Establishment of 12 New Counties in Jonglei State: A Response to Jonglei state civil society groups.
7 min readEstablishment of 12 New Counties in Jonglei State, Making Sense of Community Social Development: A Response to Jonglei state civil society groups.
By David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
May 4, 2016 (SSB) —- Congratulations to Hon. Philip Aguer Panyang, and his state administration including state legislature, judiciary, senators representing Jonglei state in national government, and greater Bor community at large for positive step they have taken toward social development in the state. The establishment of 12 new counties in Jonglei state is a reason why we fought for more than four decades to achieve this development today, and more.
When Dr. John Grang de Mabior talked of “taking towns to people rather than people to towns”, he was talking of inclusivity of services in towns to be taken to the rural people and to avoid massive immigration of villagers to towns, because this migration may cause severest alleviation poverty although South Sudan is a rich country. Now by making small rural towns like 12 counties in Jonglei state and other states in South Sudan, the methods of security for citizens, socio-economic, social services, socio-cultural innovation for example modern Agriculture, education, health, roads, and clean drinking water will be delivered by diverse authorities than huge burden awaiting cake in various areas of South Sudan to be address by central government in Juba but states and counties authorities will work as eyes, and hands for central government to meet social needs, and that is why creation of more counties in Jonglei state is to work hard and generate their resources, not to wait for the resources from Jonglei state revenue sources or oil money from the central government.
On the 10th February 2016, I used my mind for Title of “A proposal of additional ten (10) new counties in Jonglei State”. In my article, I mentioned many things, which a community called Greater Bor Community had cheated itself for some years back, things they putted forward as blockage to their own development including lack of resources, issues of division among the people, but I had been talking of 10 additional to 3 counties existing already. It was so clear according to our geographical area, population and statistics of human capital and manpower. All Jonglei state payams that qualified for counties, and estimated 13,000 educated sons/daughters and professionals can speedy the development very fast.
In the same development, I described that our resources are bigger than population and quality and quantity of these resources can afford small rural towns very effectively and sufficiently. In greater Bor community, we have oil in three areas of Totel/Malualagorbaar, Jallee, and Akeer. We also have domestic and wild life animals, as well as fisheries, and agriculture. All these are sources of revenue to develop our economy at the state level to national level and back from national level to states levels.
To talk of few, our people dislike directives simply when Dr. John Garang de Mabior asked them for more counties in 2005,which couldn’t happen, did you think where if counties were created in 2005, it would have been better, for example, Bor county would have been two counties during Garang’s proposal, but to make it short, I mentioned counties before to be 13 in number such as follows, and Therefore I would like to mention state counties by saying that our counties should appear in South Sudan history such as Bor county – Bor Town, Kolnyany county, Anyidi county, Makuach county, Baidit county, Jalle county, Maar county, Palieu county, Waguli county, Kongor/ Pawal county, Lith /Warnyiol county , Duk Padiet county, and Duk Payuil county.
According to Gurtong website, 3-4-2016, Hon. Governor Philip Aguer established 12 counties and named headquarters as follows: “The Government of Jonglei State announced the creation of the following Counties; Bor South County [Kolnynag], Bor East County [Anyidi], Bor Central county [Makuach], Bor West County [Baidit] and Bor North County [Jalle]. Twic North County [Panyangor], Twic Central County [Wangulei] and Twic South [Adubaar but temporarily in Maar] Duk Padiet County [Padiet], Duk Payuel [Payuel] and Panyang County [Pajut]”
The cause of my writing is not because Jonglei state government has done similarities and differences to my proposal of February 10, 2016, but I came across a shortcut shooting pitfall or unsuspected of danger or difficult, which cover a trap in Jonglei state development from the civil society that, “Civil Society groups in Jonglei state rejects the creation of more counties in the state”. I wondered when I read through the statement of civil society, why for a civil society groups who are called voice of voiceless opted against the society will and development where they are supposed to advocate for, a civil society who never know their roles in the community, a civil society by name only?
I want to ask Jonglei state civil society groups, what is development? What is small rural town? What is a civil society? What is a county? Why are people decided to live in towns? If you attempt to answer one question of the above questions, you will understand yourself why many counties are created in Jonglei state. Your statement is totally contrary to your name. What is the danger of more counties in Jonglei state, which is not a danger to other states and being avoided?
In an interview with The PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers [SSB], your mire excuses reached out and one of your information officer, Jongkuch Jo Jongkuch say that, “when he hears the new creation of more counties in Jonglei state he was disappointed. The government is creating more counties while the current government is not even managing to afford to pay their staffs and even the vehicles for their staffs and ministers”, he said.
When I came across civil society groups’ rejection in Jonglei state for the creation of more counties, I was shocked because civil society in Jonglei state is the only civil society rejecting counties in their own state, but in 28 states, more counties are all over created without any objection. With their doom point, the means of civil society in Jonglei state doesn’t know how to encourage hard working in the state! The civil society thinks government is not paying staffs, fuel for vehicles, and ministers and may avoid creation of new counties and is not a right point by the way. There is no government in the world that distributes and pays everyone like a government of South Sudan. Your statement make people become consumers than hard working people. Your thinking makes people non-productive and unemployed. To depend on government! Who is an old man call government to prepare basket bread for everybody if people don’t want to work? How old is your government that you rely on and leave behind ways people used to survive longtime ago? You mean government failed to pay staffs then no county to be created? Is this what you mean? If I were in authority that civil society would be dissolved because it has no use.
A tough civil society may know from the top-bottom, this development, which is happening in Jonglei state today is what created the new Jonglei in 2 Oct 2015 from the greater Jonglei and your rejection for new counties is unbecoming, backward, blindfolded, with interpersonal interest, and a careless handling, because this development is happening all over South Sudan and it would have occurred thousand years ago if we were freed, but marginalization, Islamization, and colonies blocked this social development in South Sudan since. Now with big shadow of 28 states, payams become counties and Bomas become payams, and sub-Boma will be a Boma.
In conclusion, I thought civil society groups in Jonglei state was headed by educated people who have passed through academic, and the academic has passed through them. People who can go out and educate the societies of greater Bor Community to work hard like their grandfathers and mothers and make Jonglei state a special place in the heart of South Sudan and Africa. People who may avoid spirit of laziness in the state. Reliable men and women who can make Jonglei state rebuild in term of Agriculture, education, hospitals, and other social development than bringing it down. I don’t know where are these groups came from, those who never know the hard working people of Jonglei state years back, when the whole South Sudan are developing their counties and Jonglei state remain behind? Finally, identify yourself and reject your own payam instead you generalize the whole process. Development will never wait for you but I appreciate Hon. Governor of Jonglei state, Philip Aguer Panyang, your work is a clear dream of how our state and counties want to become, congratulations for job well done.
The author is a co-founder of National Mental Health Care Organization; He holds Bachelor degree in social work and social administration from SSCUST, Bachelor degree in Theology from Christian Life Teaching Bible College, Kalispell Montana, USA. He can be reach at tonggaid551@yahoo.com/davidmatiopgai@gamil.com
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