SPLM-IO’s Rubkona Commissioner reinstated back to position after 3-months suspension

JUBA — The Governor of South Sudan’s Unity State Joseph Nguen Manytuil has reinstated the SPLM-IO-appointed Commissioner of Rubkona County Gatluak Wichar Nyah after more than three months of suspension.

Wichar, a highly-respected opposition politician from Rubkona was appointed earlier this year when President Salva Kiir reconstituted county administrations as part of an arrangement provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

He was appointed on the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) ticket, but was suspended in September by the governor following quarrel with his deputy, or Rubkona County Executive Director, over administrative issues.

Speaking to Sudans Post in an exclusive interview on Tuesday evening, Wichar confirmed his return to his position and dismissed allegations by some state officials that he was suspended for allegedly advancing SPLM-IO electoral program amid floods and suffering.

“I can confirm to you that I have been reinstated last Friday and I have now resumed my duties normally,” Wichar said.

“It was administrative issue; we had (administrative) clashes with my deputy, the executive director of Rubkona. We had some disagreements that occurred and that is why the governor of Unity State took the decisions of suspending me and removing the executive director from the position,” he added .

He added: “Those were not the real reports and I can say that it is just an allegation. It was something administrative that happened between me and my deputy. I did not make any preparation for elections. That was a false report.”

He said leadership gap during his suspension has affected the community of Rubkona County amid floods and diseases outbreaks that are associated with the flooding.

“It affects the community of Rubkona actually because there was a gap between the leadership in the county and there were so many incidents of flooding and as you have already seen in the social media, Rubkona part of it has been occupied by water and that was as a result of leadership gap when there is no leadership there will always be some incidents that will affect the community,”  he said.