Noah Issa, Juba (tel: 0928180058)
The Hon. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, Governor of Western Equatoria, has undertaken a visit to the eastern regions of his state. The Governor, accompanied by a number of SPLM-IO and government representatives, arrived in Mundri West on 31st December.
Speaking at a New Year’s festival on 1st January, the Governor announced his donation of an ambulance to Mundri’s Lui hospital, to facilitate the easy transportation of patients around the local area. The Governor has also pledged $20,000 for the renovation of the Mundri Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), in the hope the PHCC would become a hospital in itself.
Karaba declared the primary purpose of his tour was to promote and ensure unity, peace and stability across Western Equatoria.
During his New Year speech, the Governor also urged the people of the greater Mundri area to return from the bush back home to their villages. Citing the widespread return of peace to the country as a good incentive, Karaba also called on Major General Sisimaya of the SPLA-IO and Major General Mabior Kuer of the SSPDF to greet each other in unity.
The Governor also went on to question those politicians who use lack of money as an excuse for slow development. ‘They say there is no money for development, who told you that there's no money for development and where is the collected revenue money going to?’
At the same time, the Governor also declared that development funds would be primarily allocated to finish the half built state headquarters. This will occur before any individual state ministry receive funding. Speaking to the Western Equatoria ministers, he declared that ‘if you think you are going to use the operation costs money to build your own house, just forget this money is not yours but it's a public money that will be used to build public institutions in the state, I will use the operation cost money to build the defunct states headquarters within Western Equatoria state".
In his closing remarks the Governor noted that his administration had already drawn up a blueprint of development for Western Equatoria state, with or without money. “I am not here to develop my belly, I’m here to develop Western Equatoria”, the Governor declared. “I don't want to be blamed that when I came to the office of governorship I didn't even build a pit latrine in Western Equatoria state headquarters.”
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