Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of the National Parliament during innaguartion of parliament by President Salva Kiir on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - Credit: Office of the President

The Speaker of the National Parliament has called for Cabinet Ministers who failed to attend Parliamentary Summons last year to appear for questioning.

Jemma Nunu Kumba appeals for cooperation between the executive and legislative bodies of the government.

Speaker Nunu says it is only through cooperation between the two bodies that the government can fulfil its constitutional obligations to provide service for the country.

“On a similar note, permit me also to say a word of appreciation and gratitude to the Hon. Ministers in the executive arm of our government who during the last year’s two sessions, fully cooperated with parliament and readily complied with its summons,” Nunu made the remarks during the reopening of the Parliament in Juba on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.

“I appeal to those Hon. Ministers who could not make it to appear before the August House for one reason or another and shed light on certain pertinent issues of concerns to expeditiously do so during this session,” she said.

“It is only by doing that both the executive and the legislative bodies of our government could satisfactorily fulfil their respective constitutional obligations in service of the citizens of this county”.

In October last year, members of the national parliament were angered by the failure of some ministers to honour invitations to the House to answer questions on the security situation.

The summoned officials were the ministers of Defense, National Security, Foreign Affairs, Presidential Affairs, the Governor of Central Equatoria State, and Members of the Border Committee.

They were to account for increasing cases of child abductions, inter-communal violence across the country, and border tensions in Kajo-Keji County along the South Sudan-Uganda border.

However, only the Minister of Interior Angelina Teny, Jonglei State Governor Denay Jock Chagor, and Pibor Chief Administrator Lokole Ame Bullen appeared before the August House.