Lawmakers at the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday postponed a sitting on a motion to impeach the state’s Minister of Finance, Planning, and Investment, Minister of Housing Land and Public Utility, and Minister of Cabinet Affairs, until further notice.
An impeachment is the process by which a legislature may bring charges against an officeholder for misconduct alleged to have been committed with a penalty of removal.
The state parliament on Monday week adopted a vote of no confidence motion against Wayi Godwill Edward, the cabinet affairs minister, who also doubles as the minister of local government and law enforcement; Fred Laku, minister of housing and public utilities; and Viana Kakuli Aggrey, minister of finance and Investment.
The three ministers were summoned earlier last month to answer queries about the leasing and or selling of a plot of land that belongs to the state finance ministry to an Investor. The three ministers however denied any wrongdoing.
Genesis
The furor started when a letter dated 8 March and addressed to Governor Emmanuel by Viana Kakuli, the state minister of finance, asked the governor to allow her office to exchange state government land for vehicles and money.
Kakuli, in the letter, said a company called Quick Global will give the ministry five Toyota Hardtop Land Cruisers and an amount of USD 100,000 in exchange for government land to build their offices.
However, a preliminary investigation by the state parliament found out that the plot had been exchanged for services through the connivance of the three ministers now threatened with impeachment.
The state legislators on Monday resolved that the dishonesty and incompetence of the faulted ministers cannot allow them to remain in public office.
Addressing journalists after the adjournment of the parliamentary session on Wednesday, Morris Andria Lupe, the deputy spokesperson of Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly, said the session was adjourned due to a lack of quorum.
“We were supposed to have the continuation sitting on the urgent motion on the vote of no confidence against the Minister of Finance, Planning and Investment, Minister of Housing Land and Public Utility and that of Cabinet Affairs,” Lupe said. “On Monday there was a sitting on the same matter and the motion was adopted and we were supposed to continue the sitting today but it was adjourned by the speaker simply because the quorum was not enough.”
The lawmaker said that Monday’s sitting could not proceed because after adopting the motion, some members went for a break and did not return forcing the House to push the sitting to Wednesday.
It was also reported that some MPs were against impeaching the ministers however Deputy Speaker Lupe it is not clear if Wednesday’s lack of quorum was spurred by this.
“On Monday, the number of the MPs present was 80, 10 were on leave and 5 were absent, which by would have allowed the session to continue by law,” he explained. “Even the legal advisor said the session can continue but some of the members protested and walked out after the short break. We were supposed to come back and sit after their protest but they did not turn back and this was how Monday’s sitting ended.”
Lupe said the House can vote on the motion in the days to come.