By Joseph Akim Gordon
Dear Speaker of transitional national legislative Assembly – Juba
It is a pleasure to write to you this open letter, with your experience in the Government service you worked as governor in western Equatoria state, and you held ministerial portfolios, surely, you’re well versed to South Sudan political make up.
We the citizens are very much concerned; things are not going according to our expectations. We have not yet harvested peace dividend. The economy seems to have collapsed as many families are not able to put food on the table, and it seems there is no clear way for recovery.
The new salary structure that was proposed, is taking too long to be implemented. You people in government’s driver’s seat are very slow to support your own citizens.
As for the transitional national legislative assembly, many refer to this body as a rubber stump because you’re doing very little for your citizens. Those MPs, whether elected or selected to serve the citizens, I think if they can support, certainly citizens would discard the rubber stump reference because of the good job.
The three arms of the Government that is the executive, the judiciary and the legislative, if you work together, I am sure this country will prosper.
Hon. Speaker,
We are already tired of war and when you hear about conflict here and there, what major steps have you taken to address these conflicts? These problems are related to socio-economic development. Lack of employment opportunities drives the youth to crime and other unlawful activities, like cattle raiding, revenge killing, killings by unknown gun men or women.
If you have children or grandchildren in the house, when they are hungry, they start fighting among themselves simply because they are hungry, and when they have eaten you see them shouting, running about in happiness. So, you the parents or grandparents, you make sure that you avail food to them, the citizens expected you to do your utmost to avail them the necessity of life.
Schools, health centers and water, despite the fact that river Nile runs within Juba city, yet water has become too expensive for ordinary citizens up to now, no permanent solution to resolve the crisis in Juba city. Who will rescue us from man-made crisis?
Honorable speaker,
We are tired of war; we do not want another war, in 2013 and 2016 an ordinary political argument in the leadership resulted into hundreds of deaths, displacement of citizens internally and externally as refugees. Though many returned to the country and when they realized that peace is not complete as they cannot do farming, some even returned to exile.
Peaceful resolution of this conflict with signing of a deal in 2018 up to now, we have changed goal posts several times and now the new date for election December 2024 is doubtful with the process or the preparation not yet complete.
For instance, the unification of the national army still pending, the determination of constituencies not yet done and many other arrangements, not yet in place. We are remaining with about sixteen months and time is running out fast and we are walking slowly to meet the time schedule for election.
There must be proper arrangement for the election, to give credibility to the results; it must be done in democratic way so that it is transparent, and credibly recognized by all.
The government scheduled the national reconciliation conference in 2019 it was successfully completed, thanks to chairman, Mr. Angelo Beda.
This conference went around the country and came with workable resolutions. Though, time consuming and expensive yet the government sponsored this conference. So, why has it remained on paper, yet it is supposed to be implemented to benefit the citizens?
Hon. Speaker,
As a senior politician and as mother or grandmother, what legacy will you leave behind? There is no stability, there is cry everywhere you go; don’t you have capacity together with your colleagues in politics to change the situation for better? Many of us born in war grew up in war and reaching old age in war but when are we going to witness true peace in our lives?
In conclusion, I am writing in desperation because the situation is gradually going from bad to worse. Surely, we expect you and your colleagues in politics to better rescue this country.
We do not want war we are all tired of war so bring peace.
Let God bless you and our country.
Author can be reached through email: akimgordon222@gmail.com