Unity state authorities welcome creation of 28 states in S. Sudan.

October 6, 2015 (JUBA) – Authorities in South Sudan’s Unity state have welcomed president Salva Kiir’s decree on creation of 28 new states in the world’s youngest nation.

The caretaker governor of the oil producing state, Joseph Nguen Monytuil, argued that the establishment of more administrative units would take not only bring services closer to the people, but also empower people in making decision about their affairs, reduce dependency on oil and develop the manufacturing and agriculture sectors i,n order to create jobs and fight insecurity.

“We congratulate the President for responding to our call as the state government and people. Now development will reach to the people, which was an initial idea of Dr. John of taking town to the people and it’s only through this devolution of powers and creation of more states that we will get the towns to the people in Greater Upper Nile, Greater Bahr-el-Gazal and Greater Equatoria,” he said in a statement Sudan Tribune obtained.

“We appreciate and recognise the leader in his Excellency the president in making this move possible. May peace be to the South Sudanese people and work in support of this newly created state and back our president in this idea,” added the caretaker governor.

Meanwhile, the Raga county commissioner in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal state, James Benjamin Marodoma lauded presidential Kiir”s decree, which saw Raga turned into the provincial capital of the newly created Lul state.

“We are now waiting for the state governor Rizik Zackaria Hassan to come back from Juba and address us his cabinet of Western Bahr el Ghazal with the details of the new 28 states created by the president,” said commissioner exclusively told Sudan Tribune.

“We the people in Raga county have welcomed the republican decree and we want to tell the people of South Sudan that we people in Raga county are happy and that we will response widely in the media,” he added.

Some analysts, however, wonder where the budget for the new states. Others said the creation of the new states was a positive move toward taking services closer to people.

(ST)