Authorities in Awerial County of Lakes State have issued an order cancelling the relocation of the old market to the new market in Mingkaman.
“Cancelling of relocation of old market allotment and withdrawal of tokens to the directorate of a land survey, housing and public utilities,” the order obtained by Radio Tamazuj on 5 June reads.
“This local order is issued to ensure that the procedures of relocation of old market allotment have been cancelled by the county authority until further notice,” the order states.
“This order shall be cited as local order number 5/2023 for the cancellation of relocation of old market procedures of allotment in Awerial County and it comes into force on the date of its signature by the county commissioner,” the document states.
The document also explains that three individuals, who were members of a previous committee that was formed on 13 April this year, have been removed from their positions. These persons are Peter Majok Ajith Malou (chairperson), Ayor Charbek Deng (National Security) and Franco Mangar Maker (Criminal Investigations Directorate. The decisions and procedures taken by the previous committee chaired by Peter Majok Ajith Malou have all been nullified.
The order for nullification of all procedures of the previous committee as well as their removal from the positions they occupied, is cited as order number 4/2023 and it is exercised in accordance with powers conferred upon the commissioner of Awerial County by the Lakes State governor.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the commissioner of Awerial County, Philip Mawut Garang, said that anyone found to have made an unlawful collection of token fees will be arrested.
“These members were briefed in the office to go ahead with their work, and national security personnel were attached to them, and they (National security) were there to see anything going, and they have to come back to my office with the report,” he said.
“The reason they are there is to be the eyes of the government and if they go and keep silent there, it means they are part of the problem, and if we get them they have taken something from people, we will look for that person who took something from people and get him arrested immediately,” commissioner Philip Mawut explained.
Bol Kuer, a trader in the Mingkaman market, said that the commissioner has dissolved the committee and cancelled the relocation of the old market to the new market.
“The relocation plan of the old market to the new market has been cancelled by the commissioner and the commissioner has dissolved the committee and withdrawn the token until further notice,” he said.
He said to get registered for the shop (plot allotment), it will cost a person 70,000 SSP per piece of land in the new market and the number of people in need of shops in the new market is very huge.