Commissioner of W. Equatoria’s Ezo resigns after alleged corruption
By Richard Ruati
December 17, 2008 (YAMBIO) — Minaida Peter Jamous announced Tuesday he was resigning as county commissioner of Ezo County. His move came after he submitted a resignation letter to the State Governor, alerting her on his move.
Ezo County is one of the ten counties of Western Equatoria State; it is located one hundred miles away from Yambio town the state’s capital. The County is believed to be rich in diamonds and agricultural products.
In a resignation letter to the State Governor, Jamous says “The allegations made against him on the 22nd October 2008 by a small section of Ezo County community have prompted him to step down.” He further said he is confident that the allegations raised against him are as a result of “political vendetta to derail his commitment to SPLM party and his conscious for future credibility and that of his SPLM party.”
He stressed that, to serve the unity of the Ezo community, his resignation letter is with effect from 17th December 2008, but reiterated his commitment to the SPLM party.
Jamous was elected six months during the SPLM county congress as the chairman of the SPLM party in Ezo County.
He was nominated by the people of Ezo county in absentia while he was pursuing his studies in Uganda, he was later appointed as Ezo’s commissioner by the then Governor of WES, Brigadier Patrick Raphael Zamoi.
Early this year, a 44 men committee in Ezo allegedly accuses the commissioner of money laundering, racketeering, nepotism and corruption. He was accused of including ghost names in the pay list.
However Jamous strongly denied the allegations labelled against by the committee.
He says that, “his three years tenure as commissioner of Ezo, he enjoyed working with the community and their support has been unwavering.”
The outgoing commissioner also blamed the committee for accusing him of building houses with fortunes he has made from his emoluments.
This is the first of its kind for a sitting commissioner under SPLM party to resign from office before being sacked by his party or the state Governor since the CPA was signed.
He survived the last September cabinet reshuffle which was recommended by the current state Governor of WES.
Independent opinion leaders, who asked not to be named in this story, believe that, the power struggle and political wrangling in Ezo is between two households, who historical had kept high profile name in the supremacy of Ezo region.
(ST)