The stone age government of Hon Atem Atem is a curse to the people of Gogrial state

By Zechariah Makuach Maror

First of all, allow me to remind everyone that this piece is part of my long awaited article which I proposed in January titled "fake leadership style of Gogrial state government". As it has come to the notes of many that Victor Atem Atem is a most potential corrupt autocratic governor of 21st century in the history of South Sudan. I will focus my argument on some misdeeds of his leadership style which are irrelevant to the current system of governance in which a modern being can not bother him/herself to take for granted.

Atem outdated system installed in Gogrial State is hereditically means for slaughtering the innocent people who refuse to tolerate the way he is managing state affairs. The appointment of bloody governor of Gogrial comes with miseries, grieves and endless funerals in the houses of anyone who antagonize his brute leadership. For instance the extra judicial killings of Agoth Macholdit and Thiang Malok along with 17 others from Aguok, Apuk and Kuac who were not proved guilty by a court of law is a simple arithmetic proof that Victor Atem is governor, judge and overall commander of everything in Gogrial State, the stone age magistrate called Atem do not know what's called separation of powers for these deceased had not perished on his hand without trial to defend themselves before a court of law.

I think some may say that Governor was acting on the mandate of emergency state which was declared by the president of the Republic in 2017. to nullify this pathetic argument, the state of emergency doesn't give governor powers to kill anyhowly but it grant full powers to organize forces to enforce laws and orders. The encharge military commander in the area is tasked to arrest culprits, criminals or militants and subject them to general marital court (GMC) which is mandated to precise over the cases related to arms crimes. What Atem has done in Gogrial state is a crime against humanity that need not only his removal but to be brought to the book to answer his callous disregard on civilians plus the legality of his unlimited powers to kill as he wants.

The autocratic governor of Gogrial State has abandoned the formal courts procedures and resort to his outdated medieval age system in dealing with cases that are related to laws, one of it is the arbitrary arrest of Gogrial State youth's chairperson who was illegally kidnapped by governor's bodyguard in Kuajok town on 18th June 2019. Dr. Tur fall apart with governor in nomination process of South Sudan national youth's union delegation. This random arrest resembled the incident of last month when governor ordered arbitration of some youths which resulted in the death of one inmate without trial after long torturing by governor militants in Wun-acier custody, a secret custody established by governor in Apuk Land for butchering and maiming any person that oppose his leadership.

The frailty of Gogrial State governor are countless because he specialised in appointing weak, illiterate and irresponsible officials to top offices which resulted to general inability of state institutions. Illiteracy is a required qualification for ministerial appointments, the coordination office of Gogrial state in Juba become a primitive kraal that need to be liberated from illiterate bigotism, the official signature of some staff is a thumb print while Dinka is an official language. Top journalists in the office of governor are nursery, primary and secondary schools drop out, after Atem realised that he does not enjoy popular support from the youths of his state plus the weakness of his school dropout media personnel. He (Atem) contracted a certain impoverished from a very distant state  as his official media defender.

The hiring  of non Gogrial State citizen to abuse citizens of Gogrial at their own affairs  is a real indicator that prove Atem Atem do not care for his people but his position, that groggy money hunter would have eaten his given share quietly without abusing citizens in their own state affairs. Another fact is that some of governor advisers make decisions at mid nightmare when their minds are not with them. The security adviser has specialised on signing the order of arresting anyone who opposed any decision of governor. Atem and his security adviser who happened to be his nephew act like dwellers of majesty palace in krypton planet.

The governor of Gogrial State is practicing what is believed to be primitive age taxation. This mean, he introduced household tax policy without approval from the state parliament, the tax are in the form of money and material, 500,000ssp per a commissioner to be collected from civilians, four bulls per payam and one heifer per chief. These policies were enforced using  what seems to be governor guerrilla system (Atem Atem jungle laws), the imposition of this primitive taxes collection has resulted into last week incidence in Kuac South county when two executive chiefs arbitrary jailed by county commissioner after questioning the legality of frequent payments of heavy taxes every month. This taxes were believed to be flowing to governor pocket as a compensation of his own house burned down last year by his wife which he later claimed to be burned down by unknown Criminals.

Finally, the great historical state of Gogrial has now lost her prestigious respect from neighbouring state, because of this inhumane, fragile, weak, disgrace and ