Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin has appealed to those championing for regime change to steer clear of armed violence and wait for the election to exercise their rights on the ballot.
The minister said the current regime would not relinquish power through violence but only through a peaceful and democratic election.
Dr Marial made the remark while addressing stakeholders during a University of Juba fund-raising event aimed at raising $3 million for infrastructural development at the Custom Campus.
“If you want to remove us from office, we will do so democratically; that does not require thought.”
“If you try to use the guns then we will say no. There is a constitution, so let the people choose you if they want you… that is what we want to establish, and that is why we have fought,” he said.
He stated that the country has the potential to build wealth through the needed skilled human resources, and that should be the priority; not concentrating on politics and regime change.
“It should not be your worry at all if democratic institutions are established for the people of South Sudan to choose and reject their leaders, then [that] will be done through one-man or one-woman’s vote.’’
He appealed to Vice Chancellor Prof John Akec and other stakeholders to engage the youth in activities that create practical thinking in order for them to properly benefit from the abundant resources.
He stated that the country has the capacity to organise and conduct a peaceful transition like the rest of the countries in the world, as it was the case before.
“When we conducted the referendum in 2011, it was one of the best, when we did the election in 2010, we did it professionally; there was no issue of votes being stolen here and there,” Marial said.
Building capacity
He appealed to the stakeholders to join hands in building institutions in order to increase skilled human resources that can enhance development.
“Let us build our institutions…because we have the capacity to do that and we have partners who can help us.’’
Marial argued that the country has plenty of resources but needs manpower to build its national wealth.
“We have gold in Kapoeta and Western Bhar el Ghazal, for example, uranium and copper in Western Bhar el Ghazal; diamonds in Eastern Equatoria, agricultural land in the Upper Nile; water; and we have a big wildlife migration that we are not even using,’’ he said.
Prof Akec said the university will nurture the necessary manpower that can help in nation-building.
However, the VC argued that the institution needs proper funding to put up the necessary facilities that will boost learning.
He appealed to all the partners to support all the development projects in the country so that the learning institutions can meet world standards.
Marial represented President Salva Kiir and delivered his contribution—of $1 million—for the development of the university.
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