Kiir urges newly-appointed central bank chief to ‘do what is right’ even if few oppose  

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday evening urged newly-appointed central bank governor, Johnny Ohisa Damian, as well as the newly appointed deputies of the governor to do what is best for the people of South Sudan even if ‘some people’ don’t like it.

Kiir made the remarks during a swearing in ceremony organized a day after the South Sudanese head of state issued several republican decrees confirming Ohisa who has been serving on an interim basis as the central bank governor since removal of Moses Makur from the position on August 5.

“President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday morning conducted the swearing in ceremony of Hon. Johnny Ohisa Damian as the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan. Along with Hon. Addis Ababa Othow Akongdit, 1^st Deputy Governor and Hon. John Maciek Acuoth, 2^nd Deputy Governor of the Bank of South Sudan,” the presidency said in the statement seen by Sudans Post this evening.

Kiir told the newly-appointed official during the event administered by Chief Justice Chan Reech Madut “to do what is right for the interest of the people of South Sudan, regardless of [that] some people don’t like it.”

The president also “assured the new appointees that it is not an easy task they are taking,” adding that “Congratulating them before they perform their duties successfully is needless and encouraged them to let their work speak for itself.”

Encouraging the newly-appointed officials, cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro urged the officials to work collectively, warning that their failure would be unfortunate for the country.

“You are a team of young professionals and if you don’t succeed, it will be unfortunate,” Lomoru said. “The President is making changes because he wants services to be delivered to the people. We don’t want to hear stories of reforms, all we need to hear and see are the results in the financial sector.”

For his part, Ohisa assured the [president that he would try his best to reform the financial institution and said he will implement the country’s monetary policy.

“We can make changes that will advance the people within the next two years. This can be done by implementing the monetary policies.”