By Yang Ater
Revitalized Traditional Legislative Assembly in Lakes State has summoned the Minister of Local Government, Chol Kuotwel Manhom to appear before the house on Monday next week.
The assembly wants the minister to answer questions about the collection and use of social services poll tax (hut-tax), as well as the rampant insecurity within Lakes State and across the bordering states.
State Speaker, Agum Jacob Chagai, told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Wednesday that the assembly decided to summon the Minister to answer the pressing issues,
“Members of the Lakes State Assembly have unanimously agreed to summon the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency, Chol Kuotwel Manhom, to appear before the assembly and answer some pressing questions,” she said.
The speaker said the assembly members want the minister to answer questions on how many people in the community have paid the poll tax (hut-tax), how much has been collected by the chiefs, how many people have not paid the tax, and what caused some to pay and others not to pay.
Madam Chagai said lawmakers have prepared all the questions for the minister to answer.
She added that the minister should also get prepared to provide proper answers for these questions.
“These are orders in Lakes State to make sure that there is transparency and accountability, and this has been agreed,” speaker Chagai said.
“We want the truth this time, and if there are reasons people are not honest or not telling the truth, then the assembly has an oversight function to intervene and summon a person because we want people to tell the truth this year.”
However, the Minister of Local Government, Law, and Enforcement Agency, Chol Kuotwel Manhom, said he has not yet received the summon document from the assembly, “but I heard about it.”