By Philip Buda Ladu
The Kajo-Keji County Commissioner and two cabinet ministers of Central Equatoria State government are set to appear before lawmakers at the State Transitional Legislative Assembly (STLA) on Wednesday (today) to answer questions on persistent illegal logging in Kajo-Keji.
The Central Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly (STLA) summoned the State Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Minister of Local Government and law Enforcement Agency, and Kajo-Keji County Commissioner.
The three officials are demanded to provide answers to the parliamentarians on questions concerning the alarming unpleasant security situation and the state of forest logging in Kajo-Keji County.
The summon came following an urgent motion moved to the State Legislative Assembly about two weeks back by Mila Amos Peter, a lawmaker representing Kajo-Keji County and signed by 10 other MPs from Kajo-Keji.
The lawmakers resolved for the appearance of the 2 ministers and Commissioner of Kajo-Keji County to provide answers to the house on the serious concerns raised. The MPs also recommended for the formation of a parliamentary committee to go to the grassroots and investigate the issue further.
James Modi Lomindi, the Chairperson of Information, Culture Youth and Sports at the STLA told reporters previously that the assembly has seen as a concern that it is necessary that the two ministers and the County Commissioner come to answer why there is issuance of permits given to these companies and yet orders have been made and they are continuing to cut down the forest.
Lomindi said the two ministers and the county Commissioner were supposed to appear at the State assembly on Monday last week but the passing of the State government’s fiscal budget overshadowed it, as they have to pass the budget.
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However, on Tuesday the State assembly spokesperson confirmed to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper that the sitting for the summon of the State officials has been rescheduled for Wednesday morning as lack of fuel to run power generator at the assembly affected the sitting to happen as planned.
“The sitting will be tomorrow (Wednesday), the agenda is the summon of the Ministers and Commissioner, it’s going to be there at 10 O’clock tomorrow,” Lomindi confirmed, “It didn’t materialize yesterday (Monday), yesterday there was no fuel for the Generator to provide electricity for the sitting,” he added.
Lomindi said the summoned State Constitutional post holders are ready, they were informed but yesterday when the (MPs) went to the parliament and found no fuel for the generator, the sitting was postponed for Wednesday and the officials were informed of the changes.
Logging business has been ongoing in Kajo-Keji during the recent armed conflict. It expanded and increased in scale worse than ever known in the history of deforestation in South Sudan. The scenario has continued consistently amid executive orders even after the formation of the RTGoNU.