By Bosco Bush
A Member of Parliament representing Central Equatoria State at the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has called for a comprehensive audit of the parliament’s accounts and operations.
Hon. Benjamin Anyang raised the issue during Tuesday’s ordinary session, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and transparency within the National Assembly.
In his remarks, Anyang pointed out that the parliament has been functioning in a state of obscurity, lacking proper oversight since its reconstitution.
“Our house is not in order, we need to put our house in order. The parliament is operating in the darkness, we don’t know what is going on in the parliament and we are the representative of the people, and people deserve to know what we’re doing and deserve better,” he stated.
He further stated that the parliament has never undergone an audit since its formation, underlining the necessity for an independent inspection.
“I’m calling for the parliament to be audited. Since the reconstitution of this parliament, it has never been audited,” Anyang insisted.
In response, Speaker Jemma Nunu acknowledged Anyang’s concerns and provided clarification on the current auditing processes.
She assured the assembly that the accounts of the parliament are audited monthly by officials from the Auditor Chamber present in the house.
“The staff from the Auditor Chamber are here in Parliament, they do here auditing every month in the Parliament how the money which is sent here is spent, and then the general auditing is the work of the Auditor General,” Nunu explained
She also expressed openness to further scrutiny of the National Legislative Assembly’s finances.
“Our books are open for auditing at any time,” she added.
The National Audit Chamber serves as the Supreme Audit Institution and is mandated to conduct financial, compliance, performance, and specialized audits, as well as investigations, in accordance with the Southern Sudan Audit Chamber Act of 2011.