The office of the governor of Eastern Equatoria State has refuted all the allegations levelled against the governor by his deputy.
Governor Louis Lobong’s press secretary, Aliandro Lottok, issued a statement on March 26, 2022, stating that the positions of mayor, deputy mayor, chairpersons, and deputy chairpersons of corporations in the state are not mentioned in the agreement pertaining to responsibility sharing in the states and local government.
“However, at the meeting of the political parties forum, it was agreed that the SPLM-IO, SSOA, and OPP meet to agree on which positions go to which parties and then submit a joint list of nominees for the various positions, in the spirit of partnership and cooperation,” Aliandro explained in the press statement.
“The governor is still waiting for the joint letter to take action accordingly.” “There was no delay at all on the governor’s side, “he articulated.
In response to the retention of the administration in the state, the press secretary asserted that upon taking office, the governor issued directives aimed at integrating the administrations, assets, and personnel of the former Kapeota and Torit states.
He claimed that a committee of top government workers had been constituted to carry out the orders and that the institutions had been fully harmonised in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
“The formation of administrative units like town councils, municipal councils, and others is completely governed by the local government act and has nothing to do with the number of states,” Aliandro refuted.
Aliandro added that county executive directors are appointed in compliance with appropriate legislation, and that budget allocation for all counties is made in Juba and distributed to all counties as needed.
The county commissioners and the director-general of the ministry of local government and law enforcement are responsible for the executive directors in all counties, he said.
The governor has consistently underlined his commitment to working together in a spirit of collaboration for the benefit of the people of the state. He established the political parties’ forum as a means of addressing concerns, particularly those related to R-ARCSS implementation, he explained.
Lobong’s press secretary argued that government-established processes such as the council of ministers and the legislature oversee public financial management. He asserted that all political groups who signed the renewed peace accord are represented in these channels.
On the question of attacks on the SPLM-IO position, he said the one event in March 2021 at Lowareng was an act of tribal conflict carried out by local tribesmen.
Governor Lobong has been accused by the deputy governor, Mary Alphonse Lodira, who is also the chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation in Opposition (SPLM-IO), of delaying appointments of nominated members of the SPLM-IO to various positions in the state, including deputy mayor of land for Torit municipal council and deputy commissioner for the investment corporation commission.
She also accused the governor of keeping Eastern Equatoria divided into two states, each having a mayor in Kapeota and Torit. She claimed that ‘‘former politicians are being appointed as executive directors in the counties of the defunct 32 states, with full budget authority and direct accountability to the governor, in violation of the peace deal.’’
She also noted bad and collegial working relationships, as well as the state’s administrative tasks being centralised.
The deputy governor also claimed a lack of transparency in resource management in accordance with the agreement, and repeated attacks on SPLM-IO cantonment locations throughout the state, such as in Lowareng.