The Competing Meanings and Visions of “Taking Towns to the People” in South Sudan

Taking town to the people would have been a good idea if there are no other obstacles

By Athian Aduol Yel, Aweil East State, South Sudan

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 (PW) — The SPLM vision of taking the town to the people rather than people to the town would have potential ideas and well credited by every citizen hence the vision has been interrupted by so many obstacles which give citizens worry some.

The vision of taking the town to the people was derived out from the former chairman of SPLM late Dr. John Garang and it was well said only that, we don’t know up to now whether that vision would have been done on the tribal basis or systematic way of right governance.

I have seen the vision has drawn a mix reaction with different definition which gives low understanding to some citizens across the nation. Though the presidential decree 036 2015 gave more administrative organ which was the wish and vision of the SPLM more things needed to tackle before we move to other stages.

The definition contains different opinion:

1. Taking town to the people means creating more administration organs closer to the people by promoting the junior administrative organ to the highest level with a plan to play the following as the roles of the administrative organ:

• Recreational center: Where an idea of infrastructure that can turn the image of how the junior place looked could be seen different but it hasn’t happened yet though the presidential decree upgraded our payams to counties still the same things are not changing.

• Financial center: The newly created states were expected to finance other local activities so that remote community can benefit but in vain hence the answer is well known that no funds even if the local taxes vanished to individual no way of follow up those issues and it may lead to different level since there are no laws which had been passed for auditing and maybe it is there but it has not been communicated publicly for real consumption.

• An educational center: When South Sudan was still with ten states the expectations for the mere citizens that education system will be brought to the near but since the administrative organ is closer and under tree schools will be few but it couldn’t happen yet because the process has faced worse. Assuming the minister of Education in the state is planning to visit 5 schools in the upgraded payams to county. I think most of the schools are under trees and when the introduction to be done the big tree is primary one and the other one is p2 p3 ……….. Of which I am thinking it will be a shame to the person who is using V8 and addressing the pupils under trees after 8 years independent anyway, not all minsters are having cars even some do take the lift with us using motorbike but it is South Sudan situation.

• Administrative center: The three main functions of federal agencies are rulemaking, enforcement, and adjudication; these functions are collectively referred to as the administrative process which was adequately expecting from the closer administration but not fully done now because you can hear a lot of bad news every day and hours. Administrative organs, in order to realize their purpose efficiently and effectively, need wider power and discretion. For this reason, they blend together three powers of government: executive, legislative and judicial powers which I am thinking not all playing their roles effectively but loyalty is harming some organ of the government now a day because the friendship and adoration style can mislead the boss to leave the written constitutions that were mean for citizens abide by and work out of it.

• Health center: The anticipation by the citizens were to have good health system with all equipment of running hospital and full human resources in the news state but it couldn’t happen like that since most of the time has been spent in meaningless conflict and massive corruption which has become a part of system of which if you don’t practice those had much experience in may see you as shallow minded with low degree of understanding.

2. Taking town to the people means bringing all that you have in town to appear where you were born and that significantly being heard with shallow deaf ears. While the most challenging in the vision is who can start to implement it in the remote areas when everyone is willing and accepting the town life which so expensive and full of stress possibly our people like expensive things not durable and future build things because they prefer what is being seen bright with golden colors. It would have been better if you have a concrete building in town you have to at least make one in your home village in case you got a chance to visit your family there you may sleep without hesitating.

Not only that but other things like services delivery examples, school, health centers and more security centers that can guide the rule of laws. So what are the main advantages of the vision of “taking towns to the people” in South Sudan? If the vision was implemented immediately the following would have been seen as cordial advantages to the community and nationwide as well:

•       Peace

•       Adequate security

•       Freedom of movement

•       Freedom of speech

•       Rapid development

•       Close health services

•       Close education services

•       Community policing

•       Cultural practices

Secondly, the following are the major obstacle for realizing the vision of “taking towns to the people” in the Republic of South Sudan:

•       Tribalism

•       Nepotism

•       Sectarianism

•       Discrimination

•       Corruption

•       Ignorant

•       Permanent disagreement

Having outlined the main advantages and major obstacles to the vision of taking towns to the people, let’s have a look at the possible solutions to the obstacles cited above:

Preaching the peace to every corners and it should be developed and integrated to academic curriculum so that the future generation may have different thinking and clear understanding strategy on how to handles things among themselves rather than subjecting the young one in to war and meaningless fight which doesn’t make sense to those in the system and outside the system.

Elimination of unknown gunmen or knife men will lead to successful steps toward achieving the vision because many people now a day are much scared on the issue of unknown …………… and it might interrupt the plan of others because they may fear of entered in to risk if the display their assets in remote areas those who do meaningless of losing life in small things will follow them.

Forming a neutral team that can set a better system of ending tribalism and focusing on one nation, one people. Setting the recruitment system that can bring bright and excellent qualify people rather than bringing those related and they don’t have clue on what they are going to do in term of what they have assigned or appointed for.

Many people are losing the right seats in different institutions now a day due to tribal line which I thinking it will not take us anywhere if we don’t change that attitude our country will grow stunting and bright future will be scrapheap which leads to more risk and suffering to the next generation.

The opinion writer can be reached via his email: athianaduol@gmail.com

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