The Warrap State Women’s Union on Monday elected Elizabeth Awal Akok for the second time as its chairperson.
Awal previously served 11 years in the same position before being unceremoniously fired from office in 2022 by Former Governor Gen. Aleu Ayieny.
She won the election by 47 votes against her two contestants, Teresa Nyankiirdit who got 4 votes, and Veronica Nyanut who garnered 13 votes.
“My name is Elizabeth Awal Akok and my new position today is Chairlady for Warrap State Women Union,” a beaming and victorious Awal said. “I won the election by 47 voters and my fellow contestants Nyankiirdit and Veronica Nyanut got 4 and 13 votes respectively.”
She appreciated being given a second chance in office and said she would use it to complete her plans. “I am very happy to be back and I do not have new plans but will continue with the old ones. I had a fence project with a certain organization in Juba so I will follow that up to replace this chain link fence UNDP made when it renovated the women’s office,” she explained. “Women do not like open places so I will build the fence with bricks because it was left hanging when I was abruptly fired.”
The newly elected chairperson promised to lobby for women in political and administrative positions to ensure women’s participation and equality.
“I will engage government to equitably involve women in governance and administration because the few women representatives cannot do anything when the needs of women arise,” she stated. “We need more women in administration to help restore peace among communities and I urge parents to take their children to school regardless of their sex.”
On her part, Teresa Nyankiir Richard, one of the contestants, disputed the election result and said the whole process was politicized.
“In my opinion, the election result was politicized because that is not how the governor wanted it when he briefed us. Male members of parliament and other middlemen disrupted the election and money was involved to bribe women,” she charged. “This is a women’s election so what brought men into it? They told me that they like me but that my son Peter Mayen Majongdit was once the National Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and that his wife is the state’s deputy governor.”
Nyankiir bitterly added: “Who does not have a relative in the current government? Even the state minister of gender is related to Awaldit. I am a member of the SPLM Party, my late husband was too and my son was once an SPLM cadre.”
She expressed disappointment at losing the election and said she had plans to initiate adult education for women, train them in computer skills, deal with the issue of girls dropping out of school, and help street children and orphans among other plans.
“Awal Akok stayed in office for 11 years and made no positive change but instead leased the women’s office to wounded heroes and heroines and has never been in the office all this time,” Nyankiir lashed out. “I am not happy with the election outcome but I will not take any legal step against the winner because these people of Warrap State do not like the right things.”