Community leaders and members of parliament at the Juba and state levels from Akop Payam in the newly created Tonj State have petitioned for the creation of five counties in the area.

The assert that the area is vast and it deserves to be given more administrative units to allow proper management of the affairs of its people without having to travel long distance in search of services for them.

“We members of the former Akop Sub-district in the current Tonj State are hereby voicing out our people’s concern to create more counties that will this time make our indigenous population to have their access to the government and services,” the petition reads in part.

The petition says Tonj State was itself supposed to be divided up into two or more states instead of being one.

“Tonj as a region with its vast territory and great population was supposed to have been two viable states with recent creation of 28 states but unfortunately we are confined in one and a very big state in the country. We know with the poor road network connection and lack of development in the area our people will continue to suffer without enough services delivered to them,” the petition says.

It further added: “Therefore, we jointly called upon: our community leaders (MPs), the state governor and the president of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit and any other concern authorities to respect our call and give us our due right and demand during the formation of Tonj State’s new counties.”

It explained that Tonj area has historically has administered through five Payams until 2003 when Tonj was split into three counties. Tonj was administered under the five payams comprising Akop Payam with five chieftaincies, Makuac Payam with one chieftaincy, Kuanythii Payam with four chieftaincies, Thiet Payam with five chieftaincies, and Ananatak Payam with four chieftaincies.

Tonj was divided into 19 chieftaincies during the British rule, making it larger than Rumbek, Gogrial and Yirol and Aweil districts at the time.

The petition now demands Lou Ariik to be created as a county with its capital at Alabek, Konggor County with its capital at Aliek, Padoc County with its capital at Akop, Rualbet County with its capital at Rualbe and Marial-Lou County with its capital at Marial-Lou.

“By doing so means we have upgraded the former colonial chieftaincies into county administrations. It is to be made clear that the aforementioned areas are now under payam administrations and we want to see them being Counties with new counties formation.”

Kornelio Mawien Dhor, member of parliament representing Akop area at the national legislative assembly in Juba, Ariik Ring Ariik for Alabek Payam, Lino Manyuon for Aliek Payam, Peter Machot Maruop for Akop Payam, Bol Machar for Rualbet Payam and Deng Ngang Mading for Marial-Lou Payam were among those from the area who signed the petition.