Some members of newly created Lol State have expressed their disappointment that the newly appointed cabinet of the state has been sworn in without their approval.
Lol State Governor Rizik Zacharia Hassan announced his new cabinet on Thursday appointing six ministers.
In a press statement from Aweil town, which is not part of Lol State but serves as a residence for some of its MPs, Hon. Garang Mawien Mawien alleged that the governor appointed his new cabinet and swore them in without knowledge of the state MPs and members of SPLM party.
Garang says he represent SPLM party members in the Lol state legislative assembly.
“The governor has not put us in the picture and he did not even inform us when he went to Raja and appointed his cabinet. We were waiting for him here at the time he came from Juba so that we go to Raja together but he went and left us behind and then rushed to form the new cabinet,” he said.
“He was supposed to have appointed his new cabinet and bring their names to us for approval but he did not do it that way, therefore we the members of parliament and SPLM party members representing Aweil North and West, about 28 of us, we rejected this government and we shall not go to Raja. We shall be based in Nyamlel and we want the national government to intervene,” he said.
Radio Tamazuj attempted to reached the governor for his comment on the allegations but he mobile number failed to go through.
Rizig’s choices for his cabinet include Kuol Anyuon Kuol as state minister of finance, Mohameden Abakar as the minister of health, Monon Jok Aleu as the state minister of agriculture, Francis Piol Bol Buk as the state minister of information, youth, culture and sports, Macham Macham Angui as the state minister of physical infrastructure, and Omer Isaak as the minister of education.
Lol State is one of 28 states created by President Salva Kiir by decree but challenged as unconstitutional by a coalition of opposition parties.
Monitors of the peace agreement have called the creation of the 28 states a “violation” of the peace agreement. Salva Kiir says the 28 states are the demand of the people.
Parts of Western Bahr el Ghazal State (Raja County) and Northern Bahr el Ghazal State (Aweil West and North counties) were merged to create the new state. Many traditional leaders in Raja County rejected this, refusing the merger.