The Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Sheku B.B Dumbuya has taken the Presidential Oath of Office as contained in the Second Schedule of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, following the departure of President Ernest Bai Koroma on Saturday 26th September, 2015 to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America. The Hon. Vice President, Victor Bockarie Foh had earlier left for the Sister Republic of Liberia, where he has recently been decorated with a Doctoral Degree “honoris gratia” by the Cuttington University in Monrovia.
This is in accordance with Section 54 subsection 6 of Act No 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone which provides that “Whenever the President and Vice-President are both for any reason unable to perform the functions of the President, the Speaker of Parliament shall perform those functions, and shall take and subscribe the oath of office as set out in the Second Schedule before commencing to perform those functions”.
In the presence of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, the Clerk of Parliament and other dignitaries, the Supreme Court Judge, Justice Brown-Marke administered the President’s Oath in the Speaker’s Office thus:
“I Hon. Sheku B. B Dumbuya do hereby (in the name of God swear) that I will at all times well and truly discharge the duties of the office of the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone according to law, that I will preserve, support, uphold, maintain, and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone as by law established, and that I will do right to all manner of people according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. (So help me God.)”.
After the oath had been administered, the acting President of Sierra Leone, Hon. SBB Dumbuya in his twin capacity as Speaker of Parliament remarked that “even a day’s King is a King” followed by applause. Since Saturday 26th September, 2015 to date, the Speaker continues to perform the functions of the President as provided by law, until the President or his Vice returns to the country.
In the event where the Vice President returns home before the President, as dictated by law, he can act in the capacity of the President, but cannot take the President’s Oath as in the case of the Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
Department of Public Relations
Parliament of Sierra Leone
OAU Drive, Tower Hill
Freetown
Tel: 076840285/077669726 /078426851
