Keji Janefer
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. After fuming over their failure to bag the funds to facilitate visits to constituencies, the lawmakers at the national parliament have cut short their demands for a compromise.
On Monday, the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislature (TNLA), Jemma Nunu Kumba, declared a recess for the MPs, but the reprieve came with no Constituency Development Fund (CDF), a fund meant for community development projects.
This triggered a backlash from a section of lawmakers who took the time to accept the reality that no funds would be forthcoming.
Nelson Uthou Ungang, who is from Lafon County in Eastern Equatoria State, said he would be happy to return to his village after a 10-year absence.
Ungang said he would have a fantastic opportunity to share his opinions with the community, whether they get the CDF or not.
The lawmaker said the lack of road connection between the county and the state capital, Torit, and Juba City has cut off the community since 2005, which affects service delivery to the population.
Ungang lamented that the majority of the youngsters in the area are not in school, and his first objective would be to mobilise the community to send their children to school.
“We are going to make this our number one priority, but we know the number one challenge that they are facing is the road, and that road is a big plan that needs to be done and that has to come when we have the CDF fund.”
“This is the area that does not have a secondary school in the whole of Eastern Equatoria State,” he said, as he recalled that the school only produced five primary eight candidates last year.
Anok Alier, another lawmaker from Awerial County in Lakes State, said he was willing to take a break even without CDF because it is important to his community.
He said his county lacks a health unit, a road network, schools, and access to clean drinking water, adding that finding a solution without CDF funding still remains the toughest thing to do.
“I talk about health because, [even with the] maternity care in Awerial, three out of 10 women die during labour,” Alier said, “That means there is low maternity care in Awerial, though there are some house call PCCs that have no drugs even.”
Meanwhile, a lawmaker from Cubiet North County, Daniel Juol Nhonmgek, also expressed his readiness to take a break.
He listed health as his community’s immediate need, followed by security and the welfare of young people, the effects of flooding, and roads.
“If there is no money for recess, I will still go, but I will not be able to do what I should have done if there was that money to move around because money can facilitate. “The first priority is to go during this period to make an assessment to find out exactly what the immediate needs of the people on the ground are.”
“You cannot go with your agenda without knowing the needs of those people on the ground, because the people will be the ones to transform or inform your decision of what to do. “However, I have some knowledge because I went to Cubiet in August this year, and one of the immediate needs is the health sector,” said Nhonmgek.
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of States are entitled to take a break during the parliamentary year.
The recess often gives the legislators time to perform other responsibilities and interact with the people in their respective constituencies.
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