SSSAK insults and exalts me; I opted for the latter
By Dak Buoth, Nairobi, Kenya
February 19, 2016 (SSB) — Let me first wish the current members of SSSAK and its Alumni, the likes of Daniel Dut Makwet a happy Valentine day wherever they may be. As the title read, SSSAK did insult and exalt me as well, but I opted for exalt rather than insults hurled at me.
Allow me at the onset to shed light on what I referred to as ‘exalt’ to me. On 12th October last year, the current head of SSSAK Mr. Bol informed me via telephone that he appointed me together with other colleagues to do the arduous task of rewriting and reviewing the SSSAK constitution 2010. I then turned downed his offer with ten (10) reasonable points which I explained well to him.
One of the ten reasons why I turn downed the offer was that, I had been in that Association long enough and I tried to do what I could to the best of my ability; hence whatever I would do again no matter how relevance it is, may not be much appreciated by members because when someone has been somewhere for some times, chances are that, his services are little wanted; I may also be viewed by fellows as retrogressive while I’m progressive in nature. Though I acknowledge the fact that, the Association can take advantage of my presence and would still want me render my contribution, but I advised him to get new faces to determine the fate and future of the Association.
He seemed to have agreed fully at that time. Again this year, on 4th January, 2016, he called me and said he was not convinced with the ten reasons which I gave him last year; and thus he encouraged me to change my mind; that he understood my concerned for turning down the task, but he still want me to do the job for them. That he and his executive committee believed I have served the Association well and that I know the challenges that faced SSSAK; and that I would stand a better chance to help craft a good document.
Their Secretary General confirmed to me a month later that they held that I’m among the capable guys to execute that mandate. When I heard such glowing tributes, I rethink and immediately rescinded my decision and promised to work for them as they wished. I told myself, this is the voice of the people and the voice of the people is deemed to represent the voice of God.
From that instance, I assured Mr. Bol that I will redraft my tied schedule to do the job with all my energies.
Upon hearing that, Mr Bol went straight and submitted my name to the Students supreme council for popular approval and endorsement. And on 29th January 2016, Mr. Taupiny, the speaker of the students’ council phoned inviting me to appear before his council at exactly 12.00pm at Pal meetings Hall, Nairobi. Unfortunately, I had traveled to Kisii Town that night, I told him I may not make it to the meeting for I’m far away.
The speaker called off the meeting pending my return to Nairobi city. Since then, I have been trying hard to find time so that I could go and appear before that respected council and reiterate my commitment to do that which they want me to do for them.
I took that honorable call to review the SSSAK constitution as an exalts accompanied with challenge, and I vowed to do for them the best with all my abilities as I have never done before. I like to be associated with SSSAK because it taught me think i could not learn elsewhere. I also met and build butch of friends some of whom became my other brothers.
However, what I regarded as insults to me emanated from below story; on 2nd this February 2016, Mr. Bol ranged my phone at 1:11pm, I found he tried to call me one hour before but my phone was off. I was attending a lecture session, immediately I switched on my phone, he called back. We started with our usual friendly and cordial greetings, ‘shunu ya dhol kabiir’’ he asked me, ‘tamam ya Ukuma’’ I replied. That is where my Arabic language ended. He was very moody and on a light state and laughably at that time.
We laughed for a few seconds, I asked him jokingly, I think you have goodies for us today? ‘‘ hahaha, nothing at all, we’re just here at the periphery of Nairobi city’’ he replied. I think he was just setting the stage. Shortly afterward, he began and said, he called me on issues pertaining our press statements which appeared on Paris based Sudan tribune.com and other media platforms. That many people called him expressing serious dissatisfaction regarding the content of our articles.
That many people call him as far as from Juba, especially members of the Kiir regime asking whether he knows me or whether he was working with me, and if he knows me, he was advised to keep a distance from us. He went on adding that even some members of SSSAK called him expressing similar view. That the main concern SSSAK members are angry about was because the media sometime like putting the name ‘students’ and to them, it read as if all students in Kenya wanted Governor Joseph Bakosoro release or as if they all accepted Salva Kiir’s recent apology over the ongoing war in South Sudan.
