Malual Tap Dieu, the Minister of Finance in Unity State - Credit: Press Unity - Office of the Governor of Unity State

A member of parliament is calling for the removal of the First Undersecretary of the National Ministry of Finance and Planning from the state ministerial position.

Manasseh Magok Rundial has questioned why Unity’s Finance Minister was not relieved from his state position during his appointment to the national ministry.

Last week, President Salva Kiir appointed Malual Tap Dhieu as the new First Undersecretary of the Finance and Planning Ministry, replacing Kuol Daniel Ayulo.

But the decree appointing Tap Dhieu did not mention he was relieved from his position as state Minister of Finance.

Neither has Tap Dhieu officially come out to relinquish his state post.

According to Lawmaker, the elevated finance official is now enjoying two positions -both at the state and national ministries.

He warns this will bring implications to the state’s finance ministry as the dual roles may lead to divided attention and conflicting interests.

“The Minister of Finance in Unity state was promoted to be the First Undersecretary in the National Ministry of Finance and Planning and when he was taken in to be decreed there was nothing which was mentioned about his removable,” said Hon. Magok.

“He is not removed, he is now enjoying two positions the state and the national ministry and we have a lot of questions about the people’s concerns in the Unity State,” he said.

“The community and MPs representing the people have to write this as a motion, we have to put in writing all these MPs will have to help us in handling it.”

Responding to the matter, the national parliament Speaker Jemma Nunu cited the law, saying no individual is allowed to hold two positions at different levels of government.

He recommends that the state governor speak to the President to relieve the technocrat from the state government.

“Legally no individual is allowed to hold two positions at different levels of the government, not even at the same level of the government,”

“It’s very clear if you are in the state and you come to the national government automatically you relinquish the post in the state as you move to the national,” she said.

“One should just be handled automatically by the Governor of the respective state, now the official has been appointed to the national government automatically the governor should recommend to His. Excellency the President to relieve that individual.”