Opinion: Hon. Denay Jock Chagor Must Stay as the Governor of Jonglei State! Any Modification will be Through Ballot Box!

By Mak Banguot Gok (Makjohnson),

Feb 22, 2022 — There are many reasons that justify why I and many other fellow citizens of Jonglei State are thinking that it is the right choice to maintain Honourable Denay Jock Chagor as the Governor of Jonglei State for the lifespan of the Revitalise Transitional Government of the National Unity. It is true that, even those whom in their own raison d’être, are raring to go violently arraign of removing the Governor from his gubernatorial position, they knew the real and, are even rightly so to the point that, their reasons which allegedly labelled against the Governor were contained the pros and cons.

Now that we are hearing the talks of an unlawful diagram of overthrowing the sitting Governor using a politically inciting tribal community against him. The fact that, those tribalized political antagonists (e.g. the so-called Jonglei State Elders, the invisible Southern Bor ‘Trade Union)  were the ones hastened and deliberately tend to avert the proper political processes and/or the right political procedures. Thus, any claims by any of similar interest groups against the sitting Jonglei State Governor is imprecise. There isn’t a basis that is constitutionally making it justifiable for those disquieting the political stability of Honourable Denay Jock Chagor in Jonglei State. 

Nevertheless, an anti-governor; and indeed, those who might be claiming anytime all the fake against the Governor are the politically addicted gossipers whose claim wouldn’t make any difference to the normal undertaking of where one’s own bread is buttering. Therefore the message to the people is only that, they must be patient and wait for their own appropriate times when a popular election is held in the Republic of South Sudan. 

And, whence comes the Popular Election, this is whereby the people of Jonglei State shall have their own democratic rights serenely being expressed using their own inalienable democratic rights. General Election may come anytime soon in the Republic of South Sudan, and, thereafter the people of Jonglei State as a part and parcel of this country shall be strict to only repeat the peaceful transfer of power. So, when the time comes for a popular determination of the rights through election, proper steps are  being pursued, and, the ballot speaks, then Honourable Denay Jock shall step-down and allow the winner to take over his/her legal entitlement.

Therefore, I can repetitively presage those of you who may be prematurely consorted with them whose planning for the untimely removal of the Governor have been detect and spoilt not to mess up with the structural arrangement articulated in the Peace Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan -2018.

 Removing of a sitting constitutional post-holder involves the processes and, not just being politically motivated by demagoguery as what some of the uninformed Jonglei State citizens such as (e.g. Dinka-bor), and those others communities, individual or a groups of individuals that may have been suffering of a similar ill-tension toward the Governor to keep on hold until when appropriate.  . Hence, the rationale behind this affirmation of a prop up for the young Governor to stay and continuously serve the people of Jonglei State uninterruptedly are many. 

The intention to keep the young governor in Jonglei State for a while is none other than the fact that people of Jonglei State have been waiting for the kind of this  like energetic, enthusiastic and a moderate young person who can rule Jonglei State due to the State ‘socio-political uncertainties. Many citizens of Jonglei State believe that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. However, they are leaders of today. And, it is an imperative that, the young people, and not only of the Jonglei State, but also throughout South Sudan, that young people like the Governor of Jonglei State are allows to exercise and learn more about politics so that they get involved to channel their energies for positive change from today toward the future.  Therefore, the inclusion of young people and youth in the political process and administration of the State of Jonglei’s affairs such as, the appointment of Honourable Denay Jock Chagor who is too, the younger, it was not only beneficial in the short term basis, but, and also above all, it is providing a basis for the strong political engagement of the young people of Jonglei State in the future. 

This is the right time to accept the truth that, the politically appropriate epoch for the young people like Honourable Denay Jock Chagor who, in this regards, the youngest of all the ten States Governors and, he shown off to be only of himself being a person having ability 🙌 of playing a maximum amount of flexibility whilst governing this complex Jonglei State.

 I can say that, all the former Jonglei State Governors, of whom, some of them were popularly elected and/or appointed, and once served as the chief executive officers of the eleven Counties, including the two detached Counties now under the GPAA, they may have a testimony to tell about how vulnerable each of them were made unable to delivered due to the complexity of the State of Jonglei’s socio-political setting. First, Governor Chagor was not like those old faced political antagonists who have once ruled and failed the people of Jonglei State. He has his own proactive stands which he is consciously executing; he ascended to the gubernatorial post via the structural arrangements under the Revitalise Transitional Government of the National Unity and not by any other means of a political nightmare like any of the Jonglei State Governors.

And, in a very short time, the young Governor has managed to accomplish what had been nearly impossible for the former predecessors to even approach. What made everything seem to become harder for the young Governor was because he came to Jonglei State whence everything was completely vandalised.  The young Governor had to be prepared for the start of reorganising everything of the Jonglei State Government from scratch due to the ongoing devastating bloodiest conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. Unlike the bygone Governors of Jonglei State, he had to start the tough job of organising and forming the State government from nowhere. 

Hence! As a progressive young politician, Hon. Chagor came to Jonglei State whilst he was fully aware of his roles and the country-wide political context that required strong determination and unshakeable commitment to the good and worse in order to triumph. The knowledge that he (Governor) has of what he was doing, and the fact that he has an unyielding enthusiasm for his political job, and many others led the young Governor to consider first of all the time factors. He knew that, upon his appointment to the post of the Jonglei State Governor, he is likely to encounter some inalienable difficulties. Therefore, the young Governor was well informed of the existence of such enormous uncertainties and ready to encounter. 

