![Joseph Manytuil (l) clashes with Professor John Akec (r) at Juba Economic Conference. [Photo creengrab]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Untitled-Video-Facebook-Post-Landscape-Banner-Landscape-scaled.jpg?resize=2560%2C1280&ssl=1)
Akec is an anti-dredging voice who has called for a feasibility and environmental impact assessment to be conducted before the project is carried out.
Manytuil, like almost all politicians from Unity State, has advocated for dredging of the Naam River from mud and weed that the people of Unity State believe undermines water flow, resulting in the devastating flood that has taken over the state.
Despite recommendations of a public consultation conducted last year over the dredging that called for feasibility studies, the government has proceeded with the dredging, starting in Bentiu last week.
The clash between Manytuil and Akec began when Manytuil began to condemn anti-dredging voices such as Prof. Akec who, he said had at some point this year, referred to the people of Unity State as “animals” over the dredging exercise.
“Unity State, which you are talking about, is better than you,” the governor told Akec. “Unity State is far better than you, and we will carry out the project whether you like it or not.”
First Vice President Riek Machar could be heard urging the governor to step back and have a seat while former photographer in the office of the President Maal Maker Thiong could be seen along with two unidentified men calming down Professor Akec.
The clash highlighted the deep divisions in South Sudan over the dredging of the Naam River.
The project has been met with widespread opposition from environmental groups located in the capital Juba and some local communities in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal who fear that it will damage the river ecosystem and displace people on their land.
The government of South Sudan has defended the project, saying that it is necessary to reduce flooding and improve navigation on the river.
The nature with natural things were found by any human creature who came to this world through God, the almighty but where the humans are placed remains for them in centuries and centuries due to the coming up of generation and generation whom are suppose to be born there.
The environment concerned the human being to survive from it and that is why God created human being and there must availability of rivers and seas with their acquactic life as they consumed what comes out from their own rivers where they are staying along.
All rivers of South Sudan are inter_related and when one entity removal grasses insides there than the acquactic life will move away to another area and that one will complicates the life of people who survives from the river and even the fishes will move away as dredging persist.
The matter is not the case that so and so have termed people to be animals but after dredging, the life of those will remains in dire situation due to the fact that the fishing will stopped reason being the acquactic life had move away with green pasture of the river itself, and that one will be Unity State alone but whole South Sudan Mr. governor Wijang.
Being a lecturer at the University level, means you are a researcher and knows what defense the life of your people. Besides, money is evil, you might have been lum sum of money to destroy the life of your own people indirect but in the long run, you will regret for what you have done to your people.
I advice Prof. Akech to apologize to the people of Unity State if he termed them to be animals, but dredging to me is the red line.
Thanks.
According to my slight and brief analysis on that ongoing dredging of Naam River, which is now kick-off in Unity state, to me this would not give harm to any region or land in our Country, South Sudan and I could not personally seen any political grudges which could be seen by public as the one that appeared now between Governor Monytuil and Prof Akech, so let us take the ongoing dredging as national project that would be fruitful to our nationwide benefits, not seen as one that benefit the Unity state a lone as some individuals put it or predict it.
But on the issue of insulted on the general public or community, to me it could be on the account of who is bearing that responsibility or accountability, once things comes to reality.
By concern citizen