The former governor of Eastern Equatoria State and the current governor of what President Salva Kiir has called ‘Namorunyang State’ says that people of his state have written to the Council of States to change the name back to Eastern Equatoria State.
President Salva Kiir is seeking to change the structure of the country’s 10 constitutionally established states to 28 smaller states created by decree. Lobong is one of only two previously elected governors whom Kiir appointed to one of the 28 new governorships.
Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said that his state is now based in the far east of the country and hence deserves the name “Eastern Equatoria.”
Lobong hoped that the name would be changed by the Council of States saying it was the desire of the people of the whole Equatoria region to retain their name ‘Equatoria’.
“It is the demand of the people – if the people want it then nobody in the government will refuse. They have written. It is their name, it is their need, it is their state, I believe they will be given,’’ Lobong said.