Akot Lual Arech vs Bol Mel: Battle of the Lobbyists in Chief Explodes in South Sudan
Akot Lual Areech
NATIONAL AND PATRIOTIC CALL FOR BENJAMIN BOL MEL TO RELINQUISH POSITIONS OF POWER
By Brig. Gen Akot Lual Arech, Juba, South Sudan
Introduction:
This public notice serves to the national and patriotic people of South Sudan for the call for Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish some of the positions of power and influence over public, which he recently accumulated. As a personal friend, I reached to my brother Benjamin on several occasions and through intermediary, asking him to resign some of his public positions for the interest of the country and the public. All my initiatives and efforts failed, hence, I am duty-bound to go public with my position for the records.
Economic Highlights
The country is now facing worst economic challenges in history, largely in part due to mismanagement of resources and poor political decisions. South Sudanese Pound is losing its values to United States Dollars everyday. Public civil servants are going for months without salary payment. The inflation rate is going off the roof, where people cannot any more afford commodities in the market. According to the reports, more than half of the country will face acute food insecurity this year. The future the country is heading is uncertain, with experts predicting that the country is heading to a total collapse. The problems are all attributed to one man, Benjamin Bol Mel for having amassed political, economic powers and for his inclination to grab military power as well. Here below are some of the public powers he acquired recently:
Presidential Envoy for Special Projects: This is unprecedented position of power and influence in the country with unlimited decision-making potentials. Here Benjamin reign over in deciding which mega projects for the country is to keep for himself or doll out to his few cronies, for the purpose of milking the project dry of its cash flows. He also seats and decide to appoint and fire at will those in public positions of power, targeting public financial institutions, where he treats the running of public financial system as his own financial system. If left unchecked, Benjamin is inching closer in controlling security sector of the country, where the result of which, will show the eventual collapse of the country.
Political-Bureau: Benjamin holds an influential position in the ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). The SPLM Political-Bureau is an important organ of the party, which decides on policies of the party and by extension, the policies for the country. The members of SPLM Political-Bureau are only hands full in the entire country and Benjamin is one of them.
National Liberation Council (NLC): Benjamin is a member of NLC in SPLM party. NCL is the most powerful organ in the party, which serves as a legislative body, which endorses the policies of the party and that of the nation.
Deputy Secretary General for Political Mobilization: Benjamin serves as the Deputy Secretary General for Political Mobilization in SPLM party. The position is the sixth in hierarchy of the SPLM, which carries a lot of weigh, power and influence, not just within the party, but in the country as a whole.
Lieutenant General in Military: Benjamin Bol Mel has just been promoted into the position of Lieutenant General in the National Security Services (NSS). This is the highest rank one can reach in the NSS, meaning he is among the highest in the Service.
Conclusion
Given all these unprecedented public powers, amassed by one individual, who abuse them with potential to derail the country from the path of socio-economic development, peace, and stability, it is therefore, only that those powers are put into check. For having economic, political, and military power to one man is just not conflicting, but unacceptable for the country. I therefore, publicly call on my brother Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish the powers he holds in governments: the Presidential Envoy of Special Project and that of Lieutenant General in the military. It is up for the SPLM party if they accept to fail by allowing accumulation of too much power to one individual, but I am duty-bound to speak on the affairs of the government, since it affect the entire country, because as stated, Benjamin is driving the train in high speed off the rails.
Response to Unfounded Claims by Brig. Gen. Akot Lual Arech.
By Aruai Chol, Juba, South Sudan
Following the release of an opinion piece without date by Akoth Lual Arech in his article titled: National and patriotic call for Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish positions of power. It is unfortunate to underline that Brig.General ,Akot Lual did not properly scrutinised his thoughts and intentions of his message, including the fact that Akot himself has no legal mandate ,right or authority to issue such call or showing a decision of ultras vires by the appointing authority who is the President of the Republic.
At the outlet, Mr. Akot has equally failed to distinguish the difference between relinquishing a position and resigning from a position. For purposes of education to Mr. Akot Lual and clarity of this response, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel is an appointee of H:E Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic, Commander-in-chief of the armed forces and Chairman of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) respectively. Accordingly, all the positions and functions assigned to Dr. Benjamin Bol by the President are within the remit of constitutional obligations and powers vested by both the country’s constitution, the constitution of the ruling party and the national law governing the South Sudan people’s defend forces amongst others.
Having said this as part of constitutional and legal obligations of the President to assign mandates to many, and not only Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, that’s why we’ve Dr. James Wani Igga as the Vice President of the Republic; 1st Deputy Chairman of the SPLM; Member of the SPLM Political Bureau; Member of National Liberation Council; member of Parliament and a full General.
Kuol Manyang Juk is Vice Chairman of SPLM; Member of SPLM Political Bureau; Member of the SPLM National Liberation Council; and a full General.
Taban Deng Gai is the Vice President, member of the SPLM Political Bureau; Member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, and a full General.
Tut Gatluak Manemi , Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs; Member of the SPLM political Bureau, Member of the National Liberation Council, and a full General. As of recent, Akot Lual himself served as aprivate Secretary of the President, Colonel in National Security Service, Presidential Envoy on Greater Pibor Administrative Area( GPAA) and business assistant and Advisor to Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel in the previous ABMC company;
The other issue which Mr. Akot has failed to accept , is the reality that positions of power come with functional mandates to deliver in accordance with the establishing instruments. And if they are given to one person as seen in many examples of leaders holding more then one positions, you cannot bear the blame or cost of deteriorating economic downturn or emergence of any political setback in the country on one individual post holder.
Therefore, the ongoing economic fragility and many other political developments are not the responsibility of Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, but rather challenges of state and nation building in a post- conflict situations
In conclusion, one can easily notice that Mr. Akot Lual has suspicious motives against Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel. This is shown by particularly attacking Dr. Benjamin Bol, knowing many other leaders are holding more than one position as numerated herein but did not talk about them. As a matter of fact, Dr Benjamin Bol Mel is diligently discharging his duties and responsibilities until such a time when the appointing authority so decided to relieve him off some positions of power but not on a mere call of an individual who have no constitutional mandate neither present any proof of accusations to warrent call for resignation and not relinquishing of power as stated by Mr. Akot Lual Arech.
The author is a researcher on the Great Lake Region and can be reached at aruaidiitChol@gmail.com
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