The Anyuak community in Pochalla County of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has rejected the appointment of Nyiguo Badok as a member of the National Legislative Assembly, replacing Charles Wello Onyony.
President Salva Kiir made the appointment on Monday.
Wello, a representative of the Pochalla Constituency in the National Legislative Assembly, had his appointment revoked in a presidential decree last October. No reasons were given for his sacking, prompting the Pochalla Anyuak community to immediately demand his reinstatement.
However, in a presidential decree issued on Monday, President Kiir named Nyiguo as Wello’s replacement.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Sunday Andrew Cham, a representative of the Anyuak community, said they were not consulted and that the appointment was made unilaterally.
“We elected Wello to represent us in the national parliament, which means his position as a community is ours. Should there be a need to have him replaced, then we should have been consulted,” he said. “Firstly, Wello’s removal should have come from us, but that was done unilaterally. We may agree that the president has the power to remove and appoint an MP. However, why would the nomination come from the chief administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area and his deputy but not the Anyuak community on the ground? This is marginalization.”
The community leader demanded that Monday’s presidential decree be reconsidered. “It is known that we have not been at peace with Pbor for the last three years. For the nomination to come from there is wrong. We appeal to the president to halt Nyiguo’s swearing-in. Nyiguo is our son, but we did not nominate him, and therefore, he is not our representative.”
Meanwhile, Openyi Atii, the Pochalla youth leader, also shared the community’s concerns and vowed that they would not cooperate with Nyiguo.
“Our position is same as that of our elders. We were not consulted and the decree by the president was unilateral. This appointment was done to create chaos and division within Pochalla but we will not accept it. We want the president to reconsider his decision and consult with us,” he said.
For his part, Charles Wello, the former lawmaker, said his sacking by President Salva Kiir was non-procedural.
“My sacking was non-procedural. I was sent by SPLM to resolve conflict in Pochalla and then sacked while in the field. This was shocking to everyone. Again, I was elected in 2010, so why would I be removed this way? I will pursue all possible avenues within my party, the SPLM, to challenge this decision because I was elected by the community, and the position belongs to them,” he concluded.