Gordon Buay Put Dok Nuer Community in the News for Wrong Reasons
By Dak Buoth, Nairobi, Kenya
June 26, 2016 (SSB) — Any social critic who claims to be right on anything s/he says is incorrect. Ambassador Gordon Buay is a social critic, one who loves to speak his mind on contemporary socioeconomic and political issues openly no matter who it is for or against; and that to me is a commendable attitude which I respect and uphold at pedestal. In fact I encourage him to soldier on despite the turbulence that come with it. We can’t ignore or downplay what he says because he had attained the requisite credentials needed of an authority. Since time immemorial, no reasonable person has ever claimed to be right all the times. Arguably, even those of you who are religious fanatic must begin to know that God is not absolutely correct.
Notwithstanding the fact that social critics are not always truthful discussants, I say let us not intimidate them instead let us imitate them; and if we cannot imitate them, let’s embrace and respect their preferred way of expressing their views about the happenings in society. The future lies on the free speakers. Ideally, whenever they raise or brought up particular issue to light, let’s open up our ears and analyses the particulars of the case objectively devoid of any prejudice. Where we spotted faults, we shall regroup and discuss it lividly not timidly, and put it into mincemeat.
Always Face the Argument not Arguer
This week, on or about 22nd and23rd June, 2016, Gordon Buay let out the cat out of the bag. He wrote two politically charged articles entitled ‘‘Dokenization of the SPLM-IO is undeniable, and SPLM-IO Nuer need to admit the truth’, and immediately he posted the same piece online, the editors of the popular Paris based online newspaper ‘Sudan tribune’ picked and published it unedited. In his excerpts he accused Dr. Machar, the leader of the SPLM-IO of practicing vices inter alia, nepotism, patronage and sectionalism. He said the first vice president Dr. Machar had employed junior and inexperienced military officers from his Dok Nuer clan at his residence and other senior government offices in Juba.
The articles rattled the snake; it elicited delirious reactions both from SPLM-IO camp and from Dok community members. With exception of a few whose reactions I read throughout the week, many choose to attack the arguer (Gordon Buay) and avoid confronting the arguments (facts.) Guys were just insulting him, calling him names such as Nuerwew, madman, and that he is illiterate and self-proclaimed Ambassador et cetera. In my view, those guys got it wrong to hurl such insults instead of massaging the facts propagated therein.
By simply insulting the arguer, they almost reduced the conversation in to a mere ‘shouting match’ which nearly gave credit to Gordon Buay is claims in the eyes of outsiders who aren’t privy to the allegations. It wasn’t justifiable to call Buay uneducated and a self-proclaim Ambassador. He is Master Degree holder in Law, and he is in government pay roll hired by the same government to do what he is now doing. He was appointed by President Salva Kiir who later appointed Dr. Machar as his vice president in accordance with the peace accord.
In the same veins, even if he is an illiterate or self-proclaim Ambassador as they claimed, to me that shouldn’t be the manner to response to him. They have gone astray by discussing personality. There is always wide difference between an ‘illiterate persons and educated fool’. This is your assignment, go and research and find out the meaning.
One thing that made me felt disgusted to a point where I almost abandoned this trending topic was that those who bitterly gave their reactions on Buay articles, were those who always believed that Dr. Machar is ever Right on anything he does or says which to me is incorrect and sycophantic.
Be warned of ‘yes’ supporters
In any event, when a leader rounded himself with ‘yes’ supporters who regard him as saint, there is likelihood such leader wont ascend to power and if he did ascend to power via other dubious means, ultimately, he won’t perform the task to the best of his or her ability. IF Dr. Machar encourages his supporters to think in that way, than their chances are as good as over because two wrongs never make one right.
They say and I quote, ‘‘True leadership isn’t found seeking the spotlight, but to shine the spotlight on others. The best leaders only use ‘I’ when accepting responsibility for failures. Likewise, they are quick to use ‘’We’’ when referring to success’’ If Dr. Machar wants to be president and not vice president, he should heed to critics’ criticisms whether positive or vice versa; and no matter how often and the volumes they are delivered. If they develop gut to embrace both internal and external critics, they’re good to go, and in the end, he will be a leader to be ‘celebrated not tolerated’ like General Kiir Mayardit. He should be difference from General Kiir who had opted to denounce any critics and sound advises which can help him succeed in his presidency. However General KIIR knows he is already a President, and it is matter of being a good president or bad one,
Over times, it is always rare for someone to say wrong things intentionally, whenever individual raise an issue incorrectly, at first s/he assumed he was doing correct thing, hence what need to be done in response to Gordon Buay is to give him informative and educative replies which can help him change his perception toward what he previously dislike or to have him think twice, and this is what I opted to do herein.
