Hon. John Agany, Chairperson of Information Committee at the TNLA speaking to the Media after the launch of Strategic Plan 2021 - 2022 on Saturday 11th March 2022

The Chairperson of the Specialized Committee of Information in the National Legislature has criticized his colleague Deng Tong Kuol who donated his medical allowance to his community.

John Agany hails from the same area as lawmaker Tong.

On Tuesday, Tong, a national lawmaker representing Aweil North County in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, donated his 15,000 US dollar – medical allowance to flood-affected victims.

The medical allowances, approved by the parliament and disbursed by the finance ministry, have so far received mixed reactions from members of the public.

Some members of the public have commended the lawmaker for the gesture of generosity.

But Parliament spokesperson John Agany criticized the move saying generous Tong acted outside the August House business code of Conduct.

“He does not even know the conduct of business and he is by the way claiming to be a lawyer. I describe it as one way of blindfolding the public in his donation of the money.”

“If I were to take fifteen thousand US dollars and give it to my Payam which is constituted to be less than seventy thousand inhabitants, what help does it do to my people? Will it build a school? Will it build a road? Will it build even the Payam headquarters,” Agany asked.

The medical allowance was disbursed last week barely two months after the national legislature passed a SSP 1.4 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022/2023.