By Gladys Kole
A three days consultative and civic education workshop on federalization process in South Sudan concluded Thursday in Yambio town in Western Equatoria State with calls for transition to cooperative federalization system of governance.
Participants at the just concluded workshop who expressed their views on the subject are fully in support and embraced the idea of cooperative way of federal system of governance to lead the country.
Cooperative federalism is a system of governance where the federal and state governments both work together on a variety of issues and programs.
Speaking during closer of the workshop, speaker of Western Equatoria transitional legislative assembly, Wakila Charles Abdu said the idea of federal system would be good for South Sudan and believes the three regions agree to it.
“There are so many comparisons. I am sure there was a research conducted compared to where we came from up to this time, it is good for us to go for federalism there’s a lot of things that needs to be done and a lot of good things will be coming our way.” Wakila explained.
Another participant, a church leader, Rt. Rvd. Yepeta Natana also echoed that the three-day consultative workshop has been so beneficial, fruitful and rewarding in a way that it made them (participants) gain a lot from the responses given by audience to the questions that were raised about the nature of federalism.
“Cooperative governance unites us together to have one voice and be able to lead the country despite being in different states,” commented Natana.
The consultative workshop was organized by the Ministry of Federal affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
It brought together over 150 delegates from the national and state governments including members of parliament from the transitional national legislative assembly and council of states.
Other representatives included members from civil society, faith-based groups, chiefs women and youth associations.
The minister of federal affairs, Losuba Ludoru Wongo remarked that South Sudan will transition into federal government at the end of the country’s current transitional administration.
Meanwhile, an activist, Ms. Victoria Yotoma Jacob the deputy chairperson of new vision for sustainable development-a civil society organization representative in attendance, stressed they are behind the move and support the transition to federal system of governance.
“We understood that these resolutions have been passed, what we need to do is to understand, analyze, critique it and come out with our final recommendation so that the high level of committee or commission members can go and put forth the documentation of this process “
Victoria explained that by welcoming the federalization governance drive doesn’t mean they are against the current leaders.
“We are not asking for the current leaders to be removed but instead we are asking them to change their mindset, mentality, and spirit to a better and good governance system whereby they will consider much social accountability, transparency and implementing policies, service delivery after a community consultation “.
Similar workshops are due to be held in other states across South Sudan to promote civic education and engagement on the importance of federalization system of governance.