The Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi Urges MPs to Avoid Tribalizing Regional Parliament Discussions

The Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi has asked the angry MPs from Northern Uganda to desist from tribalizing the issue of regional Parliament.

He was responding to attacks by a section of the members of parliament from northern Uganda.

On Tuesday a section of legislators from Northern Uganda lashed out at the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Mr. Joel Ssenyonyi who described Parliament’s move to hold regional Parliamentary sittings as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

In a presser held at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, the legislators claimed Mr. Ssenyonyi’s decision to allegedly demobilize MPs against attending the regional sittings was premised on biased opinions aimed at drawing ‘media clout’.

Ssenyonyi however said in response that if they were interested in fighting poverty in their region, they would back proposals to have the Shs5Bn to be spent on this meeting to be used to improve services, other than having all that money spent on a meetings.

“We are opposed to the regional seating in the north, in the west, in the east, in central, in all the regions. What we are saying is, we can have our seating here in our plenary and deliver it to Northern Uganda. Because Northern Uganda has got good representatives here who can speak on behalf of their people and their concerns there.” Ssenyonyi adds.

He said that it’s is unfortunate that some of members of parliament in Parliament have decided to trivialize this matter and make it as if it is a personal issue.

“ I’m told some of them have said even the LOP’s office has got a budget. Yes, of course, the LOP’s office has got several staff, it has got departments, each party, political party in the opposition is represented here with a whip who has got an office, who has got staff in the office. You know, that’s the entire office of the leader of the opposition. So it’s not like a personal kind of entity.”