December 23, 2011 (JUBA) - Pochalla community members in Juba held a meeting today at Oasis hotel in Juba to discuss about the new appointed county commissioner. At the meeting, the members were overwhelmed, expresses their disappointment with the decision which was made by the governor of Jonglei state Hon: Kuol Manyang.

Member of the Pochalla community who attended the meeting in Juba - Photo by Peter Owar Okello

On November 28, 2011 a letter of nomination of county commissioners was sent out from the office of the Governor to all ten counties. The letter stating that the community has to summit four (4) names to the office of H.E. the Governor latest Monday 5th December 2011 at 12:00 noon. The nominated candidates who wish to be a commissioner, he/she must fulfill the nineteen listed criteria in the letter.

According to county MP representatives, they said, they have summited four (4) names which were nominated by the community on 4th December 2011 to the office of his H.E. Kuol Manyang.

On December 21, 2011, the Governor of Jonglei state announced that Mr. Joseph Okello will be the new commissioner of Pochalla County. Most of community member in Juba did learn that Mr. Joseph Okello was not among the list nominated and summited by the community after the announcement.

At today’s meeting, one of the attendance told Anyuak Media that “the Governor did not respect our voices. I think this appointment was politically motivated not to bring development and peace to the county.”

One of the elder at the meeting also express himself by stating that since previous regimes, Pochalla county was accessible by roads and by air even during the civil war, but now in this current south Sudan government, Pochalla is not easily accessible and no development brought by the SPLM to the area so far. He think what Kuol Manyang has done in nominating somebody out of the list of their nominees is that,” he is adding fuel in to a fire”.

The meeting was concluded by accepting Mr. Joseph Okello as their county commissioner despite that the nomination was against their will. They went on by congratulating and wishing him success in his administration.

The Pochalla community in Juba they hope that Mr. Joseph Okello and Kuol Manyang will bring development to the area. Pochalla is one of the peaceful county in Jonglei state.

Pochalla County is one of the counties that don’t have net-work communication, poor infrastructures, lack of social amenities, no health facilities and few NGOs activities.