Fire states governors residing in Juba
By Riak Maker Mading
Your Excellency President of the Republic of South Sudan,
I trust this piece finds you doing well and hearty.
The purpose of writing this piece is to draw your attention to a couple of issues for your information and consideration. This writer took inspiration from your own words when you were addressing three-day induction workshop organized for the interim state chairpersons of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in October 2016.
According to the News referenced published by Juba Monitor Newspaper dated Tuesday, October 25, 2016, vol.6 issue No.897 where you warned governors of wasting resources in the hotels in Juba.This is what his excellency president of the Republic said two years ago. “All of you (governors), you do come to Juba and put up in the hotels for months; using the state resources for hotel bills. I don’t want this thing to continue. If you want to come to Juba, ask permission from there. If I permit you then you come. If I don’t permit you, and you come without being given that green light to come, then you are my problem.
You cannot administer people in your absence. People can best be administered from close presence of the administrators. If you want to be very successful, stay with your people in the state and the bad things will be corrected.The challenges can be solved if you and the people work together. These challenging times need people who can work. If we work together with one mind, one way, one heart, we can overcome all the problems that we are facing.” These words are still fresh back in our mind.
I could remember well when the head of state made those remarks, some of these incumbent governors were in that three-day induction workshop organized for the interim state chairpersons of SPLM.To be frank, Your Excellence, some these governor staying in the expensive Hotels in Juba are not only failing your administration but inciting people of their respective states against you. Most of these governors have been running states activities in Juba.To prove my argument, watch out SSBC Television news. I was invited last week by one of my friends to visit his uncle the governor of………….state who is staying in an expensive hotel in Juba. When two of us arrived at Hotel we also found another state governor residing in the same premises. I was informed these two (2) governors have been in Hotel since December 2016.
Your Excellency, I am particularly displeased about how the 32 states were been governed by these governors. I discovered that the main reason is that some of these governors you appointed to run these states are not fit to handle the roles and responsibilities you assigned to them.
Indeed the President of the Republic has been granted powers under Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011 especially article 101 to do a proper background check on people he intends to appoint to his administration. Though his Excellency president Salva Kiir surrounded by partisan force, I think there are very experienced and qualified persons in SPLM-party leadership.
The president shouldn’t be misled by those who sing praises and chant in his name, “Salva Kiir Oyeei”! “Salva Kiir Oyeei”! It is opposite.
This writer is fully aware that there are people within SPLM who love the party and will always defend it irrespective of who emerges as the leader. Do not be surprised when people who are enjoying your leadership eventually turn against you in future. At least history has revealed that. I can give you typical example, your own comrades in the party turned against you on Friday, December 06, 2013, at SPLM-House. This incidence happened when you were not in the country at that time. The same people who cause havoc in the SPLM are back and holding sensitive positions in the executive. My constitutional law lecturer at the University of Juba once told me, “The painted monkey is still a monkey”.
Your Excellency, I was delighted when you say “you cannot administer people in your absence”. I am of the view that the governors must go back to their states headquarters.
The writer can be reachable at [email protected]