Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba has clarified that it is the responsibility of lawmakers to initiate discussions on national issues aafter the Assembly was criticised for focusing on foreign reports.
Her remarks follow comments by Atem Garang, an SPLM MP representing Twic East and Duk constituency in Jonglei State, who criticized the Assembly’s focus on external affairs.
Garang had stated that since assembly reopened last month, lawmakers have been discussing international reports instead of the concerns over insecurity, economic hardship, and worsening humanitarian conditions.
“The third observation is that all the reports we are doing these days are all external; there are none internal. No delegation has gone to any state to see the impact of floods or insecurity. So, I want you, Madam Speaker, to send teams to our states also, so they can come and report as we are reporting on issues which might not help the economics of our country,” he demanded.
In two sittings last week, the MPs reviewed reports from the 2025 Regional Innovative Stakeholders Forum in Nairobi, the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office, and an official visit to Pakistan presented by Kom Kom Geng.
The House also listened to a report on the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, presented by Gabriel Guot Guot.
Last week, a member requested the summoning of the Minister of Finance and Planning and the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan over the ongoing liquidity crisis that has left public servants unpaid.
On Monday, another MP called for the summoning of the Ministers of Defense, Interior, and National Security to explain an alleged attack by Ugandan forces on civilians in Kajo-Keji, Central Equatoria State.
In response, Speaker Kumba said that Members of Parliament are not restricted from traveling to their states to assess challenges such as floods, insecurity, and the worsening humanitarian situation, and bringing those findings back to the House.
“For the committees, and you are talking about the situation in the country, the floods. Honestly, we have specialized committees in this parliament, if it has to do with the humanitarian issue, we have a committee, and also there’s a committee on education and everything.
So, nobody is preventing members of parliament from going to the states and looking at the issues and reporting to parliament. So, the program and plans have to come from you,” she said.
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