Being someone well-informed and conscious of the role entrusted upon him by the State and the National Transitional Revitalise Constitution through the Revitalise Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, Hon Governor Chagor was aware of all his privilege to exercise the power bestowed upon him as the state manager.

1. He started automatically implementing the state laws which has been scrambled to the non-existence due to the country’s political turmoil; 
2. He oversees the formation and operation of the state executive branch; 
3. He pursued a new and revised the State government policies and programs using a variety of tools; 
4. He reasonably exercises executive orders, the executive budgets, a legislative proposals, and vetoes power;
5. He  oversees the formation of the State Revitalise Transitional Legislative Assembly;
6. He upon the establishment of the government apparatuses successfully adopted the tradition of Reporting to the General Assembly and the citizens of Jonglei State on the daily and/or a periodic condition of the state;
7. He recommends upon its institutionalization to the State Legislature and reviewed several bills that are to be approved by the State Senate when the State Parliament starts its sessions;
8. And, Hon Governor Denay Jock Chagor has effectively issued several executive orders on matters important to the Jonglei State whilst efficiently executing his role.

Not Only these which are mentioned above attributed to him as undisputable credits, the young governor Chagor may be sharing similar roles and responsibilities in common with the other nine States Governors. That might be in term and the scope of gubernatorial powers, and indeed, the young Governor is proceedings other States Governors with the gubernatorial responsibilities counts.

This is partly because; the Jonglei State’s governing system is complex given the nature of the communities inhabiting this great state.  And, this is particularly being supported by the fact that, despite the ten States of South Sudan might be uniformly having a unified allocated powers ratio,  the real situation on the ground varies from state to state. This is in accordance with the state population, strategic location, the nature of that particular state, the State constitutions, the state legislation, and the people’s tradition. 

Because of the Jonglei State’s more complexity in either terms, there is a suitable justification that the young Governor of Jonglei State is more tasked than other colleagues from the other nine States.  And, if we are to be in a nation where governors are often ranked by political historians and other observers of state politics according to the number and extent of their powers, Jonglei State Governor would have always been on the top.

Regarding the State administration and bureaucratic arrangements, we know that, whence the young Governor Hon Chagor was appointed to Jonglei State, there hasn’t existed anything belonging to the State of Jonglei. Even the State government institutions, and never talks about the State infrastructures, there was nothing actually existed apart from tribal hatreds and ethnically inspired resistance. Therefore, the Governor had to begin by organising what hadn’t seemed possible until he achieved it. 

 His success came partly because; the young Governor arrived to the State with a set of functions, including the establishment of a State governing policy development which was not available:

1. He setup a state legal counsel; he established a legislative relations with and amongst the State government institutions; 
2. He established an up-to-date  communications channels whereby the State government apparatus  get connected; 
3. He made several fair appointments to some key State Public Service Directors;
4.  He made series of schedules and in motion; 
5. He established several intergovernmental relations with the National government in Juba and the non governmental organizations; etc.

Above all, the young Governor arrived in Jonglei State and was greeted upon his arrival by the devastated plod emergency management which consumed much of his time. Governor Chagor has been restlessly engaged in the disengagement of the inter-communal fighting ‘partisans. He initiated several packages with the help of the potential partners to mitigate the internal security dilemmas of the State. And more importantly, the young were drifted by the administrative support of the State’s socio-political hardships. Etc Not Only these, the young Governor who is also the only democratically oriented young Governor amongst the ten State’s, he in turn has successfully set to divide these functions and are being fulfilled by specialised staff. Honourable Denay Jock Chagor is not working alone. He assigned primarily the roles to his office.

There are generally common and basic models used for the organisation of the Jonglei State ‘governor’s office. What makes it completely different to former Governors,  the office of Jonglei State Governor is now arranged based on the limited hierarchy.  That means, the Governor appointed a Chief of Staff who serves as the primary coordinator. But there are also more other senior staff who have direct access to the governor in specific areas of responsibility. That means the “Spokes of the Wheel” is being adopted by the young Governor whereby the several state government ‘senior staff members report directly to the Hon Governor, and the young governor provides detailed direction and coordination as needed. Currently, the Governor of Jonglei State’s office is well organised and, it has the following number of the appointed staffs by governor:

1. Chief of Staff 
2. Policy Director;
3. Communications Director  (Press Secretary.)
4. The Legislative Director, 
5. Appointments Director, 
6. Legal Counsel, 
7. Scheduler, 
8. And Governor’s Personal Secretary.

Whence reflecting on the Governor’s terms in office since the commencement of the Revitalise Transitional Government of the National Unity, I hope even the former governors who have once ruled the Jonglei State are now agreeing that, too much time, effort and political capital were spent on wastages and scandalous projects. With the State Governor Honourable Denay Jock Chagor turning their legacies into a nightmare, even Kuol Manyang wished he had spent more time being effective manager of Jonglei State.

As an effective manager, Hon. Denay Jock focuses on increasing the efficiency of the Jonglei State government. At first glance, there is not much political appreciation for enhancing the efficiency of state government since it is very hard, slow work whose rewards are not immediately realised due to the ongoing devastating bloodiest conflict in South Sudan. However, Governor Chagor, as an effective manager, has planted a significant impact on the public’s faith and trust in the State government. !!!!!!!!!!!!,

For more information the author can be reached through email at johnsonmak61@gmail.com

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