Wau State accuses former governor of damaging state properties

October 10, 2016 (WAU) – Minister of Information, Communication, Sports and Culture in South Sudan’s newly created Wau state, Bona Gaudensio, has accused the former state government led by governor Rizik Zackaria Hassan, of damaging government’s residential buildings including the state house in Wau town.

Gaudensio told Sudan Tribune on Monday that the state house which was used by Rizik was badly damaged days after Rizik was transferred to a new Lol state as its governor. The minister also claimed that former Finance Minister, Lilian Valentino, has made similar destruction before he left the government building recently.

He said as a result of the damages, the newly appointed governor was unable to stay in the state house due to heavy damages and decided to stay in his own house in Wau.

“I surprised with some damages caused by the former governor and the former Finance [minister] Miss. Lilian Valentino,” he claimed, but could not clarify whether the damaged was intentional or not.

Bona, however, said the attitudes of the former officials were contrary to the ethics of the SPLM ruling party that such an appointed member to lead could do such destructions when his team came to an end.

“These are not our ethic in SPLM,” he said, adding that “the state government has formed a committee, technical committee from the ministry of Infrastructure to give a report on the level of the damages.”

The minister said the report will be submitted to the council of ministers and also will be submitted to security committee before referring the case to public attorney for legal procedures. The Minister said the damages including roofing and house furniture.

“The roofs had been damaged and also even floor had been damaged even some house furniture had been damaged…We cannot just be in hurry because we have got the serious damages, this is why we have formed technical committee and the technical committee will sit and give us the final report,” he explained.

“Those whom we found removing iron sheets from the roofs and damaging the floor in the house of the former Finance minister have been arrested and what we are waiting [for] is a final report from the committee to forward the case to legal procedure,” he said.

Sudan Tribune’s attempts to contact both Lol state governor, Rizik, and former Finance minister, Lilian Valentino, to comment on the allegations were unsuccessful.

(ST)