By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Information and Civic Education has called on the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MOICE) to strengthen its procurement processes, improve engagement with Parliament, and address funding and operational challenges during an oversight meeting in Parliament.
Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Rugiatu Rosie Kanu, reminded ministry officials that Parliament’s oversight responsibility is enshrined in Section 93 of the 1991 Constitution, which empowers parliamentary committees to monitor, investigate and assess the work of public institutions, with powers comparable to those of the High Court.
She said the purpose of the engagement was to review the ministry’s activities, achievements, challenges and plans while promoting constructive dialogue aimed at improving service delivery.
“We are here because it is our constitutional and parliamentary mandate to ensure that public institutions maintain transparency in the delivery of their services. We want factual and comprehensive submissions from you so that together we can find solutions to the challenges you face,” Hon. Kanu said.
Presenting the ministry’s report, Director of Civic Education and Citizen Engagement, Timothy Sam, outlined MOICE’s vision of creating a well-informed citizenry that understands both government activities and citizens’ constitutional rights and responsibilities to foster national cohesion.
He highlighted key achievements, including the implementation of the National Civic Education Strategy (2024–2030), the National Civic Day Series conducted in several districts, the successful Presidential Town Hall meeting in Kenema, the National Sierra Leone Civic Festival, school-based civic education programmes, strengthened press freedom initiatives, inclusive government communication through local language translations and sign language interpretation, and progress on the proposed Data Protection Bill.
Sam also noted reforms in the records and archives sector, the revitalisation of the Government Printing Department, the revival of the Daily Mail newspaper, and ongoing work to modernise information governance across government institutions.
He disclosed that despite the ministry developing an ambitious annual work plan containing 96 activities, financial constraints had forced management to scale down its priorities.
The ministry, he said, requested Le65.89 million in 2025 but only accessed approximately Le2.9 million by the end of the financial year. In 2026, MOICE sought Le92.19 million, received approval for about Le7.7 million, but had accessed only Le2.9 million as of the time of the meeting.
According to Sam, the funding shortfall has significantly affected implementation of planned programmes, procurement of ICT equipment, staff training, nationwide civic education campaigns and institutional expansion.
He further revealed that the ministry has a workforce of 348 staff, including 212 personnel under the Public Records and Archives Administration Department, while 74 percent of staff are below Grade Seven.
Committee members, however, raised concerns over procurement practices and accountability.
Hon. Kanu questioned aspects of the ministry’s procurement records, particularly the repeated award of contracts to the same vendor, Prince Alive Investments, for activities including the Presidential Town Hall meeting and National Civic Day programmes.
She requested the ministry to provide its supplier database and procurement action plans, stressing that framework contracts could help the institution achieve greater value for money.
“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 stated.
The Committee also sought clarification on strategic partnership funding, particularly support received from development partners and financial contributions linked to the Government Printing Department.
Responding to the concerns, Permanent Secretary Andrew Sanie Kamara explained that the ministry’s limited budget meant most procurements fell below thresholds requiring framework contracts.
He said procurement decisions followed established procedures, with quotations obtained from multiple registered suppliers before contracts were awarded to the most competitive bidder.
Kamara added that before the revitalisation of the Government Printing Department, private vendors were often engaged on credit due to delayed government disbursements.
He also explained that development partners such as UNDP, UNESCO and UNFPA generally support the ministry through direct payment arrangements rather than cash transfers, citing donor accountability requirements.
Regarding relations with Parliament, committee members expressed concern that the ministry had not consistently involved the oversight committee in major programmes, including the Presidential Town Hall engagements.
Hon. Kanu warned that closer consultation with the committee would be necessary, particularly as the proposed Data Protection Bill approaches parliamentary consideration.
The Permanent Secretary acknowledged the concern and apologised for lapses in communication, assuring members that the ministry values Parliament’s support and would ensure better engagement going forward.
He also addressed concerns about the relationship between MOICE and the National Council for Civic Education and Democracy (NaCCED), explaining that while the ministry leads national civic education policy, NaCCED focuses mainly on implementation at school and community levels, although coordination between both institutions continues.
In her closing remarks, Hon. Kanu commended the ministry for what she described as a well-organised presentation but urged officials to address the gaps identified during the oversight exercise, particularly in procurement documentation, budget reporting and committee engagement.
She assured the ministry that the committee would continue supporting its efforts to improve civic education and public information services while ensuring accountability and transparency in the use of public resources
