Western Equatoria governor appoints new cabinet
April 4, 2012 (JUBA) – Governor of Western Equatoria state, Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, has issued an order appointing new cabinet members and establishing three independent commissions, authorities told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
State officials have told Sudan Tribune that Gibson Bullen Wande, the former minister of information, has been appointed to the position of minister of youth and Charles Barnaba Kisanga, former secretary general of the opposition party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) has replaced Wande in his post.
Speaking in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Wande thanked Bakosoro for appointing him as minister of youth, saying he would work to unite the youth in all the ten counties and encourage the local population in increasing food production.
Mbugo Phillip William, acting station manager for Yambio FM, described the political situation as relatively calm and described seeing many people celebrating the changes.
Bakosoro said the appointment of the new cabinet was meant to service the interests of the people of Western Equatoria, especially in supporting food production in the area. “We also maintain that though it is strategic for a national economy to diversify, it is equally important that more attention is given the agricultural sector”, said Governor Bakosoro.
South Sudan was reliant oil revenues for 95 percent of its income until a row of over transit fees led to the closure of the pipeline in January. This has brought into stark relief the need for South Sudan to diversify its economy.
Bakosoro noted that the construction of feeder roads linking the main agricultural production areas to markets and electrification projects have improved the potential of larger scale agri-businesses in the state. He said that with foreign investors, the state would supply farmers with affordable, improved agricultural equipment.
(ST)