behalf of the ministry, Permanent Secretary Andrew Sanie Kamara said procurement decisions were made in accordance with established procedures, with quotations obtained from registered suppliers before contracts were awarded to the most competitive bidders.

He explained that limited funding meant most procurements fell below the threshold requiring framework contracts and noted that development partners such as UNDP, UNESCO and UNFPA generally support ministry programmes through direct payments rather than cash transfers.

Kamara acknowledged concerns about the ministry’s engagement with Parliament and assured members that communication with the committee would improve going forward, particularly as the proposed Data Protection Bill advances through the legislative process.

In her closing remarks, Hon. Kanu commended the ministry for its presentation but urged officials to address concerns relating to procurement documentation, budget reporting and committee engagement. She assured the ministry of the committee’s continued support while emphasising the need for accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.