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BENTIU - 9 Aug 2013

Unity State caretaker announces new government

The newly appointed caretaker Governor of Unity State, Dr Joseph Nguen Monytuil, has announced the formation of a new government, which was dissolved days after he took over the state's leadership in June.

The announcement was made via state-owned radio Bentiu FM on Thursday evening on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. Ghai Koroyom, Unity State secretary general, confirmed the move to Radio Tamazuj saying Monytuil has appointed ten ministers, one deputy governor and five advisors.

He added that two out of the ten ministerial positions, and one advisor position, were given to women: “This reflects the state's seriousness to implement the affirmative action granted to women under our constitution.”

According to Koroyom, the new cabinet reflects the will of the people of Unity state because it represents all nine counties of the province. In the new government setting, the Ministry of Animal Resources was transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Information was merged into the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport. “The newly appointed officers will take their oath on Monday.”

News of the new government were received with mixed reactions by the state's residents. Some people say it is good to have new faces on the government and that all counties are represented in the ministerial positions.

“What the new caretaker has done is good because in the past year it is the same faces with no development in the state. We had oil money but nothing is given for the development of Unity state, we have no employment at all, I hope the changes bring us services,” a source said.

However, other people say Monytuil removed even the ministers who were doing a good job: “We are yet to see how good the new faces are and if they are better than the old faces who lost their positions. Many people were affected by these new changes, the Deputy Governor Micheal Chagea lost his position to the former commissioner of Pariang Mabek Lam.”

Some sources from Bentiu “hope that changes will continue in the commissioner levels.”

File photo: Dr Joseph Nguen Monytuil