E. Equatoria youth conference ends in controversy
June 22, 2013 (TORIT) – The commissioner of Torit county commissioner, German Charles Ojok, has refuted allegations levied against him by some delegates at a youth peace conference of an alleged attempt to interfere in a vote for youth leaders.
The meeting ended in controversy and a boycott over the formation of its executive body, with some members accusing Ojok of trying to influence delegates to vote for a member from greater Kapoeta as head of the state’s youth union.
Ojok said he was only entrusted by the organisers of the youth conference to appoint five youth members to represent Torit county at the recently ended youth peace conference.
It was then, he added, that he chose delegates from five of Torit’s eight payams [districts].
The county commissioner further called on the individual youth delegates, especially those from the greater Torit, like Magwi county and Imehejek Corridor of lopa/lafon, who boycotted the youth union executive body formation, to apologise in writing.
Most of the youth delegates who attended the youth peace conference are criticising the state government politicians for interfering in youth affairs and attempting to influence the entire youth to nominate a youth leaders to come from greater Kapoeta, rather than greater Torit.
The state deputy speaker of the assembly Paul Napwon distanced himself from the youth affairs controversy, saying that individual delegates to the conference are instead being influenced by citizens in the diaspora who had formed a separate coalition.
(ST)