Thirdly, that he personally have no problem with our press statements or my writing generally. As such, he acknowledged that the call for Bakosoro’s release is the sound voice; and even the demand for accountability regarding the president’s recent apology is right because only a guilty person can apologized.
Moreover, he went on and said timidly, that the major issue was because of those people calling him with threatening sentiments about our activities appearing on public domain, and because of that, he advised me if possible I could desist from publishing statements of such nature.
As matter of fact, I became very sympathetic of him and those members of SSSAK whom he said were angry with me too. I told him point blank, that I have never claimed to write on behave of SSSAK neither am i even interested for someone to say that I have served in that Association before. Whether one refer me as former SSSAK leader or not is really none of my business. i don’t dwell on the pass. i want to be judge for what i do now and not yesteryear, period.
I told him, perhaps the reason why media always preferred the titled ‘students’ on any statement we made is because they say I served in that Association before, which is undeniable fact. Secondly, our movement known as Congress of South Sudan Patriots comprised of members who are students here in Kenya including myself, therefore our occupation as students override other titles. Moreover, as long as one is still alive, he is still student because he keeps learning every day of his life; and learning is not necessarily formal or academic alone; therefore, anybody denying that whatever we do should not carry the title ‘student’ is not telling public the truth.
On the same note, I advised him that, if indeed there are some members of SSSAK who are not happy with the two statements we made, let them call me and I will come to expound meticulously about what we wrote. After about some minutes, his airtime got exhausted in the course of our conversation, and I called him back. I told him, I would be coming to Nairobi town over the weekend; we could meet and educate ourselves on the same.
Luckily, two days after, I got an invitation for interview with KANERE media at Westland city, Nairobi, (KANERE) stand for Kakuma news reflector, courtesy of Jerusalem multimedia festival, that media group were filming the leading storytellers of the refugees in Kenya, Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom; and the theme of that filming program was title, ‘without a Home’’ I was very interested to be part of that discussion. Come Friday evening on 4th, January 2016, i ferried to Nairobi to take part in that crucial debate. I also planned to meet him the following day which was Saturday 5th over the weekend either on Sunday or Saturday after I’m done with that interview.
Surprisingly, while I was in the bus coming to Nairobi and meet him as we planned, I received a text message from SSSAK executive committee member which he lead; the guy told me to peruse an article which Mr. Bol wrote and published at Paanluelwel blog, in response to our two press statements which appeared on Sudan tribune earlier last week.
When I log-in via my Samsung phone, I did found his ‘first ever libelous Article’ which says that I should be charge for ‘treason. In other words, he wished I should be killed or spends the rest of my life behind bars if he had authority akin to that of Salva Kiir, simply because we made Press Statements accepting president Kiir’s recent apology and asked for accountability and for demanding the release of Governor Joseph Bakosoro from detention in the capital Juba.
In the same vein, he stated other abusive sentiments saying that I’m just a prophet of doom, self-defeated student and a Goon. He also claimed that I had never served SSSAK at any one time. He further dismissed and denies the existence of our tiny and vocal progressive movement, an exiled based civil society known Congress of South Sudanese Patriots et cetera cetera.
To tell you the truth, when I first saw Bol’s article, I could not believe it, in fact, if I watch or heard his comments in video clip, I would presume maybe it was just a ‘slip of a tongue; Good enough, it is just a wishful thinking, furthermore, I don’t fear death and I’m not ready to die.
While in Nairobi, I was advised by some colleagues of mine whom I shared Mr. Bol’s onslaught against me, they advised me that, there was no need to meet him on the same issue because he had already made his conclusion. This brings me to ask whether they still want me to do the task of rewriting the constitution or not, i feel chances to do that are narrow.
