By Philip Buda Ladu
The Commissioner of Yirol West County Andrew Acheng Anhiem has resigned from his position as Commissioner over poor working relationship with Governor Rin Tueny Mabor.
Anhiem was appointed under the SPLM-IO party docket to the Reconstituted Unity Government of Lakes State as per the Revitalized Agreement. The former commissioner tendered his letter of resignation to SPLM-IO party Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and copied to the Lakes State Governor.
Some of the reasons he cited for his resignation included; Unlawful arrest and humiliation, unilateral appointment of SPLM County Chairman as County Executive Director; denied right to use the County Commissioner’s residence and sabotage and responsibility interference.
In his letter, Acheng said that he wants to relinquish his position in the interest of peace and stability since his working relationship with Governor Tueny has not been good over months.
“It has been two months since he humiliated as the sitting Commissioner in Yirol West County at Yirol Freedom Square and arbitrarily arrested, put behind bars in Baburzit Military Barrack prison and forced out of the County by Governor Rin Tueny,” he said.
He stressed that, before the incident of his arrest, the First Vice President office had tried to resolve their administrative differences with the Governor but the cooperation remains staggering.
In his letter, he wrote; “I am also aware you have requested the Governor several times to your office, which he turned down, violating your call as the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan and the Head of the Governance Cluster of the R-TGoNU, that alone talk volume on how my cooperation will be with the governor as I serve under his administration”.
“After having given enough time waiting to seek an amicable political solution and to no avail, I hereby decided to resign in Lakes State Government and Particularly Yirol West County as the Commissioner under the administration of Governor Rin Tueny Mabor,” he continued.
He further highlighted intimidation and security threats; arbitrary arrest of SPLM-IO members in the County and illegal search of his private residence as the reasons for his resignation from being the Commissioner of Yirol West County.
“With the aforementioned reasons that have strike the principles and objectives of reforms, I hereby tender in this resignation from being a Commissioner of Yirol West County to allow a chance for the people of Yirol to have another commissioner who will serve them at this critical time of peace implementation” Acheng justified his decision to resign.
Meanwhile, the SPLM/A-IO Director for Information and Public Relations Puok Both Baluang, who doubles as the Acting Press Secretary of the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar told this reporter that the party’s head had acknowledged the resignation of the Commissioner, saying the resignation letter is valid.
“Since the Governor has shown that he arrested the unlawfully Commissioner and also the cases of the arbitrary arrest of the members of the SPLM/SPLA-IO, we find all the reasons that were presented by the Commissioner are all genuine and therefore the leadership of the movement has accepted his resignation” Baluang said.
The party Information desk said, there are discussions on who would be his replacement. “We thanked him for all the efforts that he has done to serve the people of his county and we wish him the best in the next assignment that will be given to him by the movement maybe in a different area of the government,” he said.
So, we will engage the Presidency regarding this issue so that all these unlawful acts from Governor Rin Tueny Mabor cease and adapt a way to a collegial relationship that with the government of the State that he has there in Lakes States,” the SPLM-IO spokesperson said.