The State’s Acting Governor acknowledged the institutional breakdown but expressed optimism that the three arms of government—executive, legislature, and judiciary—would now work in harmony for the good of the people.

By Emmanuel Mandella

Yambio, Western Equatoria State — In a move signaling a turning point for governance in Western Equatoria State (WES), Acting Governor Daniel Badagbu has declared an end to longstanding tensions between the executive and legislative branches, pledging a new era of collaboration and accountability among all arms of government.

The announcement came during the long-awaited reopening of the Western Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly, which had remained inactive since March 2023—well beyond the constitutionally mandated three-month recess outlined in the Conduct of Business Regulations. According to these provisions, the assembly should operate in three-month sessions followed by equivalent breaks. The prolonged closure had fueled criticism and compounded administrative gridlock, with observers citing political infighting, executive interference, and non-payment of lawmakers’ salaries as major contributors to the deadlock.

In his address to the assembly on Tuesday, Badagbu acknowledged the institutional breakdown but expressed optimism that the three arms of government—executive, legislature, and judiciary—would now work in harmony for the good of the people.

“We have come together now to restore the government of Western Equatoria,” he said. “Governance cannot be exercised by the executive alone. It must be a concerted effort where the executive implements, the legislature legislates, and the judiciary ensures justice.”

In a firm and forward-looking tone, the Acting Governor added: “There will be no war between the executive and the parliamentarians because if there is any war, that means there is no work of government.”

Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Wakila Charles Abdu, echoed the call for reform, raising deep concerns over what she described as a “dysfunctional system of governance.” She cited structural and administrative hurdles that have paralyzed legislative functions and undermined the effectiveness of the assembly.

In response, Badagbu issued a directive requiring all ministers in his administration to present their policy plans to the assembly for debate and approval. He emphasized the importance of swift legislative action to prevent further delays in service delivery.

“I want to instruct all the ministers to present their policies to the assembly,” he said. “Once they come, please debate and deliberate on those bills, then pass them quickly so they can be signed into law and implemented.”

This assertive move is part of a broader strategy to reset governance in Western Equatoria, improve service delivery, and restore public trust in political leadership after years of stagnation.

In one of the most candid parts of his address, Badagbu criticized the state’s failure to operate under an official budget for nearly five years, calling the situation “ridiculous” and directly linking it to the deterioration of public services and worker welfare.

“The reason why people are suffering—lack of medicine, unpaid allowances, and administrative breakdown—is because Western Equatoria has gone four years without a budget. Once a government has no budget, it’s really very ridiculous,” he said.

To address this, Badagbu announced the launch of a seven-day multi-stakeholder engagement aimed at fast-tracking the formulation and approval of a new state budget. The process is expected to conclude shortly after South Sudan’s Independence Day on July 9.

“This time, we will have a seven-day resolution process, and we will support the assembly fully to scrutinize and pass the budget,” he assured. “We want this to happen within a week after Independence Day.”

While acknowledging that the national financial crisis has affected all states, the Acting Governor insisted that local leadership must not use the lack of funds as an excuse for inaction.

“Money is scarce across the country, but that cannot be our excuse. We must act, and we must do so urgently.”

Governor Badagbu’s message was clear: for Western Equatoria State to move forward, the culture of division and institutional dysfunction must give way to collaboration, transparency, and purpose-driven leadership.