KIIR’S RESHUFFLING: JUST ANOTHER GAME.
By Azariah Maduk
At the beginning of this week the public was caught by surprise with the swift move made by H.E Gen. Salva Kiir (Dr.) the president, by embarking on reshuffling the army. Warming many on the bench and putting smiles on others faces, terminating elected Governor Eng. Chol Tong (does he have those powers, jungle laws!!!) and relieving Gen. Achuil Tito. This move have been received with mixed reaction where others are not feeling good under their skins with what happened, where civilians wanted to stage a demonstration in Rumbek for their darling governor removed and others are contended with the shot.
Before I go to the main point to why I wrote this article, I would like to appreciate Mr. President for the reshuffling not because he has done good reshuffling but because it will bring new faces into the system with new thinking which might change the trend or our army.
If we look at this move critically from the slant of our starving citizens, first of all we want to see the priorities to south Sudanese at moment; what do we need? Is it the organization in the army? Or is it the restructuring of the really government but not the military? Do the reshuffling in military and police have direct impact on civilians?
From my point of view, that reshuffling was just but wretched actions that doesn’t mean anything at all; here is my argument I don’t know what you might think about it but I have this to say, our main problem in south Sudan is the corruption in government that is directly related to civil population, so if Mr. President thinks he need change he should start it from within his own office, by changing his advices both in office and those that advice him at night (by distancing himself away from their influence), reshuffling the cabinet by removing ministers like Minister of interior, Minister of roads, Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Finance and so forth, he should remove the governor of Central Bank of South Sudan. All these moves will entail the really change to the face of the government but NOTE Mr. President should not make the same mistake like usual by just rotating the ministers, this time round he should bring in new faces with fresh ideas because these old chaps are not the only people who fought or who have brains then any of other guys neglected unless Mr. President is looking for people of his same sleeve.
Mr. President have got it wrong from my point of view because the problem is his inner circle boys (and girls if any) who have squander $ 4 billion and nothing viable have happened, Mr. President may blame his opponent in the government for plotting against him but it is from his own failure to manage the affairs that arouse the feeling, as a leader you are the only player who coordinate between both ends/sides (example is Obama managing both the Republican and Democratic in his government), Mr. President should take advices from people who have succeed in management not from some cheap failed fellows that just want to put him in the same league with them (Mr. President should watch out for those leaders that have failed their nations by dictatorship not to associated with them).
Coming back on the issue of those removed/retired/reserved whatever you want to call it, is nothing but just another way of putting them to another positions where they will continue with the corruption they did in the army (because if not done so their tendency to cause chaos is there, the mental syndrome of 2010) and we have witness it already from two guys reinstated as the Inspector General for Police and the acting Governor. For Christ sake! Lt. Gen. Pieng Deng Majok was the least person I expect to be brought back into the system, this guy have disable the system in SPLA by delaying the salaries of soldiers, he slept on the salary increase for soldiers last year until he got pressure and have made a good fortune out of his former position. Why were they changed in the first place if they were worthy of something? And that shows that Mr. President is just playing with our brains taking us for fools.
Mr. President is fond of this tricks but will never change anything and that is why we are still having corruption sky rocketing year after year, because of his actions of taking corrupted officials from one office to another (the like of Mathok), can’t Mr. President learned from his mistakes he did in the first, I had love Mr. Kiir when he was in the bush but this Kiir now is totally different one.
Thus this reshuffling is just but another game like the previous one, the only change will come when the entire government is changed and new guys come in including the presidency ……….. #let’s wait maybe for 2015#.
Author can be reached at: azariahm@ymail.com