By Hou Akot Hou
The speaker of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Assembly, Abuk Mariano Jel Dhieu, has called on concerned institutions to renovate roads.
The speaker expressed concern that due to continuous rain most of the roads have been made inaccessible.
In order to ease the movement of people and their goods, the speaker called on the Ministry of Roads as well as other stakeholders to put efforts together to innovate roads.
She called on the executive body, which is headed by the governor, to ensure that all road networks linking the neighborhoods in the state’s capital, Aweil Town, are repaired as the rainy season worsens.
The speaker added that the conditions of the passable roads linking the town’s center with the neighborhoods, such as Malow-Awer, Naifasha, and Maper, among others, need to be repaired.
She made a call during the closure of the First Five Commissioners’ Forum on Friday.
Hon. Mariano said she has learned that many roads within Aweil Town alone are impassable, urging the governor to do what it takes to reconnect the state’s capital with its neighborhood as rain continues.
“I would like to bring to your attention, Your Excellency, the governor, that the roads’ conditions are worsening this time of the rainy season in Aweil town. Even I, if anything occurs at night that needs me to see the governor, can’t see him using my car. I can trek because areas of Malou-Awer, Naifasha, and Dr. John Garang neighborhoods, among others, are facing bad conditions as roads are in a state of disconnect. Kindly work on them,” Abuk appealed.
She also reiterated a call for a need to renovate roads in rural areas that are far-flung, such as Aweil East and North counties.
“There are areas such as the far east of the county, Aweil East, the highlands or border areas, and those in Aweil North and the central counties. People are suffering there, and even when insecurity unfolds, there is no way to report such issues. Take note of this, Mr. Minister of Information and Telecommunication, to work around that issue,” she urges.
Abuk also underscores the need to respect the immunity of his assembly’s members, whom she said are at times being dragged to court without lifting their immunity.
“I would like to mention the recurrent issue of some MPs being taken to courts and put behind bars without our knowledge. We struggle to bail them out, and we are not even being given a notice to lift the immunities to attend their court cases. These incidents are repetitive. Let’s respect the roles assigned to us. Elections are coming; if you don’t need anyone to represent you, vote him or her out, then use the backdoor policy of arresting them unprocedural,” she urged.
The speaker also urged the Aweil Town mayor to observe the hygiene situation. In the state’s capital, Aweil town, the conditions of health and hygiene are life-threatening.
In response, Simon Ober Mawut said his administration is working to repair the broken parts of highway roads such as Aweil East Road and Aweil West on Marial-baai Road.
“I want to reiterate that my administration puts into consideration the condition of the road as a priority number one; we have just completed working on Marial-baai Road in Aweil West County and are now working on Aweil East Road. This year we don’t want to hear people complaining about the disconnect of the roads, which disrupts the economic activities and jeopardizes the conditions of our people in the counties. Now people are working on the Aweil East highway to repair the potholes, which are threatening to cut off the movement,” said Ober.
Ober also said he will form the committee to ensure that the recommendations that were reached in a five-day commissioners’ forum are being adhered to by the commissioners and the relevant institutions in the state.
He warns against the creation of more chiefdom roles and urges the commissioners to abstain from receiving gifts from those aspiring to get the roles or either that of executive or paramount chief.