Members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) have voiced their concern about cabinet ministers dodging sessions of the parliament when they are asked to appear to respond to queries.
On Wednesday twelve ministers failed to appear before legislators to respond to matters regarding their dockets.
Those who did not appear include Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro, Federal Affairs Minister Lasuba Wango, East African Affairs Minister Deng Alor Kuol, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Parl Kuo, Justice Minister Ruben Madol Arol, National Security Minister Obote Mamur Mete, and Information Minister Michael Makuei.
The other no-shows were Public Service Minister Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, Gender, Child and Social Welfare Minister Ayaa Benjamin Warille, Humanitarian Affairs Minister Albino Akol Atak, and Youth and Sports Minister Albino Bol Dhieu.
Speaking during a parliamentary session Wednesday, John Agany Deng, the parliamentary spokesperson, described the ministers’ shunning of parliament as a sign of disrespect and disgrace to the assembly.
“Our national ministers who are supposed to be here, some of them are even MPs and are supposed to be in every parliamentary sitting but you will find only one,” he said. “I would like to let the house know that we are disgraced now and then by the executive, which is not good. I want to understand whether we should make our house strong or leave it to be weak.
“This house has resolved that in every sitting the designated minister must come and attend the sitting but they turn deaf ears,” Agany added.
He said Regulation 41 of the conduct of business regulations allows members of parliament to question ministers in the first hour of assembly proceedings and tasked the minister of parliamentary affairs, Mary Nawai Martin, to alert ministers to appear.
Meanwhile, Government Chief Whip Rebecca Joshua Okwaci said ministers should appear in parliament to answer matters related to their docket.
“We are aware and I experienced this as a former minister. When there is an issue of concern that falls under your ministry, you can also come and attend,” she said.
For her part, Mary Nawai Martin, the minister of parliamentary affairs, said she wrote a letter requesting the ministers concerned to attend parliamentary sittings on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
“Whenever I receive the agenda from the parliament, I also send it to the cabinet and also write informing them that there is a sitting and those who are supposed to attend on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday should go to parliament.”
The national assembly has repeatedly been urging ministers to show up in parliament.