By Deng Mangok Ayuel
April 15, 2013 (SSNA) — When there is political cohesiveness between the state and the county authorities, a leader in the county may think he is trusted and act as he wishes, forgetting that when boating in the canoe as political family, the worried person is the father who might fear of blames over the crisis if any problem occurs. Who can make it a good commissioner for Aweil West commissionership? And where should a person comes from? In greater Gomjuer, Ayat payams only –?! A foreigner or contract someone from Congo?
The old wise men used to say, "He who lies down with dogs, rises with fleas". Much as it takes two people to play the game of “chess”, so does it take two to play “dominoes”? Is it a new thing for the community of Aweil West County to call for the removal of the commissioner? That is a habit; it has been there for years. Aweil West County is not an area where someone may sit and tell youthful tale at the evening after being appointed as commissioner. It is the only county in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Aweil whose commissioners have been easily fired due to administrative problems for number of years.
In Aweil West County, a commissioner is extremely looked as a stranger when he/she comes from greater Mariem Payam. But when the commissioner comes from Ayat, Gomjuer payams, many people celebrate to the elastic limit of their happiness to welcome him because he/she is the son of Nyamlel and Marialbaai villages. I am not supporting the bungling former commissioners who came from greater Mariem payams nor do I want to blame anyone but urge the community of Aweil West to base their constructive criticism in support of services delivery and the development in our county. How many commissioners who have been removed since 2010? And what changes did former commissioners brought? Let’s just give rooms to commissioners who are willing to do something to our people. Let’s think twice. A bad person from Aweil West is its person forever! No excuses, no market for exchanging your bad boy/girl with good ones. That is truly invincible.
According to our people, the commissioner is supposed to cooperate unwillingly, be administratively noiseless or appease some chiefs to avoid being blackmailed to the state authority even when he has done nothing wrong or forcefully demand for his removal when having unseen colours. However, democracy is a deaf. It makes strong people who don’t have political godfather to be orphans, and makes weak people stronger through godfatherism. It also reduces academics, wise men into fools.
Amazingly, individuals’ interest in choosing leaders in Aweil West community is butchering political cohesiveness among people. If good number of people is consulted to choose who should come from their payam for the seat of county commissionership instead of ‘one group’ with the same interest, I hope we should wisely choose someone who has heart, ability and a will for the entire community of Aweil West.
As a matter of fact, we cannot develop as a county if some people continue to recommend those ‘they know’ to be appointed to fill important position in the county because of unbridle fidelity. Is it safe to say, Aweil West County political or all political appointments anywhere in the world have had not been based on competence? However, Hon.Garang Kuac is able and can do something better! Needless to say, individuals are often selected to fill various important positions based on their political leanings. Yes, competence is not a criterion for most political appointments. Suffice it to say, such eccentric practice routinely initiates mediocrity for the case of commissioners and other officers.
On Saturday 13, 2013, {Sudan Tribune} reported that the commissioner of Aweil West County had kicked and hit the prison service officer after a prisoner escaped when escorting him to the market plus “abusive power” which deemed calling for his removal by community. Should commissioner use his hands to account subordinates in the county? And by the way, if a commissioner was “angry” and tried to take laws into hands, which measure should a prison service officer takes to account commissioner instead of community calling for commissioner’s removal? Enemizing the commissioner is not the solution, beating an officer is not the solution to problems. I am not encouraging someone to commit mistakes nor do I wanted to support someone who committed a mistake. I think the commissioner can easily solve his problem with prison service officer if he is willing to account and be accounted responsibly.
How many people who were removed from their positions after beating people in 2010 election? Did former commissioner of Aweil East County who was alleged to have had ordered the shooting of an independent candidate’s supporter appeared in court after summoned? Where is the soldier who shot the guy? Convicted or above the law? In any society, there are many ways of solving political and social issues. The former commissioner was not guilty but ‘thought’ to be guilty because he was the authority.
However, people of Aweil West County should partially make sure that the problems are not only with commissioners, but causes are within. The administrative structures are not set up in an empty space. With a variety of actors and strategic local government in Aweil, traditional authority, youth and women’s groups, the government in the county should be able to play a role in current political dynamic for the welfare of our people. Let’s stop calling for the removal of commissioner but join hands to work together as one!
Therefore, describing Mr.Garang Kuac as one of the worst commissioners, autocratic, nepotistic by an official whose names were withheld in the Sudan Tribune’s article, shows that local people within the county authority might have had been contributing to the failure of the commissioner if anyone regards Hon. Garang Kuac Ariath as the worst commissioner. Aweil West as county is for us as its people. We are supposed to cooperative and work with any appointed commissioner by our governor, lest the state authority will get weary of our problems.
Deng Mangok Ayuel is the former Office Manager {2008} to Aweil West County commissioner and lives in Aweil. He can be reached at: [email protected].