By Ngor Deng Matem
Aweil Graduates Association [AGA] in Juba is experiencing a leadership crisis that started since 2020. In September 2020, the association elected Mr. Nicodemus Nguet Thiep as their Chairman to lead for two years.
After the election of the Chairman, Nguet promised to work closely with state and national governments in order to prioritize employment opportunities for the graduates.
Few months later, the Association experienced problems in leadership resulting in two different factions.
The groups continued claiming the legitimacy of the leadership and as a result, the Secretary General Mr. James Kenyang Achien together with some executive members called on the general assembly to convene a meeting on the 9th April 2022 in Juba.
“We invited the general assembly to come and decide the fate of their association or elect their new leadership. This sitting of general assembly will be on 9/4/2022” Kenyang announced.
Kenyang accused the current AGA’s leadership for running the Association as a political organization or personal property.
“As each one of you knows how this mighty association became politicized and personalized since its current leadership’s inception, this association completely lost its direction and its core objectives. It became divided into two groups, making it vulnerable and approximately appears like a political party.
Kenyang expressed readiness to rescue the AGA from collapsing.
“It’s unsatisfactory should both factions continue claiming the legitimacy. So there’s a need for the general assembly to intervene because the current crisis is clearly showing that this mighty association is falling, something which had never been intended,” Kenyang concluded.
In response, the chairman of Aweil Graduates Association Mr. Nicodemus Nguet Thiep said he will remain reserved until the facts are found.