A three-day youth convention concluded over the weekend in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, with the election of a new state youth chairperson and members of the general assembly.
A team from the National Youth Union arrived in Wau last week to organize the convention and subsequent election. Similar conventions and elections are to be held in the other nine states and three administrative areas across the country.
David Lawrence, the newly elected youth chairperson in Western Bahr el Ghazal State trounced three other candidates, Alfred Angok, Emmanuel Michael Peter, and David Santino.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, the secretary for state affairs at the National Youth Union, Justin Urio Ajongo, said the convention was a success.
“It is my pleasure and I would like to thank you for monitoring the activity. We finished successfully. It was not easy but through the cooperation of the youth and state authorities and other stakeholders, including the national, civil society, and international organizations, we successfully managed to complete the election process and it was free and fair,” Ajongo said.
The newly elected youth leader, David Lawrence, praised God for emerging victorious and said he has been working to attain the leadership position for the last two years.
“I wanted to thank God for the chance he gave me to lead the youth in Western Bahr el Ghazal State and I want to also appreciate Radio Tamazuj for the good coverage and I think this is a new beginning between the Radio and our office,” Lawrence said. “I am very happy because I have been working for the last two years to reach this level and I have achieved my ambition.”
He said the challenge ahead is to work hard to unite all youth from the 28 tribes within Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
Alfred Angok, one of the candidates who lost the elections, said the exercise was free and fair.
“Yes, the elections were concluded peacefully on Saturday and the competitors were four; two from Nahr Jur County, one from Wau County, and the other from Raja County,” Angok said. “When we reached the middle of the elections, one of us withdrew and three of us remained; David from Raja, Emmanuel from Wau, and I.”