Martin Manyiel Wugol in Freedom Farm
Since Public Debate on Nile Dredging Project considerably put to rest online courtesy of H.E the president. On Thursday, 14, July 2022 as usual, I was watching professor Nobel Prize Winner and political activist Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde known as (WS) Professor Wole Soyinka addressed the graduates of Westminster College in Fulton, on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Professor Wole Soyinka used President Obama’s 2008 campaign theme to remind graduating seniors of their responsibility to never be complacent in life, their careers, and in guiding the nation’s political future. In his speech on “A Checkpoint on the ‘Versus’ Syndrome?” can be found on this link below. https://news.westminster-mo.edu/globa…https://www.wcmo.edu.
However, the take home message was conclusive part of American President Barack Obama, “Yes We Can Message”. As patriotic South Sudanese citizens took the matter of Nile dredging into public domain known as “Social Media”, whereby His Excellency president Salva Kiir Mayardit gave a resounding order referring matter of Nile Dredging back to experts with trusted knowledge of how safely River Nile Dredging or scooping out of blockage in the River Nile to allow smooth running of water happen slowly without necessarily causing any problem to ecosystems that can later on resulted into an ecological disaster. Thereafter, the activities or discussion regarding Nile Dredging in protection of “Sudd” put to rest by our president until informed independent studies produces convincing report on how Nile Dredging can be safely done without causing regrettable man-made mistakes to our Rivers largely considered to be world’s essential Sudd Wetlands that provide annual rainfalls in South Sudan, thank you very much Mr., president for your timely response.
Fellow citizens particularly youth of the nation, your heroics fight to stop Nile Dredging must be acknowledged and use as basic starting point use to reunite ourselves together with our leaders and work for better South Sudan for all her citizens irrespective of political parties or people who believed in Nile Dredging against people who subconsciously opposed Nile Dredging for common good of ourselves as South Sudanese citizens nothing else.
At personal level, I am not an expert on Water or Nile Dredging System as being discussed, but I read more about its successes and dangers when wrongly done without proper research cared out mainly by renowned experts without self-interest attached to it. I support presidential directive directing the national Ministry of Environment and Forestry to initiate the transparent process of identifying and eventually hiring credible experts who can carry out correct feasibility study and inform the nation appropriately when time come for scientific Nile Dredging without causing any problems. As matter of nationalism in our president and his government I wholeheartedly saluted timely intervention of H.E. the president for saving time and restored hope and credibility of South Sudan government under leadership of president Salva Kiir Mayardit because of delicate nature of (Nile Dredging Discussion) (NDD) online almost created (Unprecedented Public Discourse) (UPD) on how safer is the Sudd and ecosystem of our beloved Nation South Sudan, and that timely intervention by the president built confidentiality in his leadership and created a transparent processes for citizens to be involved when matters of national interest are discussed just to avoid such divisive situation now and in the near future.
Mr. President, your administration demonstrated the sense of consultative leadership by allowing concerned Ministry of Environment and other line-Ministries of Water and Irrigations to carefully carry out (Due Diligence) under your personal and direct consultation because Nile Dredging Project is lifesaving national event that need your guidance and personal supervision always for its conversation.
Back to fellow South Sudanese who brought the matter to logical conclusions, I salute you and encourages you to continue preaching messages of peace and unity of South Sudanese people beyond tribes, beyond region and above all beyond political affiliation but the main intention is and possibly was to establish a viable nation that serve public interest regardless of ethnicity but always believe in South Sudanese (Junubiism) for survival of our country and responsible citizens we must put into consideration the correct usage of national character of being South Sudanese nationals from today onwards and from that true sense of uniformity common ideology, the culture of being South Sudanese become new identity, whereby citizens accept themselves and work together for immediate development of the nation.
As discussion of Nile Dredging took professional centre stages, I humbly requested academia, civil society activists, politicians and notably, citizens of South Sudan to begin preaching unity of the people as only possible benchmarks for leaders to start planning for careful eradication of “object poverty” that continue disturbing our masses in countryside meanwhile elites embarks on building best political understanding that denounced completely politics of conflicts of interests and promote politics of togetherness that promote love and unity of all South Sudanese people in the grassroots levels and amongst political elitists of our country.
Country men and women, it is now time to put aside politics that divide us and allow politics of good ideas for all citizens that encourage masses to ripe results of correct politics of pluralism and denounce politics of tribalism, regionalism that can take us backward instead of moving forward, yes we can stop it together as one people of strong nation known in the world and historically mentioned in the Bible book of Isaiah 18 as land of Cush therefore unity of South Sudanese unconditionally is divine one which it time has come now for South Sudanese to unite and live side by side in South Sudan.
In conclusion, the central point of my opinion is for us the people of South |Sudan to in special way reflects back on our pass events with our neighboring countries whereby we the people accepted ourselves as one community using American President Obama common phrase of “Yes We Can”. Policy to put aside our political challenges and work together as people of the country and Yes We Can do it together as people of South Sudan as we collectively did it when we struggled fighting for liberation of the majority marginalized black South Sudanese in the Sudan that eventually resulted into independence of South Sudan.
With all good intends and purposes, H.E the president consciously decided to stand on the side of truth and citizens by speaking the truth which shall continue to flourish in our country simply because the “fountain of honor”, president of the republic rejuvenated the “hidden treasure” of South Sudanese they are well known for in Africa and entire world that South Sudanese people are historical and cultured honest people of God who believed in honesty at all time.Yes we can when we are united as one people serving common interest of our citizens like it happened during three weeks of Nile Dredging fight to conserve the wetland Sudd.
Our President Salva Kiir Mayardit Oyeee.
Citizens of South Sudan both online and protectors of Nile Dredging Fighters Oyeee.
No Nile Dredging without Scientific Research Carryout Oyeee.
Thank You All.
By Martin Manyiel Wugol Journalist and Sometimes Diplomat of Moral Courage.
The writer is South Sudanese Journalist based in Uganda and can be reached through amirwugol@gmail.com +256781287775.