Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan Youth Council Rapporteur, Nyakume Lual Choul has cautioned politicians against meddling in youth affairs.
She said interference by the political class could jeopardize the union’s activities.
“The youth should be given room to run their activities without external influence. Otherwise, we may end up serving the interests of other people other than the constituency we are supposed to serve,” Nyakume said.
T Choul said that the union is continuing with its activities despite internal wrangles that have rocked the organization in recent weeks.
Fernanda Paul Macuei has since filled the seat, albeit temporarily, of the suspended chairman, Gola Boyoi Gola. She said the summon letter written by her would wait until the committee formed by the minister completes its findings on the suspension of the chairperson Gola Boyoi Gola.
Gola was suspended by Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr Albino Bol Dhieu.
Nyakume, however, said that it was not a prerogative of the minister to suspend the chairperson of the union, saying that the chairman position is an elected seat.
“According to our general regulations, it is not a prerogative of the minister to suspend the chairperson of the union, because our connection with the minister is after the council has the mistake and takes it to the minister. But the minister does not have to come down to perform our activities without receiving any report from us. This was just an order from him which is just interfering with our rights.
“There has been a lot of confusion around the suspension. We are investigating what happened, of course, guided by our general regulations, to see if the minister had breached the same rules in suspending Macuei,” Nyakume said.
She added that the union has been barred from holding a meeting of more than five people so that it might not aggravate the entire situation.
She called on the youth to be calm, shun violence, and wait for the committee which is currently carrying out investigations to present their findings.
Dhieu could not immediately be reached for comments.
Wrangles grow
Last week, tension boiled up within the union after Matthew Marko Lokitoe, the Speaker of the South Sudan National Youth Union, wrote a letter in support of Gola. Lokitoi claimed in the letter that the decision was taken with the approval of the youth council.
“The council informs the Deputy Chairperson of National Youth Union to act in the position of the Chairperson as stipulated in the general regulations,” Marko stated in the letter.
“The council appeals for calm among the councillors and all the youth as suspension and investigation are normal administrative processes, and council leadership urges youth to embrace peace, unity and coexistence.”
Also, the rapporteur Nyakume Lual responded in a separate letter saying that what had been written by the speaker was in “his own interest.”
“It has come to the attention of the National Youth Union Council that you (Marko) have unilaterally written a letter without prior consultation with the council,” Nyakume said.
She warned that the union can take necessary action against Marko if he fails to appear before the council.
Suspension
This came after the chairperson of the South Sudan Youth Union, Gola Boyoi Gola was suspended by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr Albino Bol Dhieu.
Dr Albino claimed Gola had written letters to presidents of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the Deputy Chairperson of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
He charged Gola for violating the protocol rule something he considered the work of the foreign affairs ministry.
“I, Dr Albino Bol Dhieu, the National Minister of Youth and Sports do hereby issue this ministerial order for the suspension of Gola Boyoi Gola, chairperson of South Sudan National Youth Union,” the statement read.
The minister then formed an investigation committee and the team is expected to report back to him within fifteen working days.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
