Tororo Women Member of Parliament Sarah Opendi has asked the Speaker of the 11th Parliament Rt Hon Anita Among to deal with corruption tendencies within the August House in honour of the fallen former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
The former State Minister for Mineral Development made her request on Tuesday during a special sitting where legislators paid their last respects for the late Oulanyah.
Opendi revealed that fighting corruption within the Parliament was among the first tasks the deceased was planning to start with.
“When he won the Speakership race, I went to his office to congratulate him, we had a long chat and he told me ‘I have cases of corruption here, there are people receiving money on behalf of members of Parliament, this is tarnishing the image of this Parliament.’ He had hoped that he would find time and deal with this challenge as an institution, unfortunately, it was not done. Honourable colleagues, let us ensure if we are seriously mourning and eulogizing the late, lets us deal with this cancer called corruption first as an institution and then outside.”
It must be recalled that last year in September, Oulanyah ordered all committees of Parliament to stop holding inquiry sessions with government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) outside the precincts of Parliament, saying it was a breeding ground for corruption. He also instructed all committee chairpersons and leadership at the House to avoid conference hall meetings funded by MDAs.
“No MDA shall finance the activities of committees of Parliament because doing so will end up undermining the independence and authority of this institution. This House has leadership that is known. The leadership of Finance [or any other MDA] does not give you [committee chairpersons] authority or direct you to go anywhere. I am the one who does or the Deputy Speaker. So if you make secret arrangements with the Ministry of Finance that you just get out without my knowledge, then that becomes a big problem. They cannot write to you directly. That would be bad manners. So just follow the procedure,” the late Oulanyah said.
He then directed; “The Ministry of Finance must write to the Speaker seeking the release of these members and also state in this letter that we are preparing some money for transport, accommodation or whatever you are trying to arrange. It is up to me to assess whether I have the funds to facilitate the chairpersons and my members from my budget as Parliament, then I decline your money, I will facilitate my members.”
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