Western Equatoria State Governor James Altaib Jazz Berapai appointed Fozia Abass Barnaba Bangasu as the mayor of Yambio Municipal Council on Monday, making her the second woman to hold the position, in a shake-up that saw 17 directors relieved from various ministries.
The reshuffle marks the governor’s first major reshuffle of officials since his appointment in August.
According to the decree, former Mayor John Singira Mirihewari and the Second Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Environment, Victor Dozii Arkangelo, were relieved of their duties.
The move comes after earlier political warnings were issued to SPLM-IO officials who defected to the SPLM Party led by President Kiir. The outgoing mayor is among those who recently shifted from SPLM-IO to SPLM.
Meanwhile, Torosa Elias Toro, who was relieved from the State Revenue Authority in October, was appointed deputy mayor in charge of administration.
In a series of additional decrees, the governor relieved and appointed several director generals across key state ministries and institutions.
Among those appointed are: John Baab Renzi Tambura, Deputy Secretary-General of the state government, Rev. John Zeburuna, Director General (DG) Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Mary Pio, DG Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Rev. David Vence Bako, DG Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and Rev. Samuel Basiame, DG Ministry of Peacebuilding.
The others are Tartizio Wande, DG Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, Gibson Hezekiah Paul, DG Ministry of Animal, Fisheries and Tourism, Mariano Erneo Murhan, DG, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Anthony Zangada, DG, Ministry of Health, Killiopa, DG, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Public Utilities, and Thomas Abdu, DG Ministry of Infrastructure, Roads and Bridges.
Daniel Amosa was appointed DG Ministry of Trade and Industry, Zigbondo Emmanuel Jeremiah, DG Ministry of General Education and Instruction, and Albino Jackson, DG, Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
Those relieved in the reshuffle include officials from the ministries of finance, labour, health, agriculture, education, gender, peacebuilding, roads and bridges, cooperatives, and cabinet affairs.
Governor Altaib said the reshuffle aims to improve service delivery, enhance accountability, and strengthen coordination within state institutions.
He noted that some ministries had been functioning with limited capacity following the departure of several officials after the removal of former Governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba earlier this year.