By Bida Elly David
The commissioner of Juba County has on Tuesday slammed the media against taking statements from suspected land grabbers instead of valuing what the government undertakes to address matters concerning land disputes.
He said this as a response following recent accusations from citizens who were claimed to have acquired illegal land without proper documentation and accusing him for forceful land grabbing.
According to the universal ethics on reporting, the media plays a bigger role in making checks and balance of information gathered from different sources whether being pubic institutions, private among others. The law mandates the media to ensure using ethics in disseminating information between the accuser and the accused.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Tuesday, Eng. Joseph Charles Wani, the commissioner of Juba County blamed the media for having taken the initiative to interview land criminals devaluing the authority concerned.
“You the media houses go and connect with the criminal people and also you write the statement, which kind of Country we want to take. Are we following the government or we are following the criminals” he questioned.
“My office is a legal office of the government appointed by the President of the Republic of South Sudan in execution of the law and order. Based on the local government act 2009, we are working purely on the government duty.”
“Which accusation is that and any person who accuses the government is a criminal. How comes now you said that they accused us instead of arresting them because of turning the gun towards the government,” he slammed the media.
Wani underlined that the media committed a crime by interviewing criminals instead of standing firm to support the government towards executing national service to the citizens.
The Commissioner then called on all the media houses to stand with the government and abstain from taking statements from criminals who play the role of failing the activities of the authorities.
“You as the media, you don’t want to stand with the government, you don’t want to fight these criminal activities. You don’t want to take that one and immediately you give to the people outside there which is a criminal thing. How can we raise this Country,” he echoed.