By James Innocent
Yei River County councilors in Central Equatoria State are set to resume duties after nearly a year of inactivity due to economic challenges.
According to the chairman, who also acts as the speaker for the county council, Claudia Milla, they have been unable to perform official activities during this period.
Milla noted that Yei River County has been without a council for decades, making it difficult to address their social issues.
The chairman assured the community that a functioning county cannot thrive without the presence of the legislative and judiciary branches, as the executive cannot operate effectively in isolation.
He likened the role of councilors to hunting dogs, which are essential for tracking and bringing home resources.
John Hillary Konga, the Executive Director of Yei River County, pointed out, “No county in Greater Yei has all three pillars of local government—the executive, judiciary, and legislative council. We are fortunate to have councilors ready to serve.”
Konga assured local councilors that the official opening of the council would be launched within a month, pending a final response from Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme, who is currently in Juba addressing key challenges and ongoing developments in the county.
He added, “The lack of funding has been the main reason for the council’s delay in opening. It requires patience to prepare for the launch, as it is not an easy task.”
This announcement came during a five-day training session for over 50 local government councilors organized by the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, with support from the IOM Consortium Project, which will continue until November 2025.
The training is set to commence on Friday.
During the opening of the training, Salash Moses, the project manager for Fin Church Aid, explained that the session is focused on equipping local councilors with skills in financial management.
“We expect over 50 participants from the councilors to take this training seriously and apply what they learn, especially as their projects are nearing completion in November 2025,” he said.
Meanwhile, the paramount chief of Yei River County, Joseph Brown Lomose, praised all partners involved, particularly the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, FCA, CEPO, and IOM, for their significant contributions to the communities of Yei.