Did we find a solution to South Sudanese problems by having 28 states created?
6 min readMarol Ariech Mawien, Aweil, South Sudan
October 22, 2015 (SSB) — As problem solvers, we need to find the problem of Sudan, what is the problem of Sudan? Our Late Dr John Garang Mabior himself put this question when he was addressing the gathering, as we know well the problem of Sudan was lack of freedom, democracy, inequality and it was not a secular state, Arabs minorities were the one assuming themselves to be the owners of Sudan, that was why South Sudanese and other Sudanese fought them for almost half a century. Garang was disputing the point that was said, South Sudanese were the problem to themselves, says nobody is a problem to anybody in South Sudan, which might be true at that time Dr John was disputing it.
But today South Sudanese are really the problem to themselves because our problems are an inherited detestation that was planted in us since we were born, we have diversities tribes in South Sudan and those diversities do not have love among themselves, I may think somebody from this tribe is my problem, my enemy I must kill him/her, which is the case in Equatoria, where the Dinka are single out in the travelling buses in the roads to Yei, Terekeka and in Western Equatoria roads.
The killers thought that Dinka is a problem to them, and they deserve to be kill innocently, though the deceases do not know what make him/her to die when he is also poor like killers, we have problem of leadership, where every tribe in South Sudan need to have seat in any government whether national or state they must be represented and for that matter, the politicians who want to grab the chances through tribal line used their political styles to mobilize their communities against other community.
Coming back to the point above, since president announce the creation of 28 states through decree, on 2nd October, everybody was ululating and celebrating for having their own state, which says, we have been dominated all this time long ,and now we will have our own state ,forgetting that your own state cannot make you superior and the problem you left behind ,you would still get it ahead, example is South Sudan as a country, there are problems currently, but before independent ,we were thinking that, Arabs were our problem ,so if we could get our own country, we would be better and develop, today the problems that we were running away from Arabs, were not sabbatical in Sudan, the problems got their own separation from northern Sudan before 9 July 2011 and run to South Sudan waiting for us in the South, as from 9 July 2011 the problems began to entered in to our hearts ,mind and soul, that is tribalism, nepotism and sectarianism etc.
Before separation I heard politicians talking that Arabs in Sudan has insulted South Sudanese that though they are given their own country, they would not manage to govern themselves since South Sudanese are die heart for leadership and division, it was really abhorrent by our politicians but I don’t know today on whether South Sudanese politicians realize that prediction.
Did we find a solution to South Sudanese problem by having 28 states created?
For those who have been proposing the creation of more states can supporting their decision by saying yes, because we are implementing the vision of our Late John Garang of taking town closer to the people which was SPLM vision when they were in the bush period.
As writer the creation of more states is not a solution to our problems in South Sudan but adding more problems, if town is to be taken closer to the people, should it be creation of more states or different thing?
We already have 10 states in South Sudan, what has been achieved in those 10 States?
Nothing completely has been achieved, there are no roads, no good hospitals, no agriculture sectors, no good schools, no good water, no good security, point blank there is no tangible called development that has been achieved for those 10 states, so how dare do we think of other more states when 10 states had shown no development, people are suffering of hunger, diseases and poor road network.
Putting state headquarters, county headquarters and payam or Boma headquarters in certain places shouldn’t be the closer of town to the people but eradication of diseases through construction of good hospitals with well qualify doctors, eradication of hunger by having more farming schemes, construction of tarmac roads and feeder roads, construction of primary and secondary schools with well qualify teachers, creating more jobs and finally security that should be called taking town to the people.
Now government politically has won against his opponents of which they had gain support from all people across South Sudan through this creation of states, the government will also get support from youth that were jobs seekers because at the beginning of 2016 nobody will be jobless, everybody will become government employee, there is going to be a lot of vacancies at the counties level up to states, that will be second won of the government.
There are so many challenges that will face governments of states and counties, I am not thinking on whether there will be enough resources for construction of premises, of which some of the counties will not be having substructures, which mean under tree offices will be the priorities.
Closers of the towns to the people will be very far away ,there will be no development at all ,since 28 governors will be appoint by the president, 28 deputies, commissioners, ministers ,directors, MPs ,cleaners, and all the staffs that will receive salaries ,allowances and v8 cars for governors and ministers ,I don’t think there will be other money left for services delivery to the people where town was taken closer to them.
The best way was to still have 10 states and government at the national should be very sure anything possible is done to the people in all of these four major one, hospitals, schools, roads, water and agriculture schemes plus security which is overall.
The creation of 28 states, I welcome it but would still not be a solution to South Sudanese problems.
To all fellow South Sudanese, I like your caution in this creation of 28 states; it shouldn’t bring more problems with in the same people of the same state where you previously stayed, this is administrative division, it got nothing with the social relation, people should remain as one people forever. To my fellow Aweilians, keep your spirit as Aweilians, instead of dividing yourselves through state lines, we will still have one Aweil community, one Aweil Student Union or whatever we are doing since we were one community.
Marol Ariech Mawien is a concerned South Sudanese living in Aweil, NBEGS to be reached at marolnyirou@ymail.com
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