Mr. Lobong, accompanied by senior national government officials, including Josephine Napwon, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, was reminded of the dire state of infrastructure in the county after the longest-serving governor urged residents to prioritize agriculture.
“The residents raised several critical issues, including insecurity and child abductions along the Mogiri road, inadequate healthcare services, recurring floods causing food shortages, and the need for feeder roads to connect the county to payams and bomas,” said the Governor’s office on Facebook.
“He [Lobong] urged residents to prioritize agriculture, calling it the backbone of both the state and South Sudan’s economy. The governor also encouraged youth to take active roles in trade and business to drive economic growth and transformation,” adds the statement obtained by Sudans Post.
Lafon County is located in the northwestern corner of Eastern Equatoria State. It borders Kapoeta North County to the east, Budi County to the southeast, and Torit County to the south. It also borders Central Equatoria State (Juba and Terekeka counties) to the west and Jonglei State (Bor South and Pibor counties) to the north.
The county is categorized as being in the eastern plains sorghum and cattle livelihoods zone. The residents of Lafon County practice agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and hunting as their primary livelihoods.
During the visit, Lobong outlined the priorities of the state government, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads in the food-producing regions within the state.
The visit also aimed to foster unity and address pressing local challenges, with Lobong emphasizing the importance of peaceful coexistence with neighboring communities, describing it as “paramount” for the region’s stability.
The governor’s office says Lobong acknowledged the concerns raised by the community and assured residents that the state government would work diligently to address them, particularly the insecurity, which he described as a threat to development.
The governor was accompanied by members of the state cabinet, the Speaker of the Eastern Equatoria Legislative Assembly (EELA), Charles Odwar Okech, and representatives of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) and state assembly from Lafon County constituencies.
