By Bida Elly David
Speaker of South Sudan parliament has directed the specialized committee on security affairs to investigate an incidence where a lawmaker was harassed by military personnel in Juba.
Rt. Hon. Speaker, Jemma Nunu Kumba was prompted by report from a Member of the National Parliament who claimed to have been harassed by an officer in uniform at the entrance to Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.
The speaker, who condemned the act, urged the honorable members to observe ethics until the committee finishes investigating the matter and tables the findings to the August House.
“We know about this, and it will be solved. The security committee in the house should look into this matter and address it amicably with care and concerns,’’ Nunu said.
Hon. Ajak Abraham Beer, a lawmaker representing Jonglei state, testified that he was assaulted by security personnel upon entry to Dr. John Garang, despite him holding identification card of the national Assembly.
“I was recently harassed by a military officer as I was trying to access entry to Dr. John Garang Mausoleum. I tried to produce my Identity card as a lawmaker, but they did not value it instead abused,’’ he said.
The lawmaker lamented that it looks inhuman for military officers to undermine Members of parliament because of using poor means of transport.
Noting that as a part of the three pillars of the government, Members of Parliament deserve respect from the national army.
Hon. Ajak echoed that majority of legislatures suffer different kinds of assaults by military officers along the highways as well as diplomatic scopes.
However, Hon. Ajak did not clarify the occasion that led to his assault neither did he figure out the unit of the officers who subjected him into mockery.
Recently, parliamentarians slammed national traffic police against illegal collection of fees and levying charges on lawmakers and foreign drivers with no clear justification.
However, Lawmakers at the Transitional national legislative assembly(R-TNLA) were shocked on hearing the ugly subjection of their colleague to humiliation.
The House advocated for immediate intervention of the parliamentary administration into the matter.