Lakes State parliament summons local government minister

RUMBEK – Lakes State’s Traditional Legislative Assembly has summoned the minister of local government and law enforcement agencies Chol Kuotwel Manhom to appear on Monday next week to address the use of social services poll tax collected and rampant insecurity within Lakes State and neighboring states.

The Speaker of the Revitalized Transitional Assembly in Lakes State, Agum Jacob Chagai, told Sudans Post on Wednesday that the August House, in a session Wednesday, decided to summon the minister.

“I would like to thank the media houses present here in today’s session of the Lakes State Revitalized Transitional Assembly in Rumbek,” she said.

“Today’s session is one of the best as members of the Lakes State Assembly have decided to summon the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency, Chol Kuotwel Manhom, to appear before the August House to answer some of the framed questions,” she added.

The top state parliamentarian said the members unanimously agreed to summon the minister to answer questions from the State MPs.

“The questions to answer before the State Assembly include how many people in the community have paid the poll taxes (hut-tax), how much has been collected by the chiefs, and how many people have not paid the poll taxes (hut-tax), and what caused some to pay and others not to,” she said.

According to Chagai, lawmakers have been tasked and agreed to prepare a comprehensive list of questions for the minister to answer on Monday. The minister, according to Chagai, should also be prepared to provide proper answers.

“If he (the Minister) is not ready, he has to inform us earlier, and if he is prepared, it’s also good to inform us so that the assembly members can make themselves available in the State Assembly,” she said.

“These are orders in Lakes State to ensure transparency and accountability, and this has been agreed upon. We want the truth this time, and if there are reasons people are not honest or not telling the truth, then the assembly has an oversight function to intervene and summon a person because we want people to tell the truth this year,” she added.

She emphasized the assembly’s role in guiding the future of Lakes State.

For his part, Manhom, said he has not yet received the summons document from the Assembly, “but I heard that.”