November 4, 2014 (JUBA) – The director of the state-owned SSTV and radio, Khamis Abdallatif Lom has resigned, citing alleged interference by the country’s information minister in to his work.
South Sudanese information minister Michael Makuei Lueth attends a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5 January 2014 (Photo: AP/Elias Asmara)Lom, in a letter to the president, claimed minister Michael Makuei Lueth undermined the post he was appointed to four weeks ago.
“On 3 November 2014, I received ministerial order from Hon. Makuei Lueth, the minister of information and broadcasting transferring me from SSTV and radio to the ministry HQ (headquarters),” reads the 4 November letter.
“I objected to this order as I was appointed by the president of the Republic and not the minister. I have realised that minister Makuei Leuth has a vendetta against me,” the letter adds.
The director, in what appears a power struggle and intrigue at the state media, faults Makuei for among others, preventing him from neither appearing on the television nor ordering or firing SSTV staff.
“I have raised this issue to the president of the Republic who appointed me and he promised to discipline his minister to stay away from my duties,” Lom said.
The minister’s decision was not implemented after Lom reportedly ordered those on duty not to read out the ministerial order since he was appointed by the president.
This prompted Lueth to temporarily close the director’s office and deployed security operatives at the gate to block the latter from entering SSTV premises, said a source.
A senior official at the information ministry told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that Leuth never wanted Lom to appear on television since he was not a constitutional post holder.
SELECTIVE PROGRAMS
The outgoing director further says he got directives from the information minister not to air Nuer community-related programmes on national television, an order the former said he openly opposed.
He accused Makuei of “selective behaviour” in determining who appears on SSTV, citing another directive in which the latter instructed him to employ Equatorian citizens, not the Dinka or Nuer.
“I also objected to that as I have found out that many of those Equatorians are agents of Mustapha Biong, the former director general and are still working with him through channeling information to him and the rebel elements in Nairobi,” Lom said.
Sudan Tribune could not, however, obtain minister Lueth’s reaction to these allegations.
CORRUPT SYSTEM
In his letter of resignation letter, the former director also acknowledges the president’s appointment, saying he was unable “to make any change of such corrupt system”.
“Your Excellency, your government is full of very corrupt people and I am sorry to be frank to you that it is too deformed to be reformed,” Lom wrote.
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SSTV Director Resignation Letter
