Battle Royale: Ignore Riek, Taban and Tutkew Choices for Governor in Unity State, South Sudan

By Dak Buoth, Nairobi, Kenya

Saturday, June 27, 2020 (PW) — Mr. President, an English saying goes, let other people advice you but never allow them to decide for you. This old adage suggests that, it’s wise to seek advisory opinions from varieties of people on particular issue, and eventually you’re required to internalize and interrogate their opinions before landing on one as basis of your decision. I’m invoking this wise proverb with regards to your quest for Unity State governor.

I’m sure you must now be asking and allowing people to guide you on who to appoint as Unity State governor among your allies. And you are permitted to fetch and receive as many advices as you can, but be careful and courageous to choose an advice that is people centered. I can assure you that the more considerate and reformist you becomes the more times you takes on this apex office in the land.

You ought to be reminded that South Sudanese are your employers, not army and political allies. You swore and vowed to protect and defend the peace agreement and the constitution that carries their interests to live and prosper in and outside their country. Many have spoken to you about this matter in many occasions.

And I’m conveying the same message here and now. Without much ado, I urge you to ignore RiekMachar, Taban Dengai and Tutkew Gatluak’s choice of governor in Unity State with the following reasons inter alia; 

GEN. TABAN DENGAI: your 4th Vice President was our first Governor of Unity State for nearly a decade, but he did not even build a standard public toilet in our State capital Bentiu. By then he was busy exchanging county commissioners like clothes to derail and disrupt development programs at the county levels. They milked our state dry. Before the war in 2013, little or none can be pointed out in picture as modern infrastructure.

Your unpopularity in Unity State was not far from his makings. Hence, he has no moral authority to advice you on who should become the next unity state governor at this crucial time when we eagerly need peace and development. Presumably, none performing governor like him will never recommend someone he knows will execute things differently, because that will make him unhappy and uncomfortable.

I know he is good in business and other political brokering and bickering. As you wait to let him rest or retire, you should just allow him to deal with rabble-rousers that are causing you sleepless night for no substantial reasons. Over the years, your contention with many youth is caused by your avoidance of much needed changes in the country.

And if you further want to confront the youth of unity state dare reappoint the trio choices for unity state governor.

GEN. TUTKEW GATLUAK: Your Advisor on national security is a novice who has little information about Unity State internal affairs. Thus, he does not qualify to advice you on who should be our next governor at the time of peace for he doesn’t know how to work in peaceful environment. General Tutkew is a typical son of western Nuer, but he was a long time Khartoum resident who just relocated to Juba shortly after we successfully voted for our independent in 2011.

He is completely clueless about the myriad challenges affecting ordinary people in Unity State. He was rumored to be President Bashir’s insider at the time we were in the trenches digging in for our country independence.  Let him just advice you on how to tackle other peripheral issues. It must be said loudly that it was Tutkew’sclosed proximity to our former Governor Dr. Nguen that has made him failed terribly. He reduced Dr. Nguen to Mayomcounty governor who only employed and hired his relatives and brothers in-law as Unity State cabinet ministers.

Dr. Nguen did managed Unity State like his own property throughout his reign. Many would recalled the day you appointed Nguen as caretaker governor to replace Taban Deng in 2013, he was received in Bentiu like President Nelson Mandela after succeeding then South African President, De Clerk. But as time goes by, Nguen’spopularity reduces permanently. Now he can only stand and addressed his former Unity State cabinet ministers.

Believe it or not even our Mayom community where he hails from doesn’t like Tutkew and Nguen because their wrong deeds and political of division had antagonized them with their Brothers and sisters both in greater Bentiu, Ruweng and warrap. Hence, their imminent placement in the political cold will be liberation for Mayom and Bentiu as a whole. The change of guards must begin with an immediate substitution and relegation of Dr. NguenMonytuil as soon as possible.

Therefore, should you err by picking Tutkew’s choice in the person of Nguen, you shall have done worse for us and the country as whole. The reappointment of Dr. Nguen as Unity State governor will be deliberate extension of our suffering and political oppression, something which can lead to reintroduction of war in the country. 

DR. RIEK MACHAR: It is common knowledge that your first vice President, Dr. Riek Machar is your arch rival. They say when someone finds his enemy destroying his house, he will either help him to finish the task or leave him to complete it. Rumors are going around on social media that Riek is praying and wishing you to reappoint Dr. Nguen as Governor of Unity State. Even though you haven’t heard from his smiling mouth, but he silently wants you to reappoint Nguen with a view to injure you politically.

Should you hear any bystander telling you to appoint Nguen, knows that he is speaking for Riek and the aforementioned. He knows with Nguen as governor, your war with people of Unity State people will have no end in sight until time for election comes. Even if you wins in other regions but you can’t win with Nguen in Unity State. And you can take this to the bank.

So by Riek wishing you to appoint Nguen, he is simply helping you to destroy your political future.  In his view, the sooner you die politically the better. Mr. President, the three leaders are my senior community members, we respect them but we don’t fear them. Their words are no longer the law for they suddenly turned less selfless.

I said ignore or reject their choices of Unity State governor for they are unwanted because of these and other reasons. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

It is against this background that I have been advising you to appoint former Minister of Roads and Transports, KuongDanhier as next unity state governor. By insisting on you to appoint kuong, I don’t mean to say he is a saint. He had been with us, and we knew his shortcomings left, right and centre. Of course as a human being, Kuong he is not short of weaknesses.

However, he will be far much better compared to the choices of the above mentioned. I doubt if one of them will comes to ask you to appoint him for various reasons. We know Kuong had unresolved differences with Riek over the management of their past rebel movement, SPDF. Equally, Kuong cannot be Taban’schoice of Unity State governor because he might outsmart him in terms of reuniting the people and development records.

Also Kuong cannot be recommended by Tutkew because of his none violence characters and his little appetite for greed. To us, the appointment of Kuong as Unity state governor will be a breath of fresh of air in the entire Unity State. With him as governor, our people will relax, regroup and reconciled even if they don’t get much from his administration. General Kuong will create and maintain conducive environment of hope and forgiveness among themselves and their neighbors.

The appointment of Kuong as next Unity State governor will elicit widespread euphoria and some feelings of justice across our region. Mr. President gives Kuong a try and we shall do our parts. We pledged to support and work with him to achieve these ideals. Kuong may not do much due to time limit, but we know his mistakes are going to be less compared to his achievements in our region.  

Like I stated in the first paragraph, my advice is not gospel truth, but hear me first and make your own decision. 

The Writer is the Chairman of Liech community Association in Kenya; the views expressed here are his own; he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com

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