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Wulu county MPs condemn governor’s defamatory speech

PRESS RELEASE

Wulu County Members of Parliament Condemn the Caretaker Governor’s Defamatory Speech

On Monday the 25th of November, 2013, the caretaker Governor of Lakes state Gen. Matur Chut Dhuol visited Wulu County as part of his scheduled tour of the counties to give thank to the communities of lakes state for remaining calm since his appointment as Caretaker Governor following the removal of Eng. Chol Tong Mayay. Getting to wulu and later on in the rally, on the said date, the Governor released utterances which raised eye brows of the entire community of Jur‘beli, their leaders and intellectuals except the County Commissioner who was a hand-picked loyalist to the Governor and imposed on the humble community of ‘Beli by the same. The so named Caretaker Governor of Lakes state referred to Honourable Moses Taban Manyiel as a supporter of an Insurgent Renegade David Yau-Yau in Jonglei state. This statement covers all those SPLM cadres who deviated in wulu County during the nomination process in the 2010 elections and opted to contest as Independent candidates in accordance with provisions of section 54 (2) ( c) of the National Elections Act. 2008 of the Republic of Sudan used to conduct the 2010 elections.

The Honourable member in question during the aforementioned rally in his constituency raised very vital concerns to the Governor ranging from land grabbing in the making between the neighbouring payams of Pacong and Mathiang in Rumbek east County and the two payams of Bahr Gel and Wulu which form the constituency No.9 in wulu county represented by Hon. Taban Manyiel in the Lakes state Legislative Assembly; referring to a complaint lodged in the office of the County Commissioner of Rumbek east by the chiefs of Mathiang and Pacong payams against Wulu Community dated 17th October, 2012 and ultimately forwarded to the office of the Governor bearing two covering letters of the Rumbek east County Commissioner dated 20th October, 2013. Hon. Taban hints to the Governor the need to exert effort in order to prevent escalation of unnecessary conflict between the two tribes living side by side taking into consideration the previous experiences. The accused member complained to the Governor on his decision to exclude Wulu County from the council of ministers which is a violation of the state transitional constitution 2011 article 106 (1) which quote “the state council of ministers shall be established with due regard to the need for inclusiveness in recognition of competence, integrity, gender and ethnic diversity in the state.” Moreover the victimized member brought to the attention of the Governor the ongoing robbery and cornering of passersby on the high ways by unknown gunmen which should be put to an end through constant patrolling of the roads by the organized forces especially the police.

This number of issues raised by the Honourable member angered the Caretaker Governor of lakes state who defamed Hon. Taban before his constituents as somebody who was not supposed to speak on behalf of his people because he was not an SPLM member and also an affiliate of Renegade David Yau-Yau. This accusation does not hold water at all and there are no standing evidences to support or justify the claim because this community does not believe in securing seats in the government or a daily bread through armed struggle. We the ‘Beli mps in Lakes state assembly condemn in the strongest terms the claim and derogatory statement by the caretaker Governor that one of us is a part and parcel of the rebellion in Jonglei state considering the distance between Pibor of Jonglei state and Wulu of Lakes state. As if that is not enough non of our sons or daughters ever have a record of rebellion or insurgency since the old Sudan to date, a truth that all south Sudanese know about the Jur’beli community which is today a new discovery with no grounds by the care taker Governor.

Honourable Moses Taban was an SPLA soldier with rank of Lt.col from Muor-Muor division, Zindia battalion since 1984 and like any other Honourable member of the state assembly has a constitutional mandate to speak on behalf of his constituents because he represent the will of his people in the parliament in accordance with article 56 (1) of the lakes state transitional constitution 2011. And therefore should not be curtails of his freedom of expression so long as those issues he raises are not his personal issues but issues that pertain to his constituency.

We would like to inform all South Sudanese in the ten states that there is no association with David Yau-Yau in Wulu County by Honourable Member of parliament but the said member is like any other Independent Mp elected in the 2010 elections in the National Assembly or in any State Assembly in South Sudan who do not have any connection with insurgency in Jonglei state but a representative of his people. We are here by enlightening the general public of Lakes state that the views expressed by the Caretaker Governor in the Wulu rally….in trying to divert the attitude of the whole community from the leaders that they have elected to the parliament…..does not gain a ground or a support from the area but rather was repelled and is only being enjoyed by the Caretaker Governor and the County Commissioner of Wulu County.

Signed by:

Hon. Shadrack Bol Machok,

On behalf of the Wulu Mps in Lakes state Legislative Assembly.

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