Dokenization Policy does not exist yet
Ambassador Gordon had selected a wrong word, ‘Dokenization’ I don’t know where he derived this terminology, and I don’t know what he means by ‘Dokenization. I assumed he mean to say, there is exiting policy in SPLM-IO camp to employ Dok community members because of those few individuals he claimed were employed irregularly. If that is what Gordon Buay mean, than he had put the larger Dok community members in news for wrong reasons. There is no policy like that. Among the individuals he mentioned, no one can or has ever played the interest of Dok community, as such we must learn to separate individual and community interest.
In any event, if one uses common term to discuss a particular phenomenon, s/he will definitely attract an avalanche of criticism alike from various quarters. If Buay could not differentiate or see a thick line between Dok community and Riek Machar’s rule than he is getting it wrong. By using the word ‘Dokenization in his analysis ’, I will not be wrong to say he has even attacked me in one way or another, as such I felt oblige to tender my opinion. Nonetheless, like I said above, I’m just going to inform him not to misinform him.
Advice to Dok Community
Before I go further, I want to pause and give a little advice to a few members of Dok community who reacted bitterly. Inasmuch as I recognized and appreciate your right to react in whichever way one chooses, I want to say from legal perspective that this baseless accusation labeled by Buay does not amount to defamation against any individual Dok member. Usually, when someone did or say a word against a group comprising of 100 people or more, no single member of that group can claims injuries or damages for libel or slander. In nutshell no one can sought legal redress because it’s general and no one can take it as his own.
More significantly, remember one solomonic word which says ‘‘when you see boys throwing stones up on a tree, perhaps that tree has got ripe fruits’’ you never know maybe there is something good in the Dok community which you don’t see, perhaps that is the reason as to why people like Gordon Buay and the likes came throwing mud on everyone’s face.
Gordon Buay put Dok community on news for wrong reasons
In Machar’s decade’s political career, he was never seen practicing or encouraging nepotism and or favoring individual on the basis of family background; if there individuals from his Dok clan who were irregularly employed or deploy in or outside his residence, I’m sure he is not the one who took them there, perhaps he is unaware of their presence there. Those who want to discuss Machar political blunders should exclude the point that he favors his clan or family members.
Sometime you may find individuals are employed in certain higher offices of government, but they may not necessary do the interest of the communities they hails from; thus even if we agree with Buay on facts that some Dok military guys have find themselves in Machar’s residence through dubious ways, I will not agree that such individuals will do something to larger Dok community. Maybe they’re going to play or serve the interest of their master or their families.
Deploying more security officers from Dok community isn’t favoritism but a fault
On the same note, if there several guys from Dok community serving as security officers at Machar’s residence, to me I will not consider that as favorable, I will view it as fault considering the risk that come with such duty. Take for instance, before and during the war, when president Kiir was alleged to have brought and trained boys dubbed ‘’Dut Ku beny’’ from his home turf to serve as human shield, can that be consider as favorable or fault? Today if one check the where about of those boys from Barel Gazel, you may find most of them have died in this war, is that the benefit people wants?
Everyone knows that Dok territories were badly destroyed by this ongoing war, hundreds civilians have been kill and properties worth million destroy unlike any other places affected by the conflict, Machar and company could have appointed one from Dok community in the docket of humanitarian affairs but he did do that, instead he gave it to Hon. Husien Mar whose areas was not hit most by the conflict. Moreover, Gordon Buay claimed Gen. Gathon Jual hails from Dok Nuer which is untrue.
Dok community members can afford to rent hotels in Juba
In his latest post, Buay said he will soon produce another list of all Dok community Members who were irregularly employed by the office of vice President and those who are accommodated in hotels in Juba; before he goes on rampage throwing mud on everybody’s face, I want to tell him of one thing he is unaware of;
That Dok community members like any other community in South Sudan has hard working people who have toiled for so many years trying to make a living for their families and the country at large. Most of them are able to rent houses and afford to live in restaurants and hotels of their choices in South Sudan, region and across the world.
He should be mindful not every member of Dok Community was accommodated in Juba by the office of Vice President. Many Dok community members like any other community in Sudan have the required academic qualifications to seek and compete with others in the white collar Jobs, as such they can live and survive with or without Riek Machar. Gordon Buay should remember, so many of them on Kiir political side have been employed and are holding senior military and other position there.
Let me Finalize with recent story, one of my soul mate by the name Chak Gatnyang Riak alias wrong side who hails from Dok community, around mid-2012, we tasked him to explain a petition seeking the postponement of Unity States University students elections date in Kenya in Nairobi Hotel; on ground that the voters registry was not produce at the election day, one of his opponent later call to him and said, ‘’Brother Gatnyang you’re very strong man, even though I disagreed with you on the election postponement, I like the way you articulates the points. Tomorrow if you’re task to represent the people of unity state elsewhere, you can do the best’’
We can disagree with Gordon Buay now as we stated, but let’s recognize and appreciate his ability and agility when it comes to discussing issues boldly without fear of reprisal.
The writer lives in Kenya, he can be reach for comments 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.
About Post Author