The following day on 5th, I abruptly met SSSAK deputy Speaker counsel Gatmai Buom and Naath Youth leader Mr. Tut-kuach at Tom Mboya walks, right before we shook hands, Gatmai began by asking me what really went wrong with Mr. Bol? I asked, about what? About the article he wrote, he replied to me. But I thought it was SSSAK’s statement. i responded to him. He said no, he went further and explained to me that, the views peddled in that article are solely his own as an individual. That information served slightly as relieved to me.
In addition, Gatmai told us that, on the day our Article appeared on Sudan tribune.com, titled South Sudan Students demand ex-Governor’s release, he said he received phoned call from his Boss Mr.Taupiny asking him who is this man call Dak Buoth? Upon hearing this I nodded with surprise, because Mr. Taupiny knows me very well. That Mr. Taupiny proposed to him if possible, they should reply to our articles, but Gatmai declined to back up his idea on simple grounds that he didn’t see anything wrong in article which need correction unless we want to make a rejoinder in support of Bakosoro release, and not anything else. Counsel Gatmai’s version made me arrived to a conclusion that the views aired in the article only represents that of Bol and Taupiny’s and not SSSAK as an institution.
We tried to understand together and asked, what could prompt Mr. Bol’s sudden change of mind and began speaking in that manner? Mr. Tutkuach told us Mr. Bol called him on the same night our article appeared on Sudan tribune. That he wanted to know his stance or opinion about our demand for Bakosoro’s release from prison, Tutkuach said he responded to him saying, even a villager who have never stepped in class one could not dispute the call to have him release from detention and be brought to court. He said when Mr. Bol heard that wisdom, he stopped, instead he asked Tutkuach to send him the contacts of Sudan tribune.com which he never did because he does not have it.
Relatively, on Sunday 31st January, a day after we release our statement, Mr. Jimme Miading, the immediate former organizing secretary for 2015 SSSAK electoral commission wrote to me via my Facebook account asking for my Telephone number which I did. On the same day at around 1:00 PM, Jimme rang me asking for a number of certain news reporter call Simon, when I told him I don’t have Simon number, he again asked me to give him the Sudan tribune contacts. I advised him to login at www. Sudantribune.com and he will find their contact.
When I asked him to tell me about the statement he wanted to published, he just told me he had a message which needs to be published. Again,on 1st February, comrade Atem Ayuel called sending me his applause; and he said the Article was masterpiece; and that it is well written. Atem added in his usual combative approach to issues and said, but Governor Bakosoro was among the cliques who were milking that regime in the first place.
I did agree with him, but we concurred and acknowledge as aspiring common law litigants, that even an accused person still enjoy certain constitutional rights which must be safeguarded. After that, Atem also asked me for Sudan tribune email, I still repeat what I advised Jimme Miading before. That they just need to login on Sudan tribune website and find the details which one can use to reaction them.
It is Mr. Bol’s statement that made think SSSAK insult me, and this excerpt you’re reading is not a response to Mr. Bol’s article. I write to state my position on this two contradicting views on me.
At first, they have appointed me to help them rewrite their constitution; as i stated therein, I very much regarded that as an honor and exalts on my part, and because of that, I decided to downplay this second version where they again said I’m self-defeated student, Goon, Prophet of doom and someone who have never assisted the Association in one way or another.
I really sympathized with him. I guessed perhaps he didn’t mean to say those words against me, because if he did, there would be no reason for him to tasked a self-defeated student to review or rewrite a living document, and there would be no way they could entrust a goon with such noble duty.
As I’m aware, SSSAK don’t give token or stipend or allowance to anyone tasked or commissioned to do something for Association because SSSAK doesn’t have money. It’s just a social welfare Association whose objectives include inter alia; Helping south Sudanese students in Kenya to socialize and nurturing and enhancing their leadership skills.
In any event, if one is tasked to do anything, s/he always uses his or her own resources to make the work become a success. In fact I’m move to say, it is as if the person does it at his own peril; and I wonder how they would expect a thug to be using his resources in fulfilling that duty.
