Speaker Calls For Parliamentary Top Leadership Over LOP Queries On Critical Issues

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa has called for a meeting of the top leadership of Parliament to discuss several issues raised by the Leader of Opposition, Rt Hon Joel Ssenyonyi where he claims he has been locked out from Parliament Commission meetings, where key decisions are made, but he is only brought on board last minute to moblise the Opposition members to attend some events.

 Tayebwa’s pronouncement followed a concern raised by Joel Ssenyonyi , who revealed that following numerous complaints of being sidelined in the activities of the regional sittings in Gulu City, the Speaker finally wrote to him, asking him to mobilize his members, but no details were given on what meeting he will be required to moblise the Opposition MPs to attend.

“As I got out of my office to come to plenary, I received a letter from the Office of the Speaker written today, maybe a few minutes before I could leave office informing me about the regional sittings and asking me, to rally members of the Opposition to come to the Regional Sittings which are going to happen in the different regions, beginning with beginning with the North, East, West and Central regions. I want to beseech you that we become better organized than this,” Revealed Ssenyonyi.

"We ask that we become better organized. The public has been putting Parliament onto a weighing scale and regarding these regional meetings they are saying, but wait a minute, you as Parliament, you sit here, are you not able to deliberate on matters that will be of great concern and impact to the North, East, West and Central? Do we have to move to those reasons and spend money? Those are the questions they are asking. How am I supposed to defend such, which I don’t have information about?" added Ssenyonyi.

“Why should I as Leader of the Opposition be asked to rally colleagues to come for a sitting, at the last minute, I don’t know the details about. As I have said before, can this matter be processed by the Business Committee? Can this matter be discussed by the Parliamentary Commission which discusses matters to do with finances because regional sittings come with a financial implication. Why are these matters being handled in small groups and some of us as leaders are left out?" asked Ssenyonyi.