What criteria was used for the creation of new Federal States in South Sudan?
What were the criteria used for the creation of new Federal States that marginalized Tonj Region?
By Ariik Atekdit, Juba, South Sudan
October 11, 2015 (SSB) — It has been people’s demand that there should be more states in South Sudan. However, the government in Juba has been for so long reluctant to respond to the historical people’s demand for all that long until October 2 when President Kiir issued an order NO.36/2015 establishing new 28 states in the country.
The questions from the mere and concerned citizens in and outside the country were: (1) Will the government have enough resources to operate the 28 state governments and Abyei Administrative area? (2) Will South Sudanese elites manage 28 states if they have severely failed in only ten states? (3) Another third question was about the recent signed IGAD plus peace deal and the confusion on how to implement the power-sharing percentages in the new states especially in Upper Nile Region. Good enough, Information Minister Molana Michael Makuei Lueth answered the question in the peace agreement.
Molana Makuei explained that Unity and Upper Nile States which were to be governed by Riek’s opposition movement have now produced 6 new federal states of which Riek Machar will appoint their governors.
To me that point is almost clear and better because even the rebels who are so much interesting about power sharing will now appoint 6 governors instead of two. It is another better chance of creating more jobs and employment for SPLM-IO.
It has been long that people share the state resources together but mostly a lot of regional, tribal and sectional segregations got employed since the coming of SPLM to power in 2005. The habits of corruption and nepotism are believed to have benefited some sections of the communities against others maybe because their sons were former SPLA generals and/or powerful SPLM politicians and their proximity to the President.
This means that for the last eleven years of South Sudan autonomous self-government and independence era it has been crystal clear that some elements in certain states became so rich while certain sections got marginalized – the creation of more states tell those corrupt politicians to go and corrupt their direct villages and chiefdoms.
When the decree was read out by President Mayardit people were so happy to see that at least they are not any longer together with those who have been on their necks in leadership and the running of the state affairs. However, the creation of new states was even a good decision but just in bracket in Tonj Region.
It was just in bracket because some counties with their very small sizes manage to break away and became new state administrations. Some states become so big to the extent that they can still produce even a number exceeding three new states inside them. This is my question. What criteria did the President use to establish 28 states? We are not against 28 states but the method in application seemed to be cheating other new states’ population?
Take for instance in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in which a county of Aweil East was directly promoted into a state and in Warrap where Twic County became a new state and in Lakes State with Cueibet County establishing Gok state. In contradiction Western Lakes State with 4 counties makes one big highly populated state. Why?
Back home in Warrap State we have had previously two districts of Gogrial and Tonj. History has it that Greater Tonj Region is larger in size and population in comparison to Greater Gogrial Region but in the recent decree Gogrial produced 2 states of Gogrial State consisting of Gogrial east and West Counties. Twic Mayardit which was previously called as Gogrial North became a state of its own. Here the method in application is in question and it is confusing as well. We are not against the individual state but asking the criteria of qualification to the state status.
Now there will be no any concrete reason for Tonj population to celebrate for getting a new state because they are seeing it cheated by their brothers who have managed to break away with two states. On Sunday 4th October 2015; the general meeting organized by Greater Tonj Youth Union ended in mess and confusion with youths pointing fingers on politicians because people were not happy to have got only one state!
During the meeting some youths talked bad to the Tonj politicians blaming them of being weak and trying to fail the future of the younger generation of Greater Tonj Region. The ideas that come into people’s minds are: that some lucky counties which have been promoted to statuses of state will now have a governor, ten or eleven ministries and number not exceeding 21 members of parliament and several new county commissioners and payam and boma administrators and many more state commissions. This means some states will employ majority of their educated sons and daughters in their local government while some states with vast land and larger population will still scream over sharing of positions and services delivery; the joined-counties will have to continue wrangling over positions.
In reality Tonj Region has been very loyal to SPLM/A and the current leadership, howver, it has been clear that the loyalists of President Kiir’s government never enjoy their rights. In early and late 1990s President Kiir has been in Tonj Region around the areas of Thiet, Yinhkuel and Mayom Abun. Tonj and Rumbek were used during the war to be the logistics centres in the war of fighting the Arabs and rebellion of Riek Machar and Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, however, currently Mr. President has to look back home in Gogrial to create two more states to allow the rapid development in the region and leave Tonj behind so marginalized because there are no more Arabs and no more Kerubino Kuanyin’s rebellion to rely on Tonj.
History has it that the Tonj Region is a very big constituency out of which Gogrial got born. Abyei Region before 1905 was part of our administration but now we have been subjected to rejection of political and administrative existence.
Previously in 1980s Tonj region had two administrative centres of: Warrap Rural Council and Thiet Rural Council. Thiet Rural Council consisted of the current Tonj East and Tonj South Counties it that should have been a state.
Warrap Rural Council represents current largest Tonj North County there is no problem promoting that into a state status. Tonj citizens have been asking the President to allow the creation of more states in Tonj so far he could allow Gogrial to produce more what is the problem in the South of Warrap State?
Tonj Region has its full rights to look for more states because of lack of infrastructural development in the region unlike Gogrial in which we have built jointly Kuacjok into a beautiful state capital and that there are already roads established from Wau through Kuacjok, Alek, Panliet, Wunrok and Turalei towns plus Wau to Luonyaker road in Gogrial region none of such is found in Tonj Region.
This time the people of Tonj will not consider the issue of lack budget because the same reason should have been applicable on other regions but some people are favoured by the decree and now enjoying while others look clearly on the newly drawn lines of marginalization?
I don’t want to question the constitutional right like what analysts have put but demanding my one more state for Greater Tonj Region.
Tonj Region never remembers the time of not standing with the SPLM movement and government but the recent decision is making recall deep in our brains of what is the mistake punishing Tonj Region in the government led by the movement we have one time nursed and accommodated one heartedly?
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