By Mamer Abraham
Deputy Minister of interior, David Marial Gumke has promised that his office will fund December 2023 National Youth Convention.
Gumke also promised to advocate for more funding for the youth in parliament, urging them to shun violence and unite across the country.
“The ministry of interior, through my office, will be able to contribute to the convention taking place. What we will do is work to ensure that the policies of the government are implemented across the country,” Gumke promised.
The deputy minister further lauded President Salva Kiir for his recent decrees that saw youth taking up government jobs, saying more youth should be employed.
“I also want to thank His Excellency the President for the trust that he is giving young people. Let us push for more young people to come into this government,” he said.
The deputy minister was speaking on Thursday, at the closure of youth workshop on unveiling of the roadmap for the forthcoming December 2023 youth convention.
He appreciated the chairperson of the South Sudan National Youth Union, Gola Boyoi Gola, for his decision to hand over the youth leadership peacefully.
“Mr. Gola, your time as the youth president is one of the best times ever because you have decided to hand over the leadership peacefully without having to bring the police and other organised forces. I believe that is the way to go,” he lamented.
“If you are united as youth and say, let us remove South Sudan from the conflict; from all these bad writings in social media, South Sudan can become the next destination for tourism, and we can make this country great,” he stated.
Youth elections
Simon Yel Yel, Secretary General of the South Sudan National Youth Union, said the convention would take place for a week from December 10th -17th, this year.
Each state and administrative area is expected to send fifteen delegates, out of whom five will be females.
“Whoever wants to contest in the upcoming elections, this is the time now for him or her to announce his or her candidature from today. But the process will start formally when we write to the state youth union chairpersons so that the delegates are drawn from the states and administrative areas,” Yel said.
The SG stated that the convention would have a number of panel discussions, but the last item would be the conduct of the youth elections.
He said legibility age for one to stand for the position of chairperson of the youth union is 31 years, and by the end of the four-year term, the chairperson would have reached 35 years of age.
Delegates are supposed to be 18 years of age and above, while those who will contest for the other positions should be at least 21 years of age and above.
Last year, the national minister for culture, youth, and sports, suspended the president of the National Youth Union, Gola Boyoi Gola, indefinitely.
The decision sparked criticism from national and state levels with the reason that the minister did not have the right to suspend any official from the youth union.
Conversely, Gola was later reinstated into his position to finish his tenure of office, where in December 2023; he is set to be replaced.