Marko Nyoro Abal
Members of the South Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) at the Western Bahr el Ghazal State Legislative Assembly staged a boycott of the assembly sitting on Tuesday. This protest was triggered by the decision to suspend Raja County Commissioner Anddison Arkanjelo Musa Albino, who failed to appear before the Assembly Business Conduct (ABC) after being summoned three times to provide details on the utilization of gold production outcomes in Raja County.
Assembly Minority Chief Whip Salah Salim Ismail stated that the boycott was a response to the assembly’s decision to summon the commissioner.
He emphasized that the summons were intended for the commissioner to appear before the ABC, not the full assembly, and that the request reached the commissioner while he was away from the county headquarters.
Ismail pointed out that a subsequent summons arrived on Friday, and the following day, a tragic incident occurred in the Dulu area where five individuals died during mining operations. This situation, according to Ismail, should have been considered before proceeding with the commissioner’s suspension.
He further elaborated that the commissioner had expressed his intention to appear before the assembly but was preoccupied with forming an investigation committee regarding the Dulu incident.
Ismail requested the assembly to grant the commissioner an extension of 1 to 2 weeks to prepare for his appearance and present a comprehensive briefing. Unfortunately, this request was denied by the assembly members.
According to documents obtained by Voice of Hope Radio, the commissioner was summoned three times by the ABC to provide insights on the gold production outcomes in Raja County. His failure to comply with the summons led to the assembly’s decision to suspend him after a fourth failure to appear.