Governors swear in state officers after President Kiir’s clearance

The Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony swore in government officials on Wednesday, March 3, in Juba following a recent clearance by President Salva Kiir.

The swearing in was administered by the President of Juba high court Justice Duoth Kulang.

Among those who took the oath were cabinet ministers, government advisors, and commissions and the county commissioners.

Addressing officials during the oath-taking, Governor Adil told the officials to transcend their political differences and join hands in working together for the people of Central Equatoria State.

“We have to be action-oriented and this therefore means that we have a lot of programmes and plans of actions and prioritise them according to the needs of the people,” he said.

He added there was need to continue intensifying efforts to maintain security in the region.

The governor mentioned cattle keepers encroaching the CES as the probable source of insecurity. For this, he charged the commissioners with the responsibility of ensuring safety of the residents.

“If we don’t solve the issue of cattle, we are going to be in trouble and there will not be peace among us.”

He urged those rearing cattle from Terekeka to take back their cattle because they are interfering with the social set up of the communities.

“We are flooded with cattle from the neighbouring states. These cattle have to go and for the commissioners one of the top agenda you have to work on is to take the cattle away,” he ordered

The swearing in of the CES officials comes the day after President Salva Kiir issued a Republican Order for the delegation of powers to the governors to 10 states in the country.

In the order, the president directed the state leaders to only preside over the swearing in and not assume the power of hiring and firing.

The decree stated partially: “Each State Governor is hereby delegated the power to swear into office the appointed state government officials in accordance with the provisions of the respective state constitution and Local Government Act, 2009, save for the power to appoint and remove which the R-ARCSS, 2018, vests in the presidency, the parties to the agreement and RJMEC respectively.’’

 Kiir has appointed state officers in the all the 10 states pending their swearing in. But questions cloud the legality of presidential decrees.

On the contrary, the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011, assigns the governors the role of the appointing authority and not the president.

Section 164 (2) reads: ‘‘The Governor of each state shall be the head of the executive organ in the state and shall appoint and relieve the Deputy Governor, Advisors, and state Ministers in consultation with the President and in accordance with the state constitution.’’