Kumba should quit her governor’s position, women MPs say
February 16, 2010 (JUBA) – The apparent increase in human right violations in Western Equatoria has drawn a uniform voice of condemnation across all political spectra (s) as the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) on Tuesday gathered evidences over the harassment of 83 state citizens and pupils.
“The suffering our future children in the state and the murder of a senior politician last could as well signal the inability of this governor as she failed to investigate and bring the culprits to book, she said those who did atrocities last year could have been fire-squaded by now if they were apprehended,” Arop said
The Police harassed primary school children while demonstrating in the streets of Yambio on 21st January on Thursday over the denial of their incentives.
The state governor promised them 30 Sudanese pounds to be given to them at end of the celebration, but what she in turn told the president of the government of Southern Sudan according to Yambio MP Hon Alfred Barakat was that she had given 200 SDG each as an incentive for their entertainment.
When asked by investigators, she said she did not promise any money and it was the fault of the students to demonstrate.
The government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) allocated 66 millions of Sudanese pounds that were expenses of the occasion that commenced on 19th January this year.
The parliamentary sittings on last week Tuesday affirmed MPs saying that the “the removal of governor Kumba will be a relief to the state civil population who have long sought to discredit the unknown enemy in the state’s city of Yambio that concluded the abuse of raucous human right and it drifted to the state poor development that is inflicted by internal assailants and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
“Since she consolidated power, senior officials had been murdered and no one had been brought to book,” said Victoria.
One of the painful murders in Western Equatoria was the killing of Madam Mary Biringi last year said Hon Obur Gordon.
It has emerged that, the SPLA truck (Warar) driver accidentally almost knocking Governor’s motorcade and arrested, his body was found in the bush, until now there is investigation into his killing.
It was confirmed that, Governor’s car while going to inaugurate Aided project in Mundri smashed a pedestrian to death, the governor paid 150,000SDG and pleaded with the family of the deceased not expose incident. The accident happened between Maridi and Mambe (Faraksika)
She added that since then, there is no sufficient step by the state government to know what is actually taking place in Western Equatoria.
Victoria Arop who spoke earlier said that 25% women representation in southern Sudan was to women after they together with men waged a long liberation war. This was due to their active participation in the war and the remaining 75% was to men.
She added that “the women’s representation came from the efforts they exerted but if women are not performing their duties, they should not be kept safeguarding the 25% which is totally wrong. We must not take anybody from the state to fulfill the promised 25% because she has a PHD,” the MP added.
“This governor should leave her office sincerely,” said Victoria.
In related news, State controlled Pineapple News Update reported that, WES legislative Assembly in its sitting number 19 under the leadership of Rt. Hon speaker Richard Noti Runge unanimously came up with resolutions on Thursday 21 Jan. 2010 pupils riots in Yambio after CPA celebration.
The Director for Administration and finance Mr. Arckangelo Rabbi presented the report to the WESLA August house on Monday 15th February 2010 after they exhausted deliberation on the report of the security committee taking into account all the malpractices by the Commissioner of Police on the civilians.
The commissioner of Police said Abdel Lalifchol was found the source of the incidents who over looked the state authorities, and passed an order to beat the innocent school children.
He was accused of use of power on the civilians arrogantly and gave false statement to the army that, the school pupils has defeated the Police and they are advancing to burn the County Headquarters and State Guest House where the Governor of WES is residing. He gave order calling the SPLA soldiers to beat and shot life bullet on pupils and civilians in Yambio town.
The Speaker of WESLA disclosed that, the august house came up with the below resolutions based on the facts from the security committee set to investigate the riots which took place after the CPA celebration.
1. The august house strongly condemned the inhuman act.
2. The august house demanded the immediate Discipline by WES Government, Demotion and transfer of the commissioner of the police from WES.
However observers in Western Equatoria say that, the Governor influenced the assembly report, accusing the Police Commissioner who cannot take any decision of security without the consent of the Governor who is the chairperson security in the state.
Since the civil crackdown in January this year, Jemma Nunu has lost the support and popularity in Western Equatoria, above all among women, who use her support base.
Women from hai Kuzee in Yambio who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that, Jemma Nunu Kumba is not a mother, she ordered SPLA and Police to shot our children whom she enslaved for her fame during CPA, where were the soldiers to fight LRA who removed us from our farms.
As pressure is mounting on Jemma to leave her office before April Elections, she remains defiant to contest the elections.
Opinion polls conducted by community organization have given low rating to Kumba, while giving majority of support to SPLM Independent Joseph Bakosoro. The responses outline 7% to 86% with a margin error of 5% being retained by Awad Kisanga who is contesting on NCP ticket.
(ST)