The governor of Eastern Equatoria State has announced that there will be no official commemoration of South Sudan’s Independence Day on 9 July due to a lack of resources.
Gen. Louis Lobong Lojore made the revelation while delivering his Independence Day message on Monday evening through the Voice of Eastern Equatoria State 97.0 FM.
“This year, we are not celebrating our independence like the other years when we rotated it in the counties. Last year, it was held in Kapoeta North County. We asked our county commissioners to celebrate in their places and we in Torit town should celebrate in different capacities and you and your kids can light candles and explain to them about this day,” he said. “This year started well but with challenges and one of them is late rainfall. We see our neighbors the Murle also attacking and killing our people and abducting our children in Eastern Equatoria. We also see our children who joined gangs killing people in the towns. We experience economic hardships and the prices of goods are very expensive while our civil servants’ salaries have also been delayed. The situation is very bad.”
Lobong added: “All these years we have depended on oil but now there is no oil revenue due to the conflict in Sudan and that is why we do not have salaries so we cannot blame anyone.”
He thanked the people of Eastern Equatoria for heeding President Salva Kiir’s appeal to citizens to embrace farming to mitigate the prevailing economic hardships and ensure food security.
The governor also saluted the security forces for maintaining security in the state, particularly in Torit, by arresting gangsters.
“This year, as you have seen, we are trying to put security lights in Torit and Kapoeta towns to minimize criminality and also to give a good appearance using our meager resources. We urge everyone in town to contribute by installing security lights in their places,” he stated. “Your national government plans to install sustainable power and water supply in the whole of Torit. Assessment has been done and we hope work will begin this year.”
Gen. Lobong also urged the private sector to use the conducive environment to invest in the state.
He appealed to civil servants to be patient and reassured them that the national government is working to clear their salary arrears.
“My dear citizens, I want to greet you and assure you that your government stands with you and is trying its level best to do everything that we all need. This condition we are in will end,” he stated. “The civil servants need to bear with the conditions and I know the solution is coming, the government will try its best to pay salaries. Congratulations to you on the 13th independence anniversary and let us continue to celebrate the country we obtained by force and let us develop it.”