David Lokonga Moses, the newly sworn-in governor of ‘Yei River State’, has Wednesday promised to strengthen local government and services and work to improve security.
The governor spoke at an event organized at the Central Equatoria State secretariat to welcome the three governors of the three new districts created by presidential decree in place of the existing state.
President Salva Kiir has declared the Central Equatoria state government “defunct” and divided the state into three parts: Jubek, Terekeka and Yei River.
Lokonga said that he “shall strive to strengthen the state institutions of the local government at all levels for effective delivery of public goods and services.”
The governor also pledged to work with the churches and civil society. “The government will effectively empower and support the civil society organizations. The government will empower the religious organizations for the creation of awareness and mobilization of communities for socio-economic development,” he said
Lokonga stressed the need to strengthen the law enforcement agencies, referring to high criminality. “You have to take note of this one, starting from our chiefs to the organized forces and security apparatus, you must be ready to work together to ensure that we improve the security.”
“In order to enhance security the government shall endeavor to combat crimes and criminality in all their forms in order to restore confidence of our people in their governments. There are other things called ‘unknown gunmen’. Unknown gunmen must disappear from today. We want to work together – let them come home and we do not want hear of unknown gunmen.”
He assured the public that the creation of the three states out of Central Equatoria was not meant to divide the people of Central Equatoria, adding that the three governors of Yei River State, Terekeka and Jubek would work cooperatively.
He concluded, “I am your servant. I am not put here to press you down. I will take all your advices. The good one I will take and the bad one I will put aside. I will not work to divide the people to different tribes or counties. We have Kajo Keji, we have Lainya, we have Morobo and Yei.”
“Yei in those days was one but because of administration that was the reason some counties were divided from Yei. Thank God Yei has returned to its place.”