The newly appointed governor of Boma State announced his government on Saturday following his arrival to Pibor on Friday where he and his team were received by residents from the area.

Boma State, comprising the territory of the now dissolved Greater Pibor Area Administration (GPAA), comprises the former Pibor and Pochalla counties and is inhabited by Murle, Anyuak, Jie and Kachipo peoples.

The formation of the new state government comes after nearly one month of tension between Baba's supportes and supporters of the ousted GPAA Chief Administrator David Yau Yau. Supporters of Yau Yau have expressed disatisfaction with the appointment of Baba as governor, but Yau Yau himself has said that he accepts the decision.

Governor Baba Medan issued his first decree appointing Ogatu Cham as deputy governor for Boma State. Cham who hails from Pochalla was a former minister in Jonglei State from the SPLM party. He was nominated in Juba last week by after Baba Medan asked for nominations from the Pochalla politicians and community.

The nomination process chaired by King Akwai Agada of the Anyuak Kingdom was boycotted by two MPs, Hon. Charles Wello who represent Pochalla County in the national parliament and Hon. John Abulla representing Pochalla in the former Jonglei State parliament.

Ogatu Cham won the nomination with 111 votes against his rival John Abulla who left the meeting in protest claiming his relatives were prevented from attending the meeting. Abulla who was seen to be upset about the vote and he garnered 21 votes in his favor in spite of his boycott.

King Akwai Agada warned that he would dismiss the newly nominated deputy governor should he fail to deliver services to Boma State in general and Pochalla County in particular. For his part, the new deputy governor has promised to unite the people of his home area. “I want to unite people of Pochalla,” Ogatu said after his nomination.

In other appointments, John Joseph Abwola, former commissioner of Pochalla County, was appointed minister of finance. In another decree, two commissioners for Pochalla were also appointed, SPLM politician Ogebe Ochan for Pochalla North and Olul Akalabach, a former Sudan Armed Forces officer, for Pochalla South.