Makuei clashes with experts during closing session of public consultation

JUBA – South Sudan information minister Michael Makuei Lueth on Thursday clashed with experts during the closing session of the public consultation organized with directives from President Salva Kiir Mayardit after the experts attempted to read our recommendations of the five-day initiative.

During the closing session, senior government officials including First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar were in attendance and the misunderstanding between the top government officials and the experts ensued after the experts suggested reading the recommendations of the consultation to the government officials.

But the senior government officials opposed the suggestions on the grounds that they don’t want to be a part of recommendations because they have an official policy that is to dredge Nile River tributaries of weeds impeding water flow.

“In fact this situation is not very clear,” Makuei said as tensions flared up in the hall. “Yes as you (Machar) put it right we cannot be a party to recommendations that will be given to us. Keep your recommendation and then take them to us in the cabinet. That would have been the right procedure.”

“But the fact that you have ventured into reading them to us, then we need to have an opinion on them because what you did is a recommendation in which we are a party. So we are the one now making the recommendations, isn’t? And if we are the one making the recommendations, then definitely we need to agree with the recommendations we are making,” the senior government official told the experts.

He added: “So, the best thing is to put up the recommendation and we take them one by one. We agree on one ticket, and proceed; otherwise there would have been no reason to make a presentation of the recommendations to us. You should have discussed them your own way, prepare them and then take them to us there.”

Akoc Akuei Manhiem, the head of the committee formed by President Salva Kiir said there is need for an immediate action recommended in the outcome of the consultation which includes clearing of the rivers to rescue floods affected communities.

“Even in the recommendations, there is an immediate action needed to be taken to clear the river, especially aquatic weeds,” Manhiem said.

“It is in the recommendation, so the secretariat would remain for the five days and then put them together to the authority for you to deliberate on it and come up with what is necessary and the recommendation has a short term, medium and long-term recommendation and the short term recommendation is how to rescue the people that are now in the water,” he added.

First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny seconded Makuei and lashed at the head of the public consultation committee for trying to include the senior government officials as part of the recommendations.

“I understand you, don’t make us a rubber stamp for things we don’t agree to. That must be very clear. We are members of the government, we are not public. We have made two resolutions in the council of ministers. No body overturns the council of ministers with our participation,” Machar said.

A rubber stump person is someone or organization that gives automatic approval or authorization to the decisions of others, without proper consideration.

“It will look as if we plotted with you to come to overturn the council of ministers’ resolutions. So either you have a different resolution for our consultation, or we agree on what would be the compromising statement on that particular issue,” the FVP added.

For her part, Dr. Salwa Gabriel Berberi , one of the experts said that the recommendations will go directly to the office of the president, but not to the council of ministers and went on to quote the president’s directives for a public consultation.

“Our mode of procedure was for every group we met, we discussed with at the end of our working day, and we submit the summary and the recommendations that have happened during the deliberation. And that happened the three first days, that happened yesterday and this happening today.  I think there is a misunderstanding,” Salwa said.

“The results of the work of the consultation are not going to be sent to the council of ministers. This consultation was called by the office of the president on directive of the president. So, our understanding was all this work for the five days will be put in a report and submitted to the president, then the president will, in his wisdom, determine how he is going to treat the report either through the council of ministers or through his office or through any process,” she added.