Yirol land should not be used as a scapegoat in the Gubernatorial Race for Eastern Lakes State
10 min readYirol Land is free from guilt and should not be used a scapegoat in appointing the governor of Eastern Lakes State.
By Machiek Nhial Makeny, Eldoret, Kenya
November 11, 2015 (SSB) — Since the presidential order of expanding the previous South Sudan ten states to twenty eight states, it was met with jubilations by multitudes of south Sudanese within and in Diaspora though others deemed it as unconstitutional order due to the reasons well known to themselves, it has again sparked an atmosphere of campaign like activities from the interested individuals who think they can try their best to deliver services to their subjects of their respective states and Eastern Lakes State (Yirol) in particular fall the victim of this political conundrum.
I termed it campaign like activities because the presidential order has not highlighted what criteria will be used in electing/appointing the leadership of the recently created States. The campaigners (both the Aspirants and the campaign agents) may know better because I have been seeing some people posting pictures of the Aspirants and their manifestos on their face-book walls.
What is scapegoatism? And why is Yirol Land a scapegoat in this political time?
In Hebrew old times, one of the weakest or poorly created goats is single out as a sin reliever and elders of the community could gather to cast all bad things (sins) onto the goat before it is case far into the desert or loneliness. They believed it was truly an act of spiritual cleansing; the goat could carry away their sins into the desert or far from where they were living. I can personally call it a misplaced and inconspicuous idea invented from fictions by the elders of those times.
Why had God chosen a goat to be the only animals that could cleanse them? How about hens, sheep, snakes, donkeys and lions etc because all that God created is pure; the list can be very long unless we based it on scientism. The recent political situation in great Yirol (Aweirial, Yirol West and Counties) after the presidential order of increasing states is based on “scapegoatism” on Yirol land.
Scapegoatism can be defined as an act or a practice of referring and assigning blames or failures to another person or objects to deflect attention or responsibility away from oneself. Where does the land appear, does it mean every time ones becomes a governor the state should be transferred from where he/she hails from? Why can’t we dishonor this madness and consider our aspirants based on their political aspirations and previous records because most of the current flag bearer had once served as commissioners of Yirol either west, East and Aweirial Counties with the exception of few whom also served in the National army.
Leave the land alone because it can just be like a small portion of what I explained in the early examples given above. Let us take into account other matters such as corruption, security naivety (light-handedness and heavy-handedness), tribalism/nepotism, and previous land grabbing records; you can add more because we all know better. Yirol Town had and will always be for the government as per South Sudan transitional Constitution. Not only for Yirol but other Counties of South Sudan, town are not owned by the communities and on the other hand, the government will not take the responsibility of the communal lands until constitution is amended to deprived either of the parties with land’s ownership policy.
Therefore, Yirol Land is free from guilt and will never refuse to host whoever will be appointed by His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayrdit. It will never at all accounts refuse to host a governor from Ciec, Atout or Alaip Communities. Our demographic entails a lot about what Yirol was. We had been together and will be together beyond our political differences. In accordance to the South Sudan transitional Constitution, a town is where the government chooses to be it’s headquarter for example, Payams, Bomas, state headquarters or County headquarter and always with definite perimeters.
Anyone that will be appointed governor will only exercised his/her political duties in regards to the area given and will be guided by the land Act. So this does qualify not only Atout but all the three communities of great Yirol to contest for governorship. Our hopes should be based on these, we need a governor who:
- Does not disown law, he should not be above the law.
- Is not corrupt but care about his/her future politics and the development of the state.
- Is not Naïve in decision making but accurate and law abiding leader – he who works in consultation with law of the state and the country
- Is not a tribal oriented leader but someone who is all-encompassing in decision making.
- Security oriented to tackle the intra and inter communal insecurities.
To those who are promised to be commissioners or served in any government portfolios, please give your support to the persons who have those qualities than uploading pictures of your candidates on face-book pages.
Leave the land and let us check ourselves because we are harboring tribalism, nepotism and mendacity which are the great driving forces of sycophancy. See the truth but do not speak it out, that is what I can define mendacity. It’s an act of not speaking or touching the truth and therefore no one cares whatever wrong deeds ones’ committed in the past. It’s a great evil that is haunting many of the South Sudanese communities and I pray we get out from this great enemy and if we do not act soon than our future is gloomed.
It’s a scalawag idea and whoever uses this slogan is in actual fact dooming his political ambitions and can be discredited from running unless otherwise the idea was invented out of blue. Many of the contestants are truly 100% guilty of land scrambling unless otherwise we consider them on Christian view of forgiveness and even in Christianity you can only forgive someone who asks for forgiveness.
For the case of Yirol West, if in case other communities (Ciec and Aliab) have agreed that the Governor should come from the host community (Atuot), why should we allow politicians to decide on who should be the first Governor or a candidate? Automatically he/she may not do it transparently because of the political interest and this mounts to barring out the right choices of the community.
The decision should have been unanimously agreed by civil societies especially the chiefs, Elders, Youths and women of great Yirol. So the process of nominating Maj. Rin Tueny Mabor by Agok Manyiel was not fair enough because it’s a one man declaration and therefore it’s null and void and H.E the president should not waste his precious time considering it as a true recommendation.
