By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
The Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba has questioned some members of the TNLA over use of social media in passing out speculative information in tarnishing the image of the TNLA leadership.
Speaker Nunu issued the statement during the reopening of the parliament yesterday after a three-month recess.
“On this note, I wish to urge some MPs to refrain from spreading unfounded allegations on social media against the R-TNLA leadership as this is only unnecessarily tarnishing Parliament’s image of which they are part,” she said.
“Should any MP have concerns, the right and best platform to table them is here before Parliament, not on the unaccountable social media platforms,” Nunu stressed.
Meanwhile, Juol Nhomngek Daniel, an opposition MP representing Cueibet County at the national parliament under the SPLM-IO ticket who is a vocal social, media critic of Nunu’s leadership has watered-down her appeal in a rebuttal.
He said they will continue to feed the public through social media until the speaker tackles the issue that takes them to the social media.
“Speaker is lying, we will still go on with social media unless she addresses the issues that take us to social media,” it reads.
“Let me inform you that the parliament must operate according to laws and regulations. This means doing things according to the law.”
Juol further added that they want to see that laws are followed by the parliament in letter and spirit.
Lawmaker Juol also stated that Articles 77 and 67 together with 24 of the constitution gives freedom to use any medium of communication to pass out any information to the public when the official media is used as channel for misleading the public.
“We can not stop the social media until the proceedings of the parliament are conducted live and the public is able to follow the proceedings,” he stressed.
“The SSBC has been turned into place where individual leaders fail in their works but present themselves to the public as angels,” he cited.
The opposition legislator further vowed that they as members of the opposition have due duty to inform the public about the truth, unless leaders in the parliament learn to be transparent and help the citizens.