By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The Transitional Legislative Assembly in Eastern Equatoria State has impeached the Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs.
Minister Joseph Opio Wilson Okullo was charged for a criminal act and suddenly impeached by the lawmakers.
In an exclusive interview with this outlet on Wednesday, John Elia Ahaji, the state Minister of Information, said the impeached minister was in contradiction with the law.
“The Government of Eastern Equatoria State wishes to notify the foreign missions/embassies, government institutions, private institutions, and the general public that Joseph Opio Wilson Okullo was impeached by the Eastern Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly and subsequently relieved of his duties as the state minister of parliamentary and legal affairs in the year 2023,” Elia announced.
The information minister cautioned the public to cease dealing with the impeached official.
“The former minister continuously moves from office to office, sitting there, noting that he is still a state minister of Eastern Equatoria, writing statements in the name of the Eastern Equatoria government, and acting as if he is a minister in the Eastern Equatoria government,” he said.
Elia refuted that this act has no official right to represent in EES because the current position had been replaced by Prof. Peter Gumbo, who is serving as the current state minister of parliamentary and legal affairs.
He claimed that Opio is a complete liar who keeps on misleading the various institutions.
“So, we are actually sending this document to the public to inform them and to caution them not to interact with that individual,” he noted.
However, on December 28, 2022, the former minister was once impeached over corruption allegations by members of parliament in Eastern Equatoria State.