Please, Removes the IDPs from Church Land, Pleaded Archbishop Deng
Please, Removes the IDPs from Church Land, Pleaded Archbishop Deng
By Isaac Vuni
April 8, 2008 (JUBA) — The Archbishop Elect of Episcopal Church of the Sudan, His grave Daniel Deng has today appealed to Governor of Central Equatoria state to allot land to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are occupying Church land in Juba city.
The prelate says the presence of IDPs on church’s land hinders the clerical administration from initiating meaningful developmental programmes in Juba city including opening of Church secondary schools to remedy sending south Sudanese children for secondary study abroad while the poor families could not afford.
“As Church leaders, we would like to see that government of southern Sudan treats its citizen with respect, love and dignity by offering them alternative places to settle in order to ensure total peace within family or at tribal levels.”
His Grace Deng made the appeal when he pays courtesy visit today morning to the governor of Central Equatoria state in Juba office.
Governor Clement Wani Konga assured His Grace Deng of his government prompt and necessary action to ensuring that church lands are return.
“Today in Juba land grabbing has become like a torn in the flash because the SPLA soldiers are using their guns to grab individuals and church lands on pretext that they SPLA have liberated Bari lands and others with their own blood therefore non of Bari elders should claim ownership of the land,” he said .
“But according to Comprehensive Peace Agreements signed on 9th January 2005 between the government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A, it was clearly stated that the land belong to the indigenous people.” He further added.
One of the Lawmakers from South Sudan Legislative Assembly representing Yei County who asked not to be name revealed that the late chairman of SPLM/A, Dr. John Garang de Mabior prior to his tragic death had setup an excellent and living example by paying one thousand American dollars in appreciation to the owner of the house Garang and the family had been occupying during the 21 years of liberation struggle. Therefore they the people of Yei County are also expecting some top leaders still occupying individual’s houses and land to reciprocate in order for them to administer justice on their subordinate’s grabbers.
The land grabbing are more common in Juba, Yei, Morobo, Nimule, Mugali, Owinykibul and Nadapal of Kapota and some top leaders of the government of southern Sudan are also deeply involved particularly in Yei land grabbing.
Responding to question on when was the first female pastor ordained in the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, prelate Deng explained that the highest body of ECS, Synod, had passed a resolution that gave full mandate to all Diocesans Bishops to ordaining women to the holy order of pastor since 1995 and three years after some Sudanese women were ordained but prelate Deng could not give their numbers.
Indeed record and media relationship management are major obstacles in getting timely information within Episcopal Church of the Sudan particularly in Juba; nevertheless, we hope for better change under the new stewardship.
When asked to either confirm or denied that some of his bishops have deliberately refused to ordain ten women to pastor positions on allegation of them being prostitutes as alleged by Mrs. Mary Apai, Advisor to Governor of Central Equatoria State on Economic Affairs who uttered the statement during SPLM Women League leadership conference recently held in Juba, Archbishop elect Deng said he was not aware nor was he inform of any Bishop denial to ordaining women as pastors in Sudan during the last five years.
Prelate Deng said it was up to each Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan to ordain any qualify women who should first under gone three years theological training then be promoted to the order of pastors.
Shouting at the top of her voice, Mrs. Mary Apayi had told SPLM women participants that one of the Bishop of ECS, she did not mention by name, has refused to ordain ten women as pastors because as a presiding Bishop, he said the women were prostitutes. Mrs. Apayi allegation created confusion among the faithful followers of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan resulting to condemnation of all male as being selfish.
More so the angered women landed on the local journalists particularly those who were covering the conference and accused them of deliberately not feature articles and pictures of political or religious women in headline of their local dailies. The women demanded for involvement and training of more female journalists in covering women affairs than male reports whom the accused of creating biasness on female.
Regarding gay and same sex marriages in the church, he said ECS synod has strongly condemned it since year 2006 because its unbiblical therefore the synod of ECS will never entertain such practices in the Sudan, declared archbishop elect.
Sudanese President, Omer al-Bashir will head tomorrow morning to