![South Sudan's cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro addresses a news conference on the South Sudan negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 22, 2018. [Photo by Reuters].](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/35963_SUD20180622SOUTHSUDANUNRESTREUTERS_1529926647244.jpg?ssl=1)
In late June, South Sudan ministry of water resources and irrigation announced the arrival of a 21-truck convoy from Egypt to Unity State’s capital Bentiu through neighboring Sudan, carrying heavy machines that are to be used for dredging of Naam River.
The announcement sparked harsh social media debates among the citizens.
While most residents of Bentiu support the initiative, citizens in Juba including academic personalities such as the vice-chancellor of the University of Juba, criticized the government for wanting to launch the dredging initiative without a feasibility study.
Speaking during the funeral prayer for the late minister of water resources and irrigation in Juba on Thursday, Lomuro disclosed that late minister Manawa was scheduled to present a document to the council of ministers which had already approved the project in May.
“Indeed, the late (minister of water resources and irrigation) was scheduled to present a common memorandum to the council of minister on Friday the 24th of June, 2022, just two days before his passing on,” Lomuro said.
“At this juncture Your Excellencies, I felt duty bound to state that the dredging of Naam River which was negatively politicized and propagated on social media was a resolution of the council of ministers, Resolution number 05/2022 taken during the cabinet meeting on the 13th of May 2022,” he added.
Lomuro further disclosed that the “Jonglei canal development project was discussed by the by the infrastructure cluster and forwarded to the governance cluster, [but] the proposal has not presented to the council of ministers.”
“I therefore advise no individual group of social media criminals to castigate the minister or any of his members of staff.”
There is no civility in this remarks, the only thing that would come into my mind is this question; is What lenses do these politicians use to run this country? Neither do they think of the current generation nor the future generation.
Having aired your discontent doesn’t make someone to be a criminal, something Mr chief in the cabinet takes into a household understanding.
He/she who ought to be told must be told, especially the citizens, of what their government plans for them. For I am very sure, if it wasn’t because of the 8 millions population, the independence would not have been won. They should be mindful of the cry of the population rather than their interests.
Sometimes, we may say their ideas are as old as their PHDs, and more importantly be rendered obsolete as they seemingly borrow not any political ideas that would make them fit not only in the current geopolitics but also in domestic grounds.