The Magok Rundial of Today are the John Luk of Tomorrow
Minister John Luk at press conference in Juba, 7 April 2011
By Hon. John Luk Jok
Former Minister of Justice and Current Member of the G-12
The government of South Sudan has bulldozed a draconian national security services (NSS) bill into law. The national legislative assembly (NLA), presided over by Speaker Magok Rundial, has controversially passed the scandalous bill.
This was in spite of the vehement opposition to the bill by the patriotic members of parliament, comprising opposition MPs as well as SPLM Caucus from Equatoria. One MP from Equatoria was quoted cursing: “Bahr el Ghazal has passed the draconian bill.”
The bill was passed into law by 145 MPs out of the 332 members of the NLA. MPs from the official opposition party, the SPLM-DC, and about 20 Equatorian MPs from the SPLM ruling party walked out in protest. Obviously, the required quorum was not attained.
The contentious passage of this reprehensible bill means only one thing: the Magok Rundial of today are the John Luk of tomorrow, and the Isaac Mamur Mete of today are the John Luk of yesterday. Those with ears should hear, those with eyes should see and those with minds should understand.
My beloved people of South Sudan, with heavy heart and much trepidation, allow me to explain myself candidly. According to the Holy Scripture (Luke 16:19-31), there once lived a rich, wicked man and his humble slave called Lazarus who subsisted on the leftovers from the table of the rich man. Upon their death, Lazarus was taken to heaven and the rich, wicked man to hell.
Not to bore you with minute details, it so happened that the rich, wicked man was overwhelmed with grief and regret for the selfish, sinful life he had led on earth that had landed him in the inferno. The wicked man prayed to Abraham to be allowed to go back to earth to preach to his brothers and sisters so that they would turn away from their sinful ways of life lest they would also end up in hell like him. Abraham refused, telling the wicked man that there were prophets, like Moses, on earth to preach to them.
My dear people of South Sudan, this biblical story, as is already abundantly clear to all of you, is very much related to my personal experiences in the politics of South Sudan. Between 2011 and 2013, for example, I was the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development in the government of President Salva Kiir Mayaardit. It was therefore under my watch that the present transitional constitution was passed—controversially.
It was a controversial act because most South Sudanese people then—just like now for the case of the dictatorial NSS bill—had explicitly opposed some tyrannical clauses in the draft version of the interim constitution before it could be approved. However, as has been recorded by history, the government, spearheaded by none other than me, intimidated the MPs and bulldozed the draft constitution into law.
Pass forward today and it is abundantly clear to all concerned that it was a tragic, political blunder on my part. In light of last year political and military crisis in our beloved nation, I have now unequivocally realized that I had committed a great sin against the people of South Sudan. Forgive me.
The fact that some of our leaders are consciously repeating the same mistake today brings me to the million-dollar question: why would Speaker Magok Rundial willingly commit the political and constitutional blunders of the John Luk of yesterday? Secondly, why would Hon. Isaac Mamur wish to end up the John Luk of tomorrow? Do they fancy themselves that they would be in the government forever? Are they prepared to suffer the consequences of their blunders as I am enduring right now?
The NSS bill that was lately enacted into law is very draconian. South Sudanese people should not, once again, invest all their constitutional powers in the hand of one politicized institution. It does not matter whether it is the presidency, parliament, judiciary, media or the national security services under Minister Isaac Mamur.
Mark my words my dear people, the Magok Rundial of today will soon be the John Luk of tomorrow. Likewise, the John Luk of yesterday is regrettably the Isaac Mamur Mete of today. Will the Magoks and Mamurs of today listen to Prophet Moses of yesteryears?
History is the judge, for those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it—much to their bitter regret. Junubiin, forewarned is forearmed.
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Courtesy of PaanLuel Wël
South Sudan Literary Series
Juba City, South Sudan
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