W. Equatoria governor visits remote Sakure Payam

July 31, 2011 (SAKURE) – The community of Sakure payam (sub-county) of Nzara County has decried that the payam is lacking enough water boreholes in the area.

Villagers made this remark during an official visit of Western Equatoria’s state governor, Col Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro to an area which cast more votes for his historic victory in 2010.

The state governor accompanied by a ministerial delegation to the deserted payam on Friday July 29, 2011, the first visit under his leadership since last year and in the new nation.

Addressing the delegation, the chief of Sakure payam, Sultan Tartizio James Banzimi hailed the visit saying it has been their expectations to “receive the state governor in the payam.”

Banzimi disclosed that the area depends only on one borehole in the trading center as most of the streams are very scary to access water in fear of the insurgencies of the Ugandan rebels who maraud close to the area.

Apparently two days back the home guards formerly known as arrow boys rescued one woman who was abducted by the LRA in the area.

He (Banzimi) appreciated the tremendous collaboration of the home guards and the organized forces in the area for protecting the local civilians.

“Despite the displacement of the payam by the LRA, people have cultivated enormous farm lands of garden in the area expecting markets of the produce to pick up,” revealed the chief.

In addition the chairperson of Sakure-Payam Farmers Association Francis Leone stated that they have yielded enough maize and groundnuts in spite of the threats of the foreign rebels.

He urged the state government to look for marketing opportunities of the produce for the farmers to earn enough money.

“We are calling upon the state government and International NGOs dealing in Agriculture sectors to help the farmers with tools,” said Leone.

The MP of the Sakure constituency Benty Kpiosa said road network is constrain for boosting business with neighboring DR Congo.

Benty added that the Payam connects south to DR Congo and will be a center of trade between South Sudan and Congo.

Meanwhile the commissioner of Nzara County Elia Richard Box thanked the state governor for having toured all the payams and counties of the state to listen to the communities.

Box mentioned that the payam has been one of the most deserted payam of his county as most of the internal displaced persons (IDPs) are within Nzara center and Yambio county IDP camps.

However the commissioner cited that the home guards and the organized forces are performing their job to “lay protection to the people.”

The state governor Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro appreciated the cooperation between the local communities and the organized forces in the payam.

“Your relationship with the local civilians in the new nation is paramount so that the civilians feel the protection by their government,” said the governor.

Bakosoro remarked that Sakure payam was the first area in Sudan where the sugar factory was established before it was transferred to North Sudan by the then Khartoum government.

He encouraged the communities of the payam to be focused on the future of the payam as the nation is already independent.

Governor Bakosoro also called upon the executive chiefs of the payam to encourage the IDPs in Yambio and Nzara to try return back to their areas.

As the 2011 has been declared year of cultivation in the state, he encouraged the famers to produce surplus maize and dura this year.

“The state government is in position of getting markets for your products this year, all who have not yet produced enough still have time to cultivate,” said the governor.

He further stressed on the importance of education for the small kids whom he said are the “future leaders of the country.”

In related development the governor urged the Congolese army to build good relationship with the SPLA forces in the region to combat the LRA.

“The LRA are hiding in the dense thick Congo forest yet your government deny that you should make sure that you cooperate with the southern forces,” he said.

Nzara county’s three payams of Sakure, Sangua and Basukengbi are the most displaced areas by the notorious Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army LRA living thousands homeless.

(ST)