Gogrial youth call on President Kiir to remove governor Gum from office
September 3, 2016 (JUBA) -Youth group from Gogrial state, one of the newly created controversial 28 states which President Salva Kiir decreed into being, has petitioned the removal of their Governor Abraham Makuac from the office, citing inability to run the state affairs and lack of cooperation.
“We thank you for the creation of (28) states and for putting to practice the vision of the (SPLM) of taking towns to the people. The Youth Association leadership of Gogrial County and their entirely members are obliged to voice out our grievances due to developing administrative failure by the newly appointed governor, Abraham Gum Makuac,” partly reads the youth letter.
“Our president, as you are aware of communal conflict between Apuk Community of former Gogrial East County and Aguok Community of former Gogrial West County led the priority in selecting for us strong and competent leader who works hard to bring political stability, Peace, law and order in the state. The governor of Gogrial State, Gum Makuac has failed us all including your image as the president of the Republic,” the petition further read.
The widely circulated letter, copy of which was extended to Sudan Tribune, described governor Abraham Gum Makuac as “a very weak in administration, claiming this weakness was openly seen during the formation of his state government.
“Gogrial state government was not formed by Abraham Gum. It was formed as directed by some individuals in fulfillment of their interests in the state,” the youth claimed, citing alleged appointment of incompetent officials.
The youth further argued that governor Gum failed to maintain the security and unity of conflicting communities of Apuk and Aguok since he was appointed as governor. The problem of Apuk and Aguok was contained by then defunct Warrap state government lead by .Akec Tong in which Gum and some of the officials served, they said.
It continued to say “fighting was stopped and compensations were made for people killed in the conflict. Unfortunately, after some months few individuals from Apuk went to Aguok and killed two sons of Sultan Kuec Mayar in cold blood. We all worked hard to convince our people not to take law into their hands but to trust the government to first investigate the killings. The investigation was made and some culprits were found guilty and arrested with the connection but nothing had been done until we heard recently the killing of other three people by the same culprit who killed the first two people last year. This narrative makes us to believe that escape of the culprit from the jail and the new killing is squarely in the hand of governor.”
Peace between the rival Apuk and Aguok communities in Gogrial state, according to the petition, will not come to an end because of inaction of the administration of Gum in the state.
“He failed to set up trial for the perpetrators who murdered the two sons of Sultan Kuech Mayar Yel in Aguok from last year up to now. We have never heard whether the family of the deceased was compensated or not,” they said.
(ST)