Big Fish let loose as small ones are fried: The unfair treatment of Agou John Wuoi
7 min readJohn Agou is being Treated Unfair: 14 Men out, Little Boy Remain Isolated to Bear Their Crime
By Deng Kur Deng, Pennsylvania, USA
December 21, 2017 (SSB) — In the wake of a crumbling economy and crisis that has hit every corner of the country, our people have resorted to their usual tactics–unconstructive criticism. Now, blaming leaders for the corruption has become the number one subject of conversation in and out of the country.
However, we the people have seen courage, strength, boldness, openness, and confidence from General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the president of South Sudan, in the decisions he took to try to better the lives of our people after over three years of ruthless war. However, on the different note, frustration is known to drives out talking position. With that in mind, we the family members of John Agou are waiting patiently for real and fair justice to take its course.
We will continue to wait, but our patience is hanging loosely. Unfortunately, Mr. President, we are still troubled with indignation at witnessing John, who has invested a lot in his job, being set up and smeared by the engineers of troublemakers. These kinds of actions have confused the justice system and are quite insidious to vulnerable citizens like John Agou.
Amidst these problems, citizens like myself are obligated to try to restrain from criticizing the government here and there. I am a strong member of the ruling party, the SPLM, and I trust the President’s insights and his commitment to our country, but I believe in fair justice for all and with that, I will share my views on the matter.
For those who have accused Uncle John Wuoi Chuit of not having trained or advised his son appropriately: you are not making a well-justified claim. Wuoidit has raised a number of boys and girls, and many of his children are well educated: one has completed his second masters and is rooting for a PhD and working for the U.S.A government and a number of them have Bachelor degrees.
Agou whose life is being distorted has a master. Uncle Wuoidit is not a simple person, as naysayers have uttered after the incident involving John Agou. I have known Uncle John all my life and I am very confident and proud to say that he is by far better than many fathers who have neglected their children and responsibilities.
John Agou’s smear is not from a lack of leadership from his family, rather it is something engineered to scapegoat him. This young man’s longstanding reputation is being scrutinized, and it is nerve-wracking to see John Agou and his family being torn apart by those who don’t understand the importance of family.
We are outraged by such unlawful practices being carried out by the elements of the government. This has created uncertainty around sweeping corruption, which has prompted citizens to question the integrity of the country’s legal system.
The investigation has worried us from the beginning, and many are troubled by the idea because the evidence was being manipulated to suit the interests of well-protected officials. This is why the apparatus of the government is very complex to understand, even for well-informed citizens.
As of right now, Deng Aloor is no longer in that situation, but Arthur Akuein, who was responsible for the current crisis and corruption in general, has stolen an unbelievable amount of money but has not been tried in the court of law. There have been repeated questions of why this particular group and not the previous group, which stole $4 billion should be punished.
In response, the system said jokingly, “Justice must start with this group” because they are considered the latest wrongdoers and their actions denote a lack of transparency in the justice system, which no longer about all the men but John Agou who President have left in prison to bear crime of all men who were released. Where is the justice towards John Agou–a young man or a little boy who was surrounded by organized and experienced criminals?
I am not questioning the country’s newly strengthen rules and regulations, but I am concerned about the loosely organized ministers who have done enough damage to the country—including violating rules and regulations. Mr. President, if what this young man is experiencing is meant as a general deterrence, then it worth applying to many of the corrupted ministers.
We the citizens and the family members of the victim truly believe in fair justice through the justice system in the country. This is one of many reasons why the same sort of ethical and legal standards must always be applied to everyone to protect the public interest.
I understand that South Sudan is trying to promote strategies to help shape the country’s justice system, but these strategies are creating more complexities because they favor a few over others, and this is the pure injustice. I am aware that the president is very thoughtful and forgiving in his decision making, but there are people in his administration who use corruption for their private use.
This predatory behavior has to stop because we have run out of patience with our justice system, as it is not solving problems pragmatically. As opposed to idealistic strengthening the justice system few are practicing dishonesty that is destroying lives of many people.
For instance, John Agou is known for his determination and passion regarding education in very unusual places was beyond meticulously reasonable because he takes things seriously and whenever he put his mind into he is more likely to achieve it no matter what. His values and intentions were never beyond level this matter have reached. It is quite excruciating for men who are known to be old enough to recruit a young man who was faithful to the President and to the nation doing his job.
John Agou has always been known for his self-respect, honesty, and respect toward elders, and maybe this is the reason why he was easily manipulated and ambushed using crime he hasn’t committed. As an older brother to John Agou and many people in our community are compelled by the injustice committed against John and his whole family (wife and son).
If President General Salva Kiir Mayardit forgave those who committed treacherous atrocities that led to the deaths of a massive number of people within a short time span, why can’t the President forgive a young man who was manipulated into making a mistake by well-informed leaders. One of the self-aggrandizement individuals were reinstated into the higher office in the country yet they have committed numerous crimes including mass killing.
We know that many of the ministers, in fact more than 75 leaders, were accused of pocketing $4 billion, yet none have been arrested, so many of us are left to wonder, where is the justice and forgiveness for John Agou who happened to have made a mistake. Yes, the president is known for having a good heart and easily forgives people, but we are shocked to learn that it is taking this long for him to recognize this young man as a victim of manipulation.
For example, John’s wife was illegally extradited without proper procedures, leaving a child unattended. This is unacceptable under a fair and balanced legal system. There have been hundreds or even thousands of cases in which leaders were accused of wrongdoing, but many of these cases were never brought to book.
A young man I have known to be thoughtful and committed to everything he is involved in is now being torn apart. Growing up, John significant was seen through his progress academically in various refugee camps and in leadership. John could also keep secrets, and he wouldn’t reveal them to anyone, no matter how many attempts made.
As he grew up among his siblings, John was always known for his leadership by Wuoidit, his mothers, siblings, and relatives like myself. Wuoidit is one of the few people who can’t easily be deceived
These materials are solely meant to urge the President of Republic of South Sudan General Salva Kiir Mayardit to forgive John Agou as he has done so to 14 others. This article was written by Deng Kur Deng AKA Raanmangar. You can reach him at pananyangajak@gmail.com
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made is 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 from, plus a concise biography of yourself.
About Post Author
