By Bida Elly David
The South Sudan Government has poured blames and has stated that the death of the late Manawa Peter Gatkuoth was due to heart attack that resulted from criticisms and pressure from some citizens who exaggerated the dredging plans of the Nile.
Their statement came following the execution of dredging plan of the Nile where some citizens rejected, and criticized the initiative being carried by the Late Peter Manawa.
Recently, some citizens were discontented with developments on dredging project that the Council of Ministers had approved for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to execute.
Some citizens were reportedly not happy after the government had made an initiative to sign a memo with a known foreign country to implement the project reciprocating much benefit to their citizens. Others rejected because of the negative future impact that will be incurred as some parts of the country will be flooded.
Speaking during the last funeral rites prayers of the Late Manawa, Dr. James Wani Igga the Vice President for Economic Cluster said the Late was neither poisoned in South Sudan nor in Egypt, but from the exaggerating words of some citizens against his plans for the country that would benefit the citizens.
“Majority of the people over the dredging project have reached into conclusion without obtaining scientific information and knowledge about the plans and its implementation. I want to correct it today because those were blames that people raised against Late Manawa. The young man died of heart attack and no body poisoned him neither here nor in Cairo, the truth has to be said. He sacrificed his time and efforts to ensure the execution and the completion of the dredging project but now he has gone. It has been through the pressure and criticisms that people have been imposing on him which made him die’’ he said.
Dr. Wani urged citizens to brainstorm before making wrong decisions that would hinder the progress of the country to a better level of prosperity and development.
“We citizens should be people of right decisions not of emotions. Cleaning the Nile after being covered up by soil and rubbish is the responsibility of the government towards safety of citizens from diseases and flooding but some citizens seemed not to understand the explanation’’ Our rivers are totally blocked up by rubbish and sand. Most ships that transport people and goods from Kosti are now stuck and blocked up in Mangala due to the blockage of the passage with this, it may require real cleaning which we term it as dredging of the Nile’’ he said.
Furthermore, he underscored that access to River transport has been hanged since the Nile has been thoroughly blocked from ship passage
“It is now very difficult for ships to access water transport after the Nile has been surrounded by germinated trees, weeds and stagnant soil resulting to decline of water transport to improve our economy and all these contributed to the economic turmoil. If the blockage of the Rivers continue the way it is moving now, time will come when it will exceed up to Reng and Kosti with this, it will expand and upgrade into forest thus the citizens who exaggerate things shall be the ones suffering. Also, blockage of the rivers will cause flooding where most houses will be affected with the water’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the first Vice President of the republic of South Sudan Dr. Riak Machar Teny urged citizens to allow government initiate the dredging project for the good of the country.
He said that students’ roles differ from the roles of leadership and beyond other circumstances at the government level as required.
“I want to clarify to those citizens doubting the work of the late that, the cleaning of the Nile bears more benefits in regards to their challenges. Late Manawa died with the characteristics of a leader with good characters and faith towards service delivery to the nation and with this, I want to say that military college produce men and leaders at various levels’’ he said.
He said that for most parts of the country to be set free from flooding, let the citizens clear all the doubts they have for better growth of the Nation and develop the will that Manawa had to develop the Nation.
At the same note, Martin Elias Lomuro, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs cautioned citizens and the media over exaggeration of information that would not fit public purpose.
