Reference to the article titled POLITICAL DISQUIET IN LAKES STATE GOVERNMENT It is very unfortunate that, Lakes State Governor’s Cubs are carnivoring Hon. Daniel Awet Akot; Deputy Speaker of National Parliament to the extent of publicly airing irresponsible hate statements and I quote “Lakes State SPLM Chairman is good at abusing the Constitution” “now we are in a phase to respect laws and procedures- this time for hampering the law is over- we are a democratic state that requires the law to be imposed in correct manner” end of quote. This statement sounds very well, however, Badiri should have listened to himself and he would have understood that what he was saying is not what the Lakes State Government is up to. Nevertheless, his statement is confusing as to whether he is challenging Hon. Daniel Awet in his capacity as Lakes State SPLM Secretary for Planning and Research or as Lakes State Minister for Information? If the former is correct then Badiri’s statement as quoted above perfectly applies to him and the government of the Lakes State. Supposedly, if he was to honor his statement, Badiri should have then followed the right procedures of opposing a boss as per the SPLM Interim Basic Rules and regulations. This episode has to be made clear although it’s apparent that Minister Badiri was acting on directives from the Governor, because it is extremely beyond his authority to deny Hon. Daniel Awet access to the media despite Hon. Awet being number 4 in the hierarchy of the ruling party, he is a deputy Speaker for the National Parliament, he is MP for Cueibet Constituency and above all he is the Chairman of SPLM in the Lakes State in which Badiri is Assistant Secretary. It poses a couple of questions whether the Ministry’s docket can catapult a Minister to undermine systems in which Awet is his boss even if one is not sober. In either way Badiri’s denial for Hon. Awet to the media by itself is an infringement to Democracy and the constitution and at the same time contradicts the purported stand of Lakes State Government whose Governor systematically continued to abuse the budget (Law) and uses the public funds for self enrichment and bribery to keep him in power. Even the individual citizens in a democratic state cannot be denied to use media. Sincerely speaking where is the room for any of the current Lakes state government officials to speak proudly when there are virtually no achievements coupled with blockage of democratic rights in the State. I would like to remind the Governor’s Cubs that the laws which were in existence during the period of Liberation Struggle were in essence the very foundation of the current laws. Because of those laws, rules and standards set by then have enabled the SPLM/A to achieve its objectives and that’s why the Minister for Information is now reaping the fruits of the SPLM achievement through his docket of Ministry of Information. It is unfortunate that some from the young generation who either participated or experienced war consequences could not realize and embrace the efforts made by their fathers and elder brothers and sisters that brought them to where they are today. I am wondering as to which Laws that are being imposed in correct manner by Lakes State government… Lakes State Government of this era is only widely known for manipulating the state budget for self enrichment and bribes to keep the Governor in power as the only means available since there are no tangible achievements to keep him in power. I refer any one who may refute this information regarding high levels of corruption to look at all the state contracts since 2005 up to the present. As the then Minister for Finance, I and the former GOSS have financed many projects most of which were to be executed by Chol Tong when he was a Minister. What happen to these contracts? A question which gags Chol to answer, moreover, there was sufficient block grants from 2010 to mid 2012 to implement development programs and impose laws in this phase of respecting laws as said by the Minister. Previously (2005-2009), the State was receiving 1.9% of the national (GOSS) cake compared to now (before the Austerity measures) that the state is receiving 3.6% with chapter 3 (Development) sufficient to render basic development activities in the State. Sincerely speaking, one wonders which, are these laws that are being implemented correctly by the Lakes State government that the minister is referring to, at the time when the only law enacted during his God father’s era was the defilation law which crumbled as a result of its conflict with cultures. The Minister for information Charles Badiri was and still the State SPLM Secretary for Planning and Research during the era he now perceives as a lawless era. To surprise everyone, he had never uttered any single public statement in his entire period in the SPLM to amend and correct the existing laws and their implementation given the fact that he was well placed in planning and researching into issues of the SPLM as a political party. Mabor Ater Dhuol has been appointed and endorsed by the SPLM leadership as SPLM Secretary for the Lakes State and that is final. The violent rejection by the Lakes State Government of the appointment of the SPLM Secretary is by itself a nightmare and must be promptly condemned as absurd and cannot be tolerated. How would you term such an act in which a mob is organized to prevent a legally appointed person from assuming his office? Indeed it is a bizarre act that is outside the realms of democracy and rule of law. There are so many legal ways in which the issuing of any an unconstitutional decree is reversed not through mobs. I respect Hon. Charles Badiri so much and as such I would like to advise him from the bottom of my heart as a young politician not to get involved in a war whose objectives are baseless and crookedly being pushed for personal interests. Governor Chol has completely failed! What has he done in the State that he hopes to implement in SPLM Chairmanship? Let’s save State SPLM from the current anguish being experienced through the whims of Lakes State bad governance by not only rejecting Governor Chol becoming the State Chairman of the SPLM but also by removing him from the state power that he continued to misconstrue. By Philip Marol Mading Former Minister, Lakes State Government and member of SPLM.

