The Honorable Mohamed Bangura has been formally designated as a Member of the Pan-African Parliament's (PAP) Permanent Committee (PC) on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA).
The CAPA bears the responsibility of examining internal and external audit reports on the PAP and the Board of External Auditors' reports on the African Union (AU). It subsequently proposes measures to ensure effective implementation of the suggested recommendations.
The PAP functions as one of the organs of the AU, as outlined in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty).
The Parliament serves as a platform for individuals from all African nations to actively participate in discussions and decision-making processes addressing challenges facing the continent.
The PAP was officially inaugurated on March 18, 2004, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia though headquarters are situated in Midrand, South Africa.
In conjunction with the Plenary Session activities, the eleven Permanent Committees of the PAP convene during the statutory meeting of the Continental Parliament.
The PAP comprises eleven Permanent Committees, each with distinct mandates and functions as stipulated in Rules 22 to 27 of the PAP Rules of Procedure.
The Permanent Committees are as follows: Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources; Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution; Committee on Gender, Family, Youth, and People with Disabilities; Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs; Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters; Committee on Health, Labor and Social Affairs; Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology; Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline; Committee on Justice and Human Rights; Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment; and the influential Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA).
It is pertinent to recall that on Monday, June 24, 2024, Hon. Bangura took the oath of office during the ongoing 3rd Ordinary Session of its Sixth Parliament, which ran from June 24 to July 5, 2024.
This Plenary Session aligns with the African Union theme for 2024:
"Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa."
Hon. Bangura currently represents Karene District, the All Peoples Congress (APC) party, and the North West Region.
He holds the position of Deputy Head of Delegation to the PAP and serves as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and International Relations Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service, Ethics and Privileges, Transport, Fisheries and Communications in the current Sixth Parliament of Sierra Leone.
The esteemed Hon. Bangura, aged 53, possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree and has a commendable track record of service, having served as the former Minister of Information and Communications under the Ernest Bai Koroma administration.
In July 2024, Hon. Bangura stood as the sole APC lawmaker to join members of the governing SLPP and Paramount Chief Members of Parliament in taking the oath of office in the 149 Member Sixth Parliament of Sierra Leone, contrasting with his party's stance following disputed June 24th, 2023 general elections, which led to the APC abstaining from political governance participation until Tuesday, November 7th, 2023.
Hon. Bangura's decision was deemed an act against party principles, prompting his party to initiate an investigation and subsequently suspend him to date, despite the party's return to participation in governance following the National Unity Agreement.
In April 2024, Hon. Bangura was replaced by Hon. Abdul Kargbo (parliamentary leader of the APC) as a member of the country's Parliament's delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, approximately six months after taking the oath in Winneba, Ghana.
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