By Hou Akot Hou
The Commissioner of Aweil East County in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State has urged paramount chiefs to work closely with local authorities to help contain rising crime and criminal activities in the county.
Commissioner Mawein Mawein Kuol said young boys and girls are increasingly becoming involved in criminal activities and forming networks that are making it difficult for local authorities to address insecurity and other social problems.
He faulted some traditional leaders for not doing enough to instil discipline among children and for failing to promptly report cases and emerging criminal activities to county authorities.
“For you as chiefs who operate down in the bomas and the payams, you know better than us here in the county the nature of the problems that do exist. It is your role to report the problems to us. Some counties have moved to a different level of development initiatives, but as I am here as a new commissioner, I see your part that you have not played,” he stated.
Kuol urged the chiefs to work closely with his administration to improve service delivery and address challenges affecting communities across the county.
“Our culture is getting altered at face value, and it is your role to think and come forward on what we can do. Now you have been getting reports of children getting tramadol and getting involved in crimes at our watch,” he said.
The commissioner also warned traders against selling tramadol to young people, saying the abuse of the drug is increasingly affecting communities.
“Anyone who shall be held selling the tramadol will be charged. Tramadol is used for those operating on patients in critical conditions to numb their bodies, but now children are doing it to feel high, and it is destructive,” Kuol cautioned.
Commissioner Mawein pledged to establish patrol units across the county to monitor areas affected by criminal activities and illicit drug use.
He said the patrol teams would help identify and arrest individuals involved in criminal networks, illicit activities, and the consumption of drugs such as tramadol, while those found selling the drugs would face legal action.