Lakes State Officialdom Reference to the article titled POLITICAL DISQUIET IN LAKES STATE GOVERNMENT It is very unfortunate that, Lakes State Governor’s Cubs are carnivoring Hon. Daniel Awet Akot; Deputy Speaker of National Parliament to the extent of publicly airing irresponsible hate statements and I quote “Lakes State SPLM Chairman is good at abusing the Constitution” “now we are in a phase to respect laws and procedures- this time for hampering the law is over- we are a democratic state that requires the law to be imposed in correct manner”. This statements sound very well, however, Badiri should have listened to himself and he would have understood that what he was saying is not what the Lakes State Government is up to. Nevertheless, his statement is confusing as to whether he is challenging Hon. Daniel Awet in his capacity as Lakes State SPLM Secretary for Planning and Research or as Lakes State Minister for Information? If the former is correct then Badiri’s statement as quoted above perfectly applies to him and government of the Lakes State as well. Supposedly, if he was to honor his statement, Badiri should have then followed the right procedures of opposing a boss as per the SPLM Interim Basic Rules and regulations. This episode has to be made clear although it’s apparent that Minister Badiri was acting on directives from the Governor and as a result I dedicate this reaction against the Governor…. because it is extremely beyond Badiri’s authority to deny Hon. Daniel Awet access to the media despite Hon. Awet being number 4 in the hierarchy of the ruling party, he is a deputy Speaker for the National Parliament, he is MP for Cueibet Constituency and above all he is the Chairman of SPLM in the Lakes State in which Badiri is Assistant Secretary. It poses a couple of questions whether the Ministry’s docket can catapult a Minister to undermine administrative systems in which Awet is his boss even if one is not sober. Even an individual citizen in a democratic state cannot be denied to use media. In either way Governor’s denial of Hon. Awet to the media by itself is an infringement to Democracy and the constitution and at the same time contradicts the purported stand of Lakes State Government whose Governor systematically continued to abuse the budget (Law) and uses the public funds for self enrichment and briberies to keep him in power. Sincerely speaking where is the room for any of the current Lakes state government official to speak proudly when there are virtually no achievements coupled with blockage of democratic rights in the State. I would like to remind the Governor’s Cubs that the laws which were in existence during the period of Liberation Struggle were in essence the very foundation of the current laws. Because of those laws, rules and standards set by then have enabled the SPLM/A to achieve its objectives and that’s why the Governor and his Minister for Information are now reaping the fruits of the SPLM achievements. It is unfortunate that some from the young generation who either participated or experienced war consequences could not realize and embrace the efforts made by their fathers and elder brothers and sisters that brought them to where they are today. I am wondering as to which Laws that are being imposed in correct manner by Lakes State government… Lakes State Government of this era is only widely known for manipulating the state budget for self enrichment and briberies to keep the Governor in power as the only means available since there are no tangible achievements to keep him in power. A government whose officialdom is not in compliance with what people wants but occupied by how they get rich at the expenses of the governed is typically undemocratic government that I would rather say its days are over… I refer anyone who may refute this information regarding the existence of high levels of corruption to look at all the state/public projects since 2005 up to the present. As the then Minister for Finance, I and the former GOSS have financed many projects most of which were to be implemented by Chol Tong when he was a Minister; one example is the road equipments, where are they and what happen to this project? A question among others that I believe severely gags Governor Chol’s attempts to answer… Moreover, there was enough money from 2010 to mid 2012 to implement development programs and impose laws in this phase of respecting laws as said by the Minister. Previously (2005-2009), the State was receiving 1.9% of the national (GOSS) cake compared to now (before the Austerity measures) that the state is receiving 3.6% with chapter 3 (Development) included for the first time and sufficient to render development activities in the State. Sincerely speaking, one wonders which, are these laws that are being implemented correctly by the Lakes State government that the Minister is referring to, at the time when the only law enacted during his God father’s era was the shallow-thought “Defilement Act” which crumbled as a result of its conflict with cultures. The Minister for information Charles Badiri was the State SPLM Secretary for Planning and Research during the era he now perceives as a lawless era. To surprise everyone, he had never uttered any single public statement in his entire period in the SPLM secretariat to amend and correct and implement the existing laws given the fact that he was well placed in planning and researching into issues of the SPLM as a political party. Mabor Ater Dhuol has been appointed and endorsed by the SPLM leadership as SPLM Secretary for the Lakes State and that is final. The violent rejection by the Lakes State Government of the appointment of the SPLM Secretary is by itself a nightmare and must be promptly condemned as absurd and cannot be tolerated. How would you term such an act in which a mob is organized to prevent a legally appointed person from assuming his office? Indeed it is a bizarre act that is outside the realms of democracy and rule of law. There are so many legal ways in which the issuing of any an unconstitutional decree is reversed not through mobs. I respect Hon. Charles Badiri so much and as such I would like to advise him from the bottom of my heart as a young politician not to get involved in a war whose objectives are baseless and crookedly being pushed for personal interests. Governor Chol has completely failed! What has he done in the State that he hopes to implement in SPLM Chairmanship? Let’s save State SPLM from the current anguish being experienced through the whims of Lakes State bad governance by not only rejecting Governor Chol becoming the State Chairman of the SPLM but also by removing him from the state power that he continued to misconstrue. By Philip Marol Mading Former Minister, Lakes State Government and member of SPLM.