Ex-Warrap governor accused of threatening political commentator
August 29, 2015 (JUBA) – An alleged threat by the former governor of South Sudan’s Warrap state, Nyandeng Malek against a local political commentator has drawn lots of criticisms from opponents and those opposed to the latter’s leadership capabilities.
“She [Malek] called me on phone at 12:44 pm today and said be ready for me. I am normal citizen like you. I am no longer a governor. You will bring your papers to proof that corruption you claimed in investigations. You have been writing a lot of bad things about me in print and online media but this time I am no longer a governor and hence be ready for me. I was ignoring your article because I was a governor Nyandeng Malek,” he said.
Yel said the former governor’s action constituted a clear case of intimidation and threat to his life, stressing that she would be held responsible in case anything happen to him.
“To me, this is a threat because I don’t know what she will do to me next. I don’t apprehend what she really meant by saying be ready for me. This is act of intimidation”.
The commentator said he didn’t mean that Malek had stolen money in Warrap, but that his article was entirely about how local politicians in Warrap viewed the border state.
“I don’t know why she is sensitive to hear corruption? I am ready if she wants to take me to court. My article was purely advice to caretaker governor of Warrap state and challenges ahead of him. If there is anything that happened to me then Nyandeng Malek will be responsible because being killed by unknown gunmen has become culture of smart killing in Juba now”, he said.
Yel, in a letter to the caretaker governor of Warrap, Akech Tong Aleu, claimed Malek had “arguably created a great gap of distrust between government, Warrap populations, state assembly and the SPLM party in the state. There is no link and trust between them at all”.
“They see themselves as enemies and each work against the other”, he says in his letter.
“Mr. Governor, it is now your task to reunite the government with the SPLM party, state assembly and Warrap populations and build trust and teamwork among them once more”, it adds.
Yel further claimed many politicians in Warrap have totally misunderstood the meaning of Warrap and reasons why General Konggor Arop gave that name to the border state.
“Our local politicians have different version of Warrap state as they wrongly assume that Warrap state is War(pond or river) that is full of rap anyanjang(grain) where every constitutional post holder can fill his or her basket (gac) with rap anyanjang(grain) and goes away with it without being hold to account. They have got it totally wrong”, said Yel.
He also suggested, in his letter, that the present name of the border state be changed from Warrap to War alel in order to lessen rapid robbery of public funds because local politicians will not eat aleel(stones) again like the way they are eating rap now.
“Hon, don’t bring us local politicians that see Warrap state as “ War rap” where they can fill their bellies and gaac (baskets) and go away without doing their constitutional obligations to the citizens. We need some things tangible to be done in Warrap in these three years”, emphasised Yel in his letter to the caretaker governor.
He said the former governor and her supporters simply misunderstood his writing to mean she corrupted the state government, leading to eventual failure to deliver services to the people thus contributing to her removal from the governorship, earlier this month.
(ST)