By William Madouk
New chief administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), Gola Boyoi Gola, has warned against inter-communal violence in the area.
Filling the shoes of his predecessor, Lokali Ame Bullen, Gola faces an uphill task to combat bloodshed between armed youth from Jonglei state and Pibor area.
Speaking during his welcoming ceremony, Gola thanked Ame for his services to Pibor but warned of going to take rough decisions against perpetrators of violence.
“Any position has its own challenges, I cannot say. I will do better than you [Ame], but I will try the best I can,” Gola told the gathering at his reception after swearing in.
“Now, all of you are excited that I am appointed, but that will not last for two, three, or four days because I am going to make tough decisions,” he warned.
Mr. Gola called for the Murle-Murle and Anyuak-Anyuak dialogues ahead of the greater Pibor peace conference to consolidate peaceful coexistence.
He revealed that the Security Council notified him, asking him to give a presentation on the pesky insecurity in Pibor and potential solutions.
“This will help to see that, for instance, if we need additional deployment of force or cars for patrolling, we will get it,” he stated.
He vowed to seal the leakages of rampant financial mismanagement in Pibor, with a focus on development.
“If you need development, I am going to be rough; there will be no money to be given to individuals,” he echoed.
Mr. Gola recalled that in the aftermath of his appointment, he was called by his friend who lingers in Juba and complained that his name had been removed from the teachers’ pay list and appealed for reinstatement.
“You will not see that money again; that money will be used for education and to hire teachers from Uganda or Kenya to come teach in Pibor. Because if you are given that money in your pocket, you will eat it alone,” he addressed the undisclosed friend.
Gola assured that he would work with diligent people and added that government positions in the Pibor area are not enough to accommodate everyone.
“I am not lucky because I was appointed during the rainy season; if it were in the summer, I would have moved from here with the grader and excavator, done surveys, and dispatched engineers to open roads and waterways to Pibor,” he expressed.
“Presently, the roads are closed due to the rain, and bags of sugar can reach SSP 800, 000,” he lamented.
Pibor area chief administrator declared that he will open a block account to deposit GPAA money and, in December, award a contract to a company to construct a road to avoid squandering funds.
He mooted a joint meeting with the ministries of finance, wildlife, mining, and agriculture to tap abundant resources in the region.
On Friday, President Salva Kiir, during the swearing-in ceremony, urged Gola to collaborate with local community leaders to restore peace and stability in Greater Pibor.
On the same note, the Murle community leader, Mr. Kennedy Gain Ngare, told Gola that he would face a lot of problems.
“All those people who were present here at the time will turn against you the same day if they don’t get their share of the area’s portfolio,” Ngare warned.
“Will ministerial positions in Pibor and counties accommodate all of us? Even if we create 100 commissions, it will not house Murle, Anuak, Kacipo, and Jie,” he added.
He also tipped Gola of armed youth deadly clashes and called on him to close-fit his waist belt.
Delivering the Anyuak King’s message, His Majesty Akway Nyigwo, Munira Abdellah, said they would support Gola if he worked for peace, unity, and development.
She warned paramount chiefs to shun politics to break the cycle of inter-communal violence.
“If the neighbors are not staying peacefully and the wind may blow up things, what prevents us from having a good relationship and from sharing the resources among ourselves?” Ms. Munira asked.
“We must, during the tenure of Gola, as young people, rally behind him because youth are dragged into fighting by politicians who need only seats and government positions,” she continued.
“Why don’t we use our brains to put our hands together to stop killing ourselves, attacking one another, and abducting our own children and embark on peace and development?”
The welcoming ceremony was attended by deputy minister of information Jacob Maiju Korok, deputy chief administrator Joseph Abolla, and former deputy national minister of information Baba Medan Konyi.
Other dignitaries include the founder and ex-chief administrator, Gen. David Yau Yau, chiefs, youth, women, and representatives from the ruling SPLM party, just to mention but a few.