When shall our legislators fight for their people?

When shall our legislators fight for their people?

By Opoka Christopher Arop

South Sudan parliament says “low pay” affecting army’s performance; South Sudan instructs oil companies to resume production; South Sudan parliament’s first sitting fails over internal power wrangling; S. Sudan parliament delays passing of security bills; South Sudan parliament approves new cabinet amid reservations; South Sudan parliament reacts to rebel Athor’s death; South Sudan parliament approves SSP 11.3bn budget; S. Sudan: Billions lost in fake contracts, inflated payrolls; Upper Nile governor denies dividing people over creation of city council;“Never surrender” parliamentary speaker tells South Sudan.

Wonder no more. These are just some of the headlines that made news bulletins over the years when something was happening in the national legislative assembly. There was once a headline about the parliament being ‘fully’ packed when legislators were to discuss issues related to South Sudan’s position on the issue of our divorce from the Sudan. For all obvious reasons, it was a wonderful spectre and it gave me that hope in our legislators, that after all they were not the fat pigs, I had always imagined them to be. The air-conditioning worked that day, the President present, and his Vice made wonderful speech as always, with side-kick James Wani Iga in his ever deputising role.

It was a joyful day indeed. Opposition leader Dr. Lam made a definitive stand about the frailties of what South Sudan was to find ahead. Dr. Lam spoke about the fate of the contested areas, albeit at a time when many politicians were enjoying the rewards of a likely independence and thus rightly or otherwise too emassed into the politics of fattening pockets to care less about pressing national issues. Can you blame them at that time of all times? It was a time of eat, keep silent or get the presidential boot behind your something!

Enough with the news headlines and what many things have happened in our highest land for making laws. I have written the later with stern reservations. I have had less reason to write about any of the legislative assemblies that I have baptized as the best WHITE ELEPHANTS of our time. These supposed representatives have done nothing more than line their pockets and build mansions, send their children abroad, fail to improve roads to their home towns, let alone their villages.

In Uganda, when an MP fails to tarmac or at the very least grade the road leading to his village, about 5 kilometre long; his fate is worse than the market dog come the next elections. In South Sudan, these legislators of all creeds are simply measured by international standards, and may be for the less fortunate; the barometer may be lowered to a regional level. They must have a house or two in Kampala, ensure scholarship to about 30 students in East African universities, play his cards well and get 5 students to Malaysian Universities, irrespective of if they study or graduate.

Then you have the class of the top 75 senior government officials. Those are in a league of extra-ordinary legislators. They talk expensive. Smoking Dunhill to the hills! They talk of exotic hotels. Some of them have really pretty girlfriends the age of their grand-daughters. Am happy, I haven’t had the horror, of any of them mentioning Shenzhen on their filthy lips!

To you these legislators, and we just seem to have too many of them, are our worst disappointment. Even the few, I respect and consider to be diligent and want to serve their people; they haven’t done enough to standout. The ones that have stood out, have most times become rebels, or been baptized rebels. The others simply accept the option of resigning to the handout of corruption benefits abroad as ambassadors without portfolios. The less fortunate ones remain sitting under trees sipping hot tea, but making some splendid kick-backs on government contracts and maintain some gleam of hope for a political come-back like some of our aging footballers and athletes who resurrected soon after independence, only to cough their lungs out during training drills!

I am still awaiting the day our politicians will learn from the Kenyans and Ugandans who have exchanged more blows than passed bills year-in year-out. This is not because Uganda and Kenya are not progressive, if anything, we are at the bottom of the bottom. And yet we dress in suits in our offices, pretending to be gentlemen. We all know what our politicians and legislators are best at. They are all murderous brutes, directly or indirectly. They may not have killed anybody, but with their silence and indignation, they inevitably have blood in their hands. This is not rocket science! If you are the village council, and five people are killed over night at your watch and you fail to investigate and convict the killers, and instead dine with them soon after; your hands are in fact much more bloody than the actual killers.

We should stop pretending to be honest people once we are in office, only to do exactly what the people we accused were doing. Nest August House, I want some few things before I can write a single positive story about our legislators of every epoch. I WANT A FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE. Is this too much to ask in this world of ours where taking a life is as easy as sneezing outof a public service van? First hundreds were killed in December last year, and the citizens didn’t get any explanation from legislators. Then it continued in January, and legislators went about their chats in parliament business as usual. The Cecilia Oba and her office manager and police investigations have since gone cold without any serious arrests. The David Tongun, a brilliant lawyer with a stunning future, with future in which he could have fought for his people and for this country with his intellect, all dashed!

There are too many reasons for our legislators to visit boxing gyms and start practicing. Instead of visiting a pub, please buy some boxing gloves or make use of our Korean friends and learn some martial arts or talk to some of the Mexicans that frequent our night clubs and learn some kapuerra! Kenyans are fighting against a bad security legislation which that feel will turn Kenya into a police state! You can fight for something even better. You can fight for the people who have already been killed brutally! You can help those who lost loved once to rest their conscience and get some sleep at last that they have a MAN OF THE PEOPLE!