Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth is one hundred percent loyal to Taban Deng Gai: a response to the desperate State Advisor Mr. Riek Yak Guandong

By Deng Akok Muoradid

On 22nd May 2019, a certain disoriented and disgruntled technical advisor in Latjor State Mr. Riek Yak Guandong wrote an imprecise and disgusting open letter to the First Vice President H.E Taban Deng Gai, accusing Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of ruining the SPLM IO in Juba  and many other misleading accusations. The false accusations which Mr Riek Yak wrote against our powerful and visionary minister Hon Ezekiel Lol, have compelled me to write this rebuttal article. Misleading the public either in social media or through propaganda is a sin according to both the Bible and the Quran and for this reason, it is my obligation as a God fearing citizen to defend the innocent leader from liars and propagandists.

In his so called open letter, Mr. Riek Yak  claimed that Amb. Ezekiel Lol had ruined the SPLM IO in Juba. He also alleged that many members left Taban's SPLM IO to Riek's SPLM IO due to Ezekiel Lol 's poor management. Dear readers, the first thing you should know is that Amb. Ezekiel Lol was a secretary for external affairs in Taban 's SPLM IO . He was entrusted with the issues of party foreign relations not political and mobilization affairs. It is obvious that the resignation of any member in the party has nothing to do with the secretary for external affairs because resignation itself is a personal will. How can a secretary for external affairs in the party be blamed for the resignation of members?. In addition to that, the secretary of external affairs is not the highest ranking official in the party and  whatever he does can't contribute to the resignation of any member. Riek Yak was a chairman of Taban 's SPLM IO chapter in Ugandan and he rendered his resignation in Juba 2017 due to his personal ambitions. No member has resigned from Taban 's SPLM IO foreign missions except him (Riek). Let Mr. Riek Yak produce the names of those who resigned from Taban's SPLM IO foreign missions because of Lol's poor management . He shouldn't define his personal resignation as the resignation of mass number of officials from the party.

In the same open letter, Mr Riek Yak accused Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of attacking the National Minister of Water and Irrigation Hon. Sophia Gai. However, he failed to clarify to the public how Amb. Ezekiel Lol attacked the Minister of Water and Irrigation. The reality is that the Minister of Water and Irrigation was the one who attacked Amb. Ezekiel Lol. In early 2019, the caring minister of Petroleum Ezekiel Lol contracted a certain national NGO known as Nile Hope to drill water taps and boreholes for the suffering citizens in oil producing areas and Juba and this was in accordance with South Sudan Petroleum Act 2012. The provision of clean drinking to the citizens by Amb. Ezekiel Lol angered the Minister of Water and Irrigation thus prompting her to attack him. the minister of Water and irrigation wrote a letter of protest to the President, accusing Amb. Ezekiel Lol of interfering in her mandate. But our president didn't take any action because he knows that Lol's decision to drill water taps and boreholes for the suffering citizens was in accordance with South Sudan Petroleum Act 2012.

Mr. Riek Yak falsely accused Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of dividing the people of Maiwut State on the basis of SPLM IG and SPLM IO. By the way, joining a political party is personal will and it can't be blamed on another person. Did Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth force any member of Maiwut State to join SPLM IG? Did Amb Ezekiel lol Gatkuoth force any member of Maiwut State to join SPLM IO?. The answer is simply no. Amb. Ezekiel Lol has no hand in the division of Maiwut's State people on the basis of political parties. Every citizen in South Sudan has the right to join any political party of his or her choice.

Mr. Riek Yak Guandong blamed Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth for failing to employ him and other party members in the ministry of petroleum. That is a corruption and this was the reason why Amb. Ezekiel refused to employ them in the ministry. Riek Yak is a technical advisor in Latjor State and he is receiving 18000 SSP monthly. He has been loitering in Juba for the last three years without reporting himself to his work place in Latjor and he is again looking for another job. How can an illiterate man hold two positions at the same time when thousands of graduates are jobless?  In addition to that, Riek Yak is lacking academic credentials to work in the ministry of petroleum. He was appointed as a technical advisor in Latjor State for the sake of accommodation not on the basis of qualifications. He should know that employment of the employees isn't a duty of the minister but it is the duty of the human resource manager. Ezekiel Lol has no power to interfere in the duties of Human Resource Manager.

Mr. Riek Yak Guandong in his open letter, accused Hon. Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of refusing to marry for him the third wife. Riek Yak is a friend to Amb. Ezekiel Lol. He has been staying with him (Ezekiel) for three years in Juba. His accommodation expenses are being paid by Ezekiel Lol up to date. Riek Yak has two wives with children in Kampala. Amb. Lol is the one paying the school fees and other expenses for Riek 's children in Kampala. In early 2019, Mr Riek Yak travelled to Ethiopia and look for a third wife. He told Amb. Ezekiel Lol to pay the dowry of his third wife but Lol turned down the request. Lol told him that he can't marry for him the third wife because he ( Riek) has failed to take the responsibility of the two wives and their children. This is what resulted into the dispute between Riek Yak and his boss Ezekiel Lol. It is very unfortunate for Mr Riek Yak to publically attack his boss Ezekiel Lol in the social media because of marriage issues. I am advising Riek Yak to come back to Juba and sit down with his boss so that they solve their misunderstanding amicably

In Conclusion, it is undeniable that Mr Riek Yak prepared his open letter while drunk at the bar in Ethiopia and that is why it was full of false ideas. All what he wrote in his open letter can be refuted by any reasonable citizen. He really needs urgent medical treatment. He is a little minded human being who doesn't analyse things. I am appealing to all the social media users who might have read his open letter to disregard it immediately.

The Writer is a Senior Human Right Activist. He can be reached via Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.