STATEMENT ON THE VIOLATION OF REVITALIZED AGREEMENT IN LAKES STATE BY THE GOVERNOR

 

By Juol Nhomngek Gec, nominated MP representing Cueibet County Lakes State

 

We have received the information from Lakes State that Honourable Governor, Makur Kulang has unilaterally appointed Director , Generals in all 17 Ministries without consultation with the parties to the Revitalized Agreement.

Such unilateral actions amounts to violation of the Revitalized Agreement. Appointing the Director Generals in all Ministerires including the Ministeries of the SPLM-IO and other parties is a violation of the Revitalized Agreement.

The Governor violated the principle of collegial relationship which requires that the parties to the Revitalized Agreement must consult when it comes to the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement.

We, the members of the SPLM-IO from Lakes State have not recognized the decision of the Governor to appoint Director Generals without consulting the head of the SPLM-IO in the State.

We have Honourable Deputy Governor Poth Madit who is the head of the SPLM-IO in Lakes State and the Ministers who he would have consulted before appointing the Director Generals in the Ministries of the SPLM-IO and other parties.

This, we condemn such unilateral actions and we demand for the Honourable Governor to reverse the decision with immediate effect.
It is not a matter of pleading but it is something to do with substantive implementation of the Agreement, which affects the welfare of our citizens in Lakes State.

For the sake our citizens and the need to implement the Agreement in Letter and Spirit, we demand that the Honourable Governor reverse the decision and call all parties for consultation except the Ministries allocated for the SPLM-IG.

It is our demand that the SPLM-IO must have the Director Generals from the SPLM-IO in its Ministeries so that they support the Agenda of REFORMS by the SPLM-IO. This is because the Director General is a technical person that is ready to help the Minister where necessary.

As we have heard of what is happening in different States of South Sudan, some of the Governors appointed by the SPLM-IG are not ready to work with the members of the SPLM-IO in the Government. They have to know that the SPLM-IO has come to stay and it is not a choice whether to work with its members or not.

The SPLM-IG ought to advise their Governor in Lakes State so that he does his work as the Governor who is the head of Lakes State but not as a head of Political Party working to frustrate the work of the SPLM-IO.

We are also disturbed by the fact that the Governor is deliberately denying our Ministers and other SPLM-IO officials some vital services that they need to facilitate their works.

The Government cars are all under the control of the Honorable Governor. But up to now, no one knows exactly the whereabout of those cars that were recalled to the headquarters from the defunct three States.

As I am very much aware of one fact, one official from one of the former defunct States has already handed over seven cars those cars are with the Governor either in his house in Rumbek or her in Juba.

In addition, the Governor is not willing to avail services to all the Ministers not because that there is nothing but those things that would have been used in giving them services are being denied by the Governor.

Since the Ministers and other officials were sworn in and took the office, they had never been given some services not being briefed by the Governor in the Policy of the R-TGONU as the head of the State Government. He has never briefed them on the policy of the Government and what he expects from them at the end of three year or so.

Almost all the Ministers and other Government Officials are footing now not because they Government does not have cars but the cars are with the Governor who is keeping them somewhere.

Those cars that were collected from the three defunct States are Government property which are supposed to be given to the officials who are working in the Government for the effective government services.

.Besides, the Governor has never gone to the office for work as head of the Government since he went back to swear in the Government Officials. Though he sometimes goes to the office, he only spends about five minutes or so under the tree and returns to his house after that.

Even if he misled the whole world that he has given responsibility to his Deputy but he did not give the Deputy the necessary services he needs to run the state. Sadly enough, all taxes from the businesses are collected and directly taken to his house in cartons full of money.

There is no Lakes State account currently as the State revenues collected from the businesses directly go to his house. For that reason, the Government business has now come to stand still and the public should know that the lack of services is not that the government is not working but it is that the head of the State Government who is the Governor is not helping the Government Officials in the State to do their work.

In fact the appointment of the Director Generals in all 17 Ministeries has nothing to do with merits and giving services to fhe people of Lakes State but it is because the Goveror wants those Director Generals to control the resources for him.

In summary, the President of South Sudan and the SPLM-IG should be aware of the violation of the Agreement going on in Aweil and Lakes State. They should talk to Hon. Governor Makur Kulang to reverse the decision before we decide for the next step we are going to take to make sure that the Agreement is respected.

We need our people to have access to more services given by the Government.

NB//: this statement is made on behalf of the SPLM-IO Lakes State members. It is made by the SPLM-IO news desk. For more information please reach us on: Tel +21192#772165 and email Nhomngekjuol@gmail.com.

Copy to:

1. The office of the President of the Republic of South Sudan.

2. To the office of the First Vice President and the Chairman of the SPLM-IO
2. To the offices of the other Vice Presidents of the Republic of South Sudan.
3. To the Office of the Cabinet and Parliament Affairs.
4. To the NSS.
5. To the GAD Representative: