Civil society leaders in the Gomjuer Centre Payam area of the proposed Lol state have protested an alleged decision to transfer the county headquarters to Chelkou Payam.

The move comes after Lol State Governor Rizik Zachariah Hassan appointed 11 county comissioners. The proposed comissioner for the Gomjuer Centre Payam area comes from Chelkou Payam.

“We have agreed that our area is declared to be an administrative or a payam under an unknown county. We said if our county is not approved then we remain as a payam and we have formed a committee of 7 people that include 3 youth, 2 women and 2 chiefs to go to Raja and meet the governor,” Kuom said. 

Kuom also said that the youth have sent a letter to the Lol state governor, saying the comissioner should not come to the area before the dispute is settled. He also said the community demanded Gomjuer Centre Payam become a county.

The transfer of the county headquarters is untrue, said Lol State Minister of Information Francis Piol Buk in an interview with Radio Tamazuj.

“There is nothing that is going to be changed, including the flag they used to have, the same slogan and everything they have there. I don’t see any reason that our people go on air in making something that cause turmoil in our community,” said Piol.

The information minister said that three comunities will be given county status, and said the approval process has already begun with President Salva Kiir.