Dr. Chol Deng Thon Abel of NilePet: The Right Appointment at the Right Time
5 min readThe Right Appointment in the Right Position at the Right Time: The Case of NilePet Managing Director Dr. Chol Deng Thon Abel
By Duluma SK’ Maker, Juba, South Sudan
January 25, 2018 (SSB) — On September 8th, 2017, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit sacked the Managing Director (MD) of Nilepet (a State-owned Oil and Gas Company) James Thelweng Mathiang Rok replacing him with Dr. Chol Deng Thon Abel who is a learned Civil and Environmental Engineer by profession. Dr. Chol has been the Director-General for Downstream at the Nile Petroleum Corporation since 2015 till his promotion to the top job of the most lucrative institution. He worked under direct supervision of a number of previous MDs and therefore through experience, he has known the strengths and weaknesses of managing the Oil and Gas Corporation and indeed he has acquired knowledge and experience of managing the Nilepet Corporation from his previous position.
With experience, love for his country and decision-making ability, Dr. Chol prove himself to be the right appointment in the right position at the right time by introducing a system in which businessmen are permitted to import fuel together with the Nilepet Corporation making fuel available in all fuel stations at all times hence the issue of transport is no longer a problem, whether, in the early morning hours or late evening hours, people can still get transport available without competing for seats which was not the case during the time of previous MD of Nilepet provided that an individual has a bus fare.
Indeed his decision not to control fuel supply and fuel subsidy in the country is a litmus test to improving the transport system, availing electricity power to businesses and also stops the extreme corruption in the Oil and Gas Corporation where few elites with connections could make deals to get approval of trucks filled with fuel from Nilepet MD and turn millionaire overnight via black market prices. Congratulations Dr. Chol Deng for the brilliant job you have demonstrated in the last five months in a position where MDs are changed one after the other in a short time due to mismanagement of State Petroleum Corporation and I believe if President Salva Kiir could appoint people of your caliber to head various institutions, South Sudanese people would have been enjoying the most wanted services.
What prompted me as a citizen of this Country to write this opinion is to acknowledge and appreciate the current Nilepet MD policy that makes fuel available in all fuel stations at all times and allowing the market forces to determine the market prices for fuel. His decision has numerous merits ranging from transport availability for all, electricity power to businesses, no confrontations between organized forces and black market fuel sellers as well as stopping extreme corruption in the Nilepet Corporation.
I guess Dr. Chol might be between the rock and the hard place now due to the fact that those individuals who benefit from deals during the previous Nilepet MDs are working hard to see him remove while considering pleasing them for fear of losing his position, he also fears to lose his current reputation from the public.
The question rests with Dr. Chol whether to continue pleasing the public to safeguards his future or to please the powerful individuals to safeguards his current lucrative job. Anyway, if I were Dr. Chol, I would prefer pleasing the public by continuing with my policies that I believe to be the best and turning deaf ears to the few powerful individuals who put their interests first over that of South Sudanese people.
In conclusion, the writer would like to appreciate the President of Republic of South Sudan H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit for appointing Dr. Chol Deng Thon Abel as the Nilepet Managing Director and would still ask President Salva Kiir to maintain the current Nilepet MD because he is delivering the results and also encourage him to be appointing the people who can prove themselves worth decreeing-in.
Also, I would like to appreciate the Nilepet MD Dr. Chol Deng to continue with his good spirit and determination in serving his countrymen and women despite all challenges and threats he is facing. Finally, I would like to call upon South Sudanese people to be recognizing few of our politicians who deserve credit and encourage them so that they can do more.
The Opinion writer, Duluma SK’ Maker, is currently a candidate (2018) for the BSc. (Hons.) Degree in Agricultural Sciences, University of Juba, South Sudan. He was born as an IDP’s child at the time of the SPLA/SPLM revolution and studied at the then SPLA/SPLM administered Bush Schools as a child foot-soldier in the Sudan. His interest and commentary focus on the Contemporary Politics, Sustainable Agriculture, and Peace & Human Security. He lives in Juba, South Sudan and you can reach him via his email: duluma88@gmail.com
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