In their article they said, I have transferred from my previous learning institution to another, I asked myself, how does that had to do with our articles, because it is normal for one to move from one institution to another, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
On the other hands, two students can go and enroll same time in an institution and they may not exit or finished together due to some external or internal factors. That cannot make a judgment that he who remains is a failure. In fact, Dr. Ben Carson said, ‘’great men finish last’’
The ‘ruling’ that I should be’ charge’ for ‘treason’ is just an opinion because it is not anchored on any law. There is no iota of article in south Sudan transitional constitution which says, I can be charge for treason because I criticizes my President or because I call on him to stand down. In fact, it is provided for in the constitution that is why there is suppose to be an election after every five years to decide whether to maintain or remove the head of state from office.
As student of arts, law and Government in Africa, I know what the citizens expect from their government based on their ‘’social contract’’ and from the biblical viewpoint; Roman 13: (1) read, there are three fundamental functions of any government, that is; (1) The preservation of order, (2) the promotion of good and the punishment of evil; (3) the raising and spending of common man’s taxes in the interest of the common good.
It is further said and I quote, ‘the most important responsibility of government is the preservation of Order and the protection of its citizens….and the most important civil liberty is the freedom from harm on the part of civilian population, without which other liberties mean very little’’
In the same vein, one security and legal pundit in the person of Mcllroy, once assert, ‘‘injustice creates insecurity. And ultimately it creates insecurity not only for the oppressed but also for their oppressors. Poverty on the one hand, especially in the midst of gross inequalities of wealth, is a breeding ground for riots, revolts, terrorism and revolution’’ and unless one live in planet Mars, s/he would agree that the present SPLM regime have thoroughly failed in delivering the above mentioned functions and or they don’t know those functions.
I considered it my personal duty as a reasonably citizen to join other progressive forces in the country or abroad to push Salva Kiir out of state affairs. I refused to give him a benefit of doubt. From the look of things today, since 2012, 2013, 2014, and this worse year 2016, I cannot entrust him with even slight duty. Even as he continues to hold on power, he does not have my consent. He is ruling my country by force of armed.
If I call myself a citizen of south Sudan, I also know it is not just a mere birth right but rather an obligation. And i concur with Chief justice Dr. Mutunga who said in speech that, ‘many of us are born into this country, but few pause to ask what that really means. We are often quick to claim our citizenship but we rarely give a thought to what it means vis a vis the other citizens. Citizenship is an obligation to self, the state, and to each other, always acknowledges that your fellow countrymen have the same rights and being our brother and sisters’ keepers is an importance element of citizenship. We must willingly give up something for the benefit of others to live and enjoy life like us’’
When we decide with others to fight for Governor Joseph Bakosoro’s release, I thought and I know that I owes him a duty of care; I know I was playing my role as his keeper; and as a citizen who believe in the rule of law.
I don’t know Bakosoro personally neither do we share ethnic background nor do we hailed from western Equatoria. I was just condemning the injustice done against him, because ‘what goes around comes around’
In conclusion, based on how I worked with Mr. Bol in SSSAK before, we used to strategize and implement issues together plus the cordial discussion we had on 2nd February about the article, I could not attempt to judge him wrong until I heard him verbatim.
I learned something call ‘’coercion or duress’’ it says sometime a person can commit injurious act without his consent, and when s/he testify that he does what he did out of force or threat he stand high chance to be exonerated in the court of law.
Many colleagues whom I talked to about Bol’s article encouraged me to respond to Mr. Bol’s article in the language he used, and I understand their reactions, but I said to myself. If I responded to him in the language he use, perhaps I may say something which can have negative effect on the image of SSSAK as all, and I don’t want to be party to anything that may injure the image of that Association which I spend my precious time, resources and intellect to build and reorganized so that it can remain alive for the benefit of those who are there now including Mr. Bol and those who may join it later.
Finally, I dismissed all his sentiments that he parroted against in that excerpt, as malicious and libelous in nature; but still I respect his views because Voltaire still right when he assert, ‘‘I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it
The writer is the Designate SSSAK constitutional review commissioner 2016, you can reach him via eligodakb@yahoo.com
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.
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