N. Bahr el Ghazal governor holds consultative meetings on new cabinet
August 11, 2013 (JUBA) – The governor of South Sudan’s border state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Paul Malong Awan, is carrying out consultative meeting with representatives from institutions at both local and national level to help him form a new cabinet, his office said on Sunday.
The governor will announce the new line-up “soon”, said the source, without giving the exact date.
The aide, who did not want to be named, said governor Awan is currently visiting Juba in order to consult with president Salva Kiir, members of parliament and other officials at the national secretariat of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Awan is seeking their views on how the new cabinet should be restructured in compliance with the directives of the president to reduce size of the state governments as part of measures to save funds to support developmental projects.
The source told Sudan Tribune that Awan would also brief the president on the general situation in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, particularly security and political issues.
He denied rumours that the governor plans to reduce the size of the state cabinet because some ministers had recently shown “unfaithfulness” by going against his own proposals and wishes.
“It is not true that the new cabinet is going to be reduced to settle political issues … but it is necessitated by the current economic situation. This was why the president decided to reduce the size of the national government and asked the governors to do the same. This is what I know so far. I am not aware of these disputes regarding loyalty with some ministers in the state but it is normal for the governor to make some changes”, the source said.
According to the source, some ministries and commissions will be merged and their functions integrated into others. Those most likely to be affected include the ministry of water and rural development, ministry of trade and industry; ministry of animal resources and the ministry parliamentary affairs.
SUPPORT FOR MERGING OF MINISTRIES
Officials claim the merging of ministries and commissions would be another way to improve efficiency, reduce duplications of similar functions and save funds.
The source said the idea of merging some ministries and commissions had received public support both in the state and in Juba, where discussions have been held on the proposal at various forums.
“There has been general feelings that ministry of water and rural development should have been a directorate within the ministry of physical infrastructure. Similar proposals have also been made for the commission of teachers. They say it should have a department with the ministry of education. The ministry of animal resources should have been a directorate within the ministry of agriculture and forestry. The ministry of trade and industry should also have been a department within the ministry of finance. This is what people say and the governor has taken note of these views and [these will be] shared [with] the parliament when he is addressing the house on Monday”, he said.
However, critics of the governor see moves to reduce the size of the cabinet as a pretext for Awan to rid himself those who have shown disloyalty within his administration, while others argue Awan is seeking revenge against a leader clamping down on corruption.
POLITICAL DIVIDE
A separate source, who did not want to be identified, told Sudan Tribune the governor had been unhappy with the conduct of some of his cabinet ministers who he felt had been trying to undermine his decisions.
According to the official, one cabinet minister is alleged to have gone to the office of the president with some friends to nominate Kuel Aguer Kuel for a national ministerial posting, despite the governor already submitting Ruay Deng Maker’s name for consideration.
This same minister is accused of being an ally of SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum.
“He (the governor) is not happy with him and will definitely fire him (the minister) this time from the cabinet. This is one of the issues he came to sort out with the office of the president and this group”, the source said on Sunday.
The official claimed those lobbying for ministerial appointment in the office of the president include Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, Andrew Akoon Akech, Deng Deng Hoc Yai, Kuel Aguer Kuel and Ronald Ruay Deng Dut, also known as Ruay Deng Maker.
He claimed majority of the people, including elders, intellectual and business groups, supported nominating Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol as a candidate, however, the governor and his backers had shown preference for Ruay to be considered as a minister in the office of the president.
“There is currently strong competition between the two camps. The governor is seriously lobbying support to back his bid seeking the president to appoint his hand-picked [candidate] and the intellectuals are also pushing very hard to see that [the] president appoints Dhieu Mathok. They (intellectuals) are arguing that Dhieu has more political experience and academic qualifications which would be beneficial to the president than any other aspiring candidates”, the source said.
(ST)