South Sudan: Where are our heroes after the Late Father Dr. John Garang?
4 min readBy Abel Majur Leek, Bor, Jonglei State
September 3, 2016 SSB) — “Some people are so good that nothing a leader can do will make them better; others are so incorrigible that nothing be done to improve them. But the great bulk of the people go with the moral tide of the moment. The leader must help to create that tide”- Anonymous.
Pens can easily run dry of ink these days when ever one seats down to think of a true South Sudanese Hero after our late Hero Dr. John Garang Mabior. I have persuaded myself to write on this issue now else, we would all be adrift as individual, corporate or in our national life.
With my little sense of history, I remember people like Late Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel who, in face of defeat by the Palestinians vowed “You cannot decide whether we will fight or not, you can only decide one thing; whether or not we shall be victorious.” That was the only capsule needed by Israelis to recover all their occupied territories by Palestinians it worked after a fast in the trying times of Israel. Today, Golan Height is still a subject of world attention many years after that successful strong will of a leader.
Winston Churchill, another leader who was disappointed at the poor performance of the parliament during his tenure as president, busted out and said “It is no use saying ‘we are doing our best’, You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Another leader Marcus Aurelius told his people “Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish.”
In India, the story of Mahatma Gandhi is a repeat class study yearly. Still going on the lane of history, now at home, of cause we have those without whom, our independence would have taken longer to achieve. But at what age did they begin the fight? What was their achievement then and, why is it that the values they beheld then have all vanished and replaced with greed, greed, self! self!! and Self!!!?
Frederick Douglas said that “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that … if there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning and they want ocean without the awful roar of its many waters”
Our remaining heroes are all on the line with a date with our Father in Heaven. They have made efforts to bequeath to us knowledge and character worthy of emulation. But most are choosing money which will, like most other things perish.
The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes. Are we ready for the soon coming wind of change? Do we even recognize the change? If we do, then let us concentrate our energy, thoughts and capital upon the things we are engaged. Let us stop resolve to have peace on that line and lead in it. Change comes in attire called coverall and it is called work. Little of it daily will take us to the journeys’ end.
If we cannot work to be one of the heroes of our time, let us work during the next future to be one of the heroes of the moment. If you are not crowned by man, God who sees the thoughts and attitudes of the heart will reward all our leaders for the benefit of South Sudanese citizens.
Long live to our hero’s
Long live our leaders
For interactions: Abel Majur Leek tweets from @nuerleek. He can be contacted through abeleek2@gmail.com
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