By Jariatu S. Bangura
After seven month of its enactment by the Sierra Leone Parliament, the Media Consultant for Focus 1000 has informed pressmen and Civil Society activists that they don’t know the whereabouts of the Tobacco and Nicotine Act, 2022.
WHAT HAPPENED: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health collaborated with focus 1000 to take the Act to Parliament and prior to enactment, series of engagement were done by Focus 1000 together with Members of Parliament on the dangers of tobacco and other tobacco related and how it has crippled not only people and also the economy of the country.
WHAT IS THE PROGRESS: According to Sulaiman Storm Koroma, since Parliament enacted the Act on the 3rd August, 2022, the President has not appended his signature to the said document till date.
“We went to the House of Parliament and we were told that the Act has been taken to the President and we called at State House to enquire likewise, at some point we were told that indeed the President had signed the Act and on hearing that we went to the gazette shop and printing press to get the copy of the printed version they told us they have not seen such Act there,” he stated.
He further stated that they were left in a state of despondence as it stands; adding that they pressed on enquiring and that they were later informed that it was yet to reach State House. He said they engaged the Clerk of Parliament and he categorically told them again that he had sent the Act to the President.
He said they don’t know whether the Act is actually in Parliament or it has been stocked on its way to State House.
