Residents in parts of the Kuajok town of Warrap State have complained about the lack of basic services like water, schools, and health facilities in their area.
The inhabitants of Block 32 in the Eastern part of Kuajok town, which comprises Wartit, Manyang Kuel, and Block 8, over the weekend called the municipal authorities for a meeting where they vented their frustrations about the lack of services.
During the five-hour meeting held on Saturday in the Wartit suburb, the residents tasked the municipal authorities to provide water, schools, and health centers because they currently have to foot for over an hour to access basic services.
A resident from Block 32, Kuol Bol Akot, said the purpose of the meeting was to let the municipality know some of the challenges the people are facing.
"I am a resident of Block 32 and we called the authorities of the municipal council and other government officials to witness our challenges,” Bol said, “We have 3420 Households and there are no boreholes since the demarcation of this Block. This population doesn't have enough water points nearby. They take water from the prison water point and a lot of fighting takes place there."
Asunata Akuot Malueth, the deputy chairperson of the local women group, said: "We are asking the government because we have challenges in this block. There is nowhere to drink (water) and no health center where pregnant mothers can deliver and the same thing for schools for our children."
Like the rest of the residents, Anyang Madut, a mother of four said her area has been abandoned by the municipal council authorities who do not respond to their needs.
"My name is Anyang Madut in Block 32 which is called Manyang Kuel and Wartit. The challenges are many, our children don't have schools, no market nearby and no water facilities too. These are the reasons why we called the meeting for the people to listen to our voices,” Anyang said. “But are our voices going to be heard by authorities? It will end here. My message to the municipal council is to listen to our problems.”
In response to the community’s demands, the chief executive director of Kuajok Municipal Council, Albino Maluk Chiman, admitted that the block is big and deserves essential services.
"The area is big, there is no water and it is inhabited by a huge population. Their demands are real and as the director in the municipal council, I will talk to humanitarian organizations and the state ministry of health for intervention because the state hospital is very far from Wartit," Maluk said.