The Impeachment of Governor Kuel Aguer is a Clear Insubordination of President Kiir’s Powers

January 27, 2015 (SSB) — The recent decision by the Northern Bhar el Ghazal’s Assembly to impeach the newly appointed Caretaker Governor Kuel Aguer Kuel is a deliberate insubordination to the President of the Republic Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Caretaker Governor Kuel Aguer was appointed by the President because of the trust, and confident he has in him to finish the elected term of the former Governor Gen. Paul Malong Awan. Northern Bhar el Ghazal Parliament is predominantly SPLM members, and if these people respect the President as SPLM Party’s Chairman, then they would have first tried to address these dubious accusations in the SPLM Caucus in consultation with the party’s leadership if indeed these accusations hold water.

Now let me dissect their lies:

1. He is openly supporting the ongoing rebellion by encouraging citizens of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State to join rebels

This first charge here is clearly an insult to the Office of the Presidency, and the citizens of Northern Bhar el Ghazal. The people of Aweil are loyal to the government of South Sudan under the leadership of Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, and they have demonstrated that in rejecting the called by the Veteran Gen. Dau Aturjong.

If these people claimed to be representing the citizens of the Northern Bhar el Ghazal, then why questioning the ability of this peace loving citizens to follow Governor Kuel blindly if he has decided to join rebellion as they claimed? If they think that President Kiir will buy this childish accusation, then they are insulting the Office of the President of the Republic.

2. He is mobilizing his clan (Pachier) to fight for him

Not in my lifetime had we been that low in Aweil to associate our leaders to their clans. Every leader always looks for better opportunity to unite his or her subject, but in Aweil, it is the elected leaders who want to divide their citizens. Do my Honorable Members of the Parliament want the President of the Republic to regulate or categorize us into our clans? This is an insult to the Office of the President.

3. He unconstitutionally appointed 12 advisors which contradicts State constitutional provision that limits the number of advisors in the State.

The Constitution of the South Sudan and the state is not “black and white” on the number of advisors. This accusation doesn’t hold water at all.

4. SPLM State Liberation Council has withdrawn SPLM membership from him

This is a clear insubordination of the SPLM leadership particularly the Chairman of the Party, and the Secretary General. Governor Kuel Aguer is a member of the SPLM National Secretary, and he is the Secretary for Administration and Finance. If they have withdrawn his membership as they claimed, then it has to go through the party procedures.

By the virtue of being a National Secretariat member, the Secretary General of the SPLM Madam Ann Itto has to remove Governor Kuel from the Secretariat’s leadership, and then make a recommendation to the SPLM’s Chairman Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit for action. Without these procedures, this state secretariat’s decision is not binding, and for the SPLM Members of the Parliament to ignore this process is a clear insubordination of the SPLM’s leadership.

5. He unconstitutionally awarded Letter of Credit worth 1,000,000 Us Dollars to his son without due approval by both the Council of Ministers and State Legislative Assembly

I will not comment on these for now until I see a confirmation from the Minister of Finance, and the relevant Bank where that line of credit was acquired.

Honorable Members claimed to be doing their constitutional mandate in impeaching the Governor, but they have forgotten that in the same Constitution, they have sworn under the oath to FAITHFUL EXECUTE THEIR DUTIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW”. For them to breach their duties with lies is a blatant deception of the highest order.

Finally, I appeal to the President of the Republic Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to hear the outcry from the citizen of the Northern Bhar el Ghazal State to reject this action, and warn these Members of the parliament to stop incitement, to the citizen of the state.

–

The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made are the responsibility of the author, not PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to paanluel2011@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material before publication. Please include your full name, email address and the country you are writing from.