Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Some members of the national parliament raked in handsome amounts of cash in allowances – at the recently held East African Inter-Parliamentary Games that was staged in Juba last December.
Amid controversy over the status of payments, City Review has established that the rule book allows the allocation of handsome amounts of money for lawmakers to compete with their colleagues in the EAC bloc, whenever the games are held.
The appropriation of close to one billion pounds, a staggering amount, took a structured approach, even though it was riddled with controversies over payments—like what was recently witnessed when some lawmakers questioned the expenditure.
City Review has established that more than $1.5 million was spent as per the budget request placed by the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly which is in our possession.
In a letter dated November 10, 2022, the local organising committee through the finance subcommittee requested Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba, to approve an overall sum of $1,594,073 (SSP 988,320,266) for the games.
This request was made on the budget list that was given to her.
This figure was broken down as follows. A total sum of $180,000 was to be paid to a lawmaker -Deng Tong. The committee did not specify the reasons for the payment. A sum of $38,170 was to be paid for a trip to Nairobi; $500,000 was to be paid to Somere 4S for security services, $400,000 was to be spent on sports equipment, $412,903 was to be paid for incentives, and $63,000 was to be paid to a golf resort.
In 2021, the government provided the delegation from R-TNLA with $439,270 (the equivalent of SSP184, 153,361) to cover travel expenses and lodging when they were in Arusha, Tanzania, for the games.
One of the parliamentarians who took part in the competition claimed that seven committees were established and that each received $2,000 to manage its operations.
The lawmaker, who wished to remain anonymous, further said that the hosting nation grants MPs who are participating in the games, an allowance of $10,000 for the duration of the games; parliamentary staff members receive half of what the lawmakers get while non-participating MPs receive $2,500 allowances.
Our source further claimed that each player receives a daily wage of $500 when the games are played outside the country; staff earns $3,500.
The City Review could not independently ascertain these claims.
Paul Yaone, who oversaw the subcommittee of media and publicity, told City Review that funds were given to various committees and subcommittees.
“For example, my subcommittee received media attention, and I spent S$6 million to support the subcommittee’s activities.”The media coverage, the banners, the hiring of microphones, and also the hiring of some of the video cameras and talk shows in varieties of radio stations plus our own SSBC radio and TV,” he recalled.
“Meeting all those super spaces in the media, this 6 million plus is the amount I can talk about, and I can testify that I received equivalent to nine thousand, possibly two hundred.”
“This is the amount I have received; the others can speak for themselves, and probably my subcommittee is the least paid on the list.” I was asking for more money, but then I was told you should continue with this one,” he told The City Review in an interview.
According to Yaone, each sport had its own committee in addition to other committees like the health committee, security committee, and committee in charge of the initial game day.
The primary goal of the EAC inter-parliamentary games, which included basketball, football, athletics, netball, volleyball, tug-of-war, and many more sports, that were played last year was to encourage diplomatic cooperation between regional parliamentarians.
Rough expenditure in EAC inter-parliamentary games
$180,000 paid to Deng Tong
$38,170 covered trip to Nairobi
$500,000 paid to Somere 4S for security services
$400,000 spent on sports equipment
$412,903 paid for incentives
$63,000 paid to a golf resort.
$2,500 was to be paid to non-participating MPs
$500 is supposed be paid to MPs daily ($5,000 per month)
$3,500 is supposed to be paid to staff same period.
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