Taking town to the villages: Jonglei state new commissioners take off to their respective counties
By Mach Samuel Peter, Bor, Jonglei State
September 28, 2016 (SSB) —- The 14 new commissioners of Jonglei State have been deployed to their headquarters on Wednesday in Bor. In a rally organized at Jonglei State Constitutional Square (council of ministers), the fourteen Commissioners re-affirmed their commitments and explain opportunities and strategies in realization of SPLM vision of taking town to the people.
Subsequent by the Presidential Order No.36/2015 AD, for the Establishment of 28 States in the Republic of South Sudan and announcement of defunct ten states, several voices amplified by the citizens across the country continue to welcome the devolution of powers through decentralization saying it will enrich the service delivery and boosting of development of the country side which has suffered for decades.
The Governor of Jonglei State H.E. Philip Aguer Panyang Jot told the Commissioners that service delivery remain fundamentally important for both staff and people at the county headquarters, Payams and Bomas. He prioritized the resettlement of refugees and IDPs.
“Having resettled the people from refugee camps and IDP camps, the county health, education and security practitioners must regularly deliver to attain principled community services delivery,” Governor Aguer told the commissioners.
The commissioner of Duk Padiet County Hon. Michael Malual Wuor Reath said taking town to the people from scratches is about fostering security to avoid intimidation of citizens at all cost such that residents do not flee the area.
Malual requested the security units to avail the list of security apparatus deployed at county headquarters to the commissioners. The commissioners will however supervise, terminate and advertise the positions of workers who have or might have failed to report to work to create job opportunities for youth.
The county education departments especially in former Duk County where infrastructures were reduced to ashes require a lot more effort to be employed to return children to classrooms.
The community elder Mr. Akech Thiak thought the commissioners must be kind, hardworking leaders with good leadership skills to bridge the issues between Twic East and Bor communities.
Twic and Bor are divided politically and slogan of Aguer administration sang as peace, unity and development is what the government is fighting for to strengthen internal fronts. In Diaspora especially in the USA, youth of Bor and Twic East communities are divided over embroiled leadership struggle and names of the association but the commissioners are tasked with internal diplomacy to create good relationship within the youth and the neighboring communities of Murle, Nuer and Mundari.
The Commissioner of Bor Gok County Hon. William Majier Alier had earlier said the Commissioners must explore all the opportunities available at hand to mobilize resources to build county headquarters although establishment of county headquarters must begin under trees.
“There is no sufficient distribution of resources in Bor, so let us establish our county headquarters under trees because we had struggle during 21 years and survived without resources,” William Majier Alier of Bor Gok County said.
The 14 most celebrated County Commissioners of Jonglei State were sworn into office Friday following their appointment two weeks earlier. The governor warns of amalgamation of non-proactive Counties if services are not delivered to the common people as required of the new commissioners.
The government of Jonglei had every-reason to have delayed the establishment of counties and appointment of their commissioners since the beginning of the year because the council of states surprise Jonglei state with 14 counties instead of 11 initially proposed counties and that had to be studied critically. Aguer administration has all the legitimacy to implement document from the council of states signed by the president of the republic of South Sudan Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit recommended by the South Sudan council of states endorsed by local government board.
However the governor warns that any fail counties will be amalgamated and the prosperous ones will be expanded into more counties.
Philip Aguer Panyang Jot had earlier visited 16 counties of which some of them have been promoted to counties today. He pledges his effort as head of government of Jonglei state to visit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Jonglei who were hosted at Minkaman. He also sent a delegation to visit the refugees and cattle keepers displaced by the inter-communal raid by delegating Dr. Agot Alier Leek and their visit with other prominent leaders of Greater Bor double up the moral of the broken hearts to return home.
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.