Yeah I am aware Hon. Agok had served as Yirol West County Commissioner and currently as the SPLM County Chairman but that does grant him a right to indorse the candidate on behalf of the community. Even in SPLM, a chairman can only confirm a candidate after series of process for example after preliminary elections or intra party elections. I think it’s only in Yirol West that a public decision is taken unilaterally and we cannot sit back and appreciate as they keep doing them.
The decision will only be legitimate when all community denominations are considered or when it is done by the civil society groups. Someone may asked who else should have been nominated, I have a list of candidates from Yirol West as below,
- Makur Kulang Liei
- Agok Manyiel Dhieu
- Gen. Makur Nhial Makeny
Most importantly Brig. Gen. Makur Kulang Liei, should have been considered because I heard Maj. Makur Nhial Makeny- though my brother, I must recognize him as a leader because he is a security oriented officer, not corrupt, does not tolerate tribalism and had never involved in any frauds, what else do we need if we have a person of his caliber.
But because of his good heart, he has decided to step down to pave way for other candidates and I must say patience pays. Agok is not interested and this why he had nominated Maj. Rin Tueny Mabor leaving us with Brig. Makur Kulang Liei,–a man whose leadership characters liked by multitudes of greater Yirol during his era as commissioner.
A man with these qualities
- Gen. Makur Kulang Liei possesses true unity by serving law with equality and indeed he is a wise leader in disguise. I personally studied him and found out he is a unique leader in the way of approaching political and community issues.
- He is a security minded leader. Let us not forget how Yirol had been drowning in series of killings where we lost the beauty of Yirol; we lost our loved ones and resources because of useless conflict. It was because of peoples contributions that halted the killings. I must say congratulations to Brig. Gen. Makur Kulang, Bullen Bol Acinbai, David Mayom Riak and Manyang Luk Lueth for showing true leadership to our people of Yirol compared other leaders who had served at their times. Therefore they deserve to be awarded.
- Gen. Makur does not tolerate corruption and that is why he went out un-rumored of snatching someone or community cows for personal gains.
- He is also a hardworking leader and most of us will agree with me that wherever he goes, he leaves an achievement
- Someone who loves his community and that is shown when he stood with Anuol Payam community during Jur of Mvolo and Atuot of Yirol West conflict. He was constantly paying visits throughout the conflict and indeed tried with Mvolo then Commissioner and other Lakes states leaders to end the conflict.
- Though his era was affected by financial hardships, he had managed to survey and open up Yirol Town feeder roads, raising foundations and erecting wall of Yirol Guests house at the lake side. Financial status of South Sudan declined since Heglig crisis and this has rendered him helpless of the situation to do more developmental projects.
- He is a man who likes cooperating with other leaders for example the Agar Neighbors of Rumbek East. He had devoted most of his times averting most of the communal recurring conflicts between these two communities.
- Above all, he is a veteran who fought for his people during the struggle and deserves just like other leaders.
I cannot finalize leaving other important candidates from Yirol East and Aweirial who also deserve a chance to be appointed. I will be also ready to welcome them as my leaders and they are listed below
- General Ustaz Daniel Ayual Makoi
- General Marial Chanuong Yol
- Ustaz Mabor Achol Kuer
- General Bor Philip
- Aguto Kok
- Hon Aweirial Aluong
- Marial Nuor Jok
- Athian Majak Malou.
Forgive me if I have wrongly designated ranks to the above great men and actually the list can be long because Yirol is endowed with vast majority of leaders who are gifted with quality leadership skills but for the moment I can rest here.
It’s a broad daylight incitement or awake up call by the host community that if the governor does not hail from them than they can sabotage any person that is appointed in disguise of land. It will also be an incitement if it was a fabricated agendum from the road side. I am personally of the idea of embracing anyone that the president entrusts with the role of leading the state beyond our wishes. Let me take this pinch of salt, I have had from many members that the Atuot community are bias about land issues, if Yirol Town is to be relocated to Nyang or Aweirial, I bet, it will be more chaotic compare to the current situation and the evangelists who are very innocent would be more problematic.
This is because those mentioned places have been settled as residential areas by the host communities. Let us not also forget that the current Yirol Town is growing bigger year by year than it was in the old Sudan and this should be taken note of. It is growing towards the societies that are surrounding it; for example, Adhiem, Benylom, panekar and Panliet and these societies used it for cultivation just like other communities are utilizing their lands. Therefore any government that comes must SERIOUSLY consider them some plots for their consumption.
Our Motto should always be “the sky is the limit” as stated by one of the elders Ustaz Mabor Achol that “Yirol pok kulushii” and indeed we must revive our past tradition of being above everything.
I dearly remain for Yirol.
By Machiek Nhial Makeny, the author, is a second year student – University of Eldoret (formerly Moi Chepkoilel Campus) pursuing Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and can be reached @ phone no. +254716206034 Kenya— +211928755770 S. Sudan or by machieknhail@gmail.com.
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