Is Igga the right choice for the position of Vice President of South Sudan or he got chance due to unwillingness from other politicians?
By Peter Gai Manyuon
August 27, 2013 (SSNA) — Since on the 23th of July 2013 after President of the Republic of South Sudan General Salva Kiir Mayardit issued out a Republican Decree removing Dr Machar who stood with him during 2010 general elections as his counterpart during the referendum processes, declaration of the Independent of South Sudan on the 9th of July 2011, and in all the circumstances beyond my jurisdiction. People of South Sudan were wondering who might be next Vice President since both Dr Machar and his long time running mate started having different ideological views regarding the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s (SPLM) leadership ticket for 2015 elections.
Moreover, we all read from the Media that, most of Nuer (Naath) Intellectuals have refused the offer that is the first of its kind that was published on the Sudan Tribune website last month, when there was speculations on who should be appoint as Vice President among them was Dr Riak Gai Kok, James Hoth Mai and John Luk Jock respectively. There had been lots of discussions here and there on who to become the Vice President this alone caused lots of debates and disagreements at the same time within the ruling party known by the name Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Throughout the month, there were lot of speculations here and there, and people were saying most of the Sudan People Liberation Movement members were refusing Comrade Igga to be the VP due to numerous outlines that everyone read or have had of them through the media.
The appointment of Comrade Wani Igga as new Vice President was not new for the people of South Sudan to focus on at this particular period of time; it was something obvious since Dr Machar refused to work with President Kiir due to his five main issues that he mentioned through the media, where he accused the President of failing to lead people of this Country in a transparent way.
One of first point from Dr Machar was Security issues where he mentioned that most of the South Sudanese and foreigners are dying in Juba every day and we have all testified these atrocities since last two weeks, the issue of last year has come back whereby some two brothers were killed in (Hai Tarawa) in Juba and people demonstrated in the streets of Juba and it was the current Vice President who addressed the crude of many people, and many more this week two people were killed innocently.
Second was the good governance that, he assured people that he will tackle if he becomes the President in 2015.
Third was the issue of Corruptions case that has become the gene among the South Sudanese people especially those who are in the public offices.
Fourth was the International Relations with the outside world and the fifth is Tribalism that has paralyzed people of South Sudan in all the things they are doing in this country.
And with all those words from Dr Machar, the indication was that James Wani is likely take the position of Vice President and that has eventually became the reality because as per the constitution of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM), it dictates on the issues to do with seniority and etcetera, in case the First Vice Chairperson of the party is no there the second deputy can be appointed.
Most instantly, President Kiir cannot leave Igga out from the position of Vice President due to the fact that, it is the only chance for Igga to rule this country as the Vice because in case there are changes here and there, Igga can automatically be out from the system based on many issues because now, there are many politicians from greater Equotoria Like the Governor of Western Equotoria who is very analytical in all his speeches, you cannot identify him easily unless someone who did psychology (someone who can read his face when he is talking) he is the man of Federalism like Dr Machar let me say and Ladu Gore who is also another competent man and many others that I have not mentioned from greater Equotoria Region.
Looking at the public opinions polls in different Media Institutions in South Sudan and globally and particularly on Sudan Tribune Website where many people comments about the issue.
People mentioned many issues including weakness of Wani and lack of good public relations within him when he is talking with the people, some people said right now he must put aside Arabic Juba that he like mostly even when he is addressing the parliamentarians when he was the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly by then, some people are saying ,he has no support from the greater Equtoria Region that might affect his progress as the Vice President of South Sudan, in the meantime President also wants him too to play his role to bring in some supporters from Greater Equotoria when time comes for general elections. The question is, will Wani Igga mobilize people like Dr Machar who seriously campaign with the President Salva in 2010 when Dr Lam Akol Ajawin was the serious candidate for the Presidency?
Other citizens are saying he is not competence enough to be the second man in this Country base on reasons that they all knows in their psychological blackboards and I am not aware about these allegations of incompetency.
Based on the simple evaluation and monitoring, he deserves the position of being the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, because many people refused the offer among the Nuer Intellectuals and some guys from greater Upper Nile Region because President Kiir was looking for his Cabinets balancing but I don’t think whether he really balanced the Cabinets since there are ten (10) Dinkas who are National Ministers and four (4) National Ministers from Nuer and three (3) National Ministers from Equotorians respectively.
From that set up, you find that there is no unity, transparency and good criteria during the appointment process of National Ministers.
That mean the issue of balancing became critical among the people of this great nation in the world. And we have many tribes in South Sudan, any way that is a food for thoughts.
Hence the question is; Do Comrade Wani Igga has the support from most of the Equotorians Intellectuals and citizen? Does he have good relations with the people of South Sudan? Does he have good public relations that can convene people of South Sudan and the outsiders? Will he be with the President of South Sudan up to 2015 or he is just looking for the position as some people have already viewed intellectually?
These are the questions that are on people ‘minds and other people have begun to have wrong projections and attitudes toward what South Sudan can do to achieve its destiny as the Independent Nation.
We all know the contributions and the potential of James Wani Igga since the beginning of the Liberation struggle up to date; therefore even the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has followed the seniority in selecting the Vice President because if Dr Machar refused the position, the immediate person should be Comrade Wani Igga and that creality came when James Wani was announced as VP.
So he might just need some adjustments that can take this nation to another level because the Vice President Position need creativity, someone who can do government projects to work effectively and efficiently and I hope Comrade Igga should be the one to negotiate government of South Sudan issues with other International Communities and so on.
Looking at the way Comrade Wani Igga is doing his politics, I have noted many things from him that might affect his political agenda in South Sudan; he is not consistent to whatever he says in South Sudan, he is the man that can change daily, you cannot define his interest and it should not be surprise if incase Dr Machar become the President in 2015, he might also lobby for the same position, he is the man of comedy in South Sudan context and he is known of that as the person.
Conclusively; Igga deserves the position of being the Vice President of South Sudan at this particular period of time. This is the right time now for him to disapprove what people said or talked about him, and one way that he can do this is by working hard and harder for the betterment of this nation. He should use his intelligentsia as the person to do the needful to the people of South Sudan, because I know he is a learned person.
The author is Independent Journalist who writes extensively on many angles in South Sudan. Contact me through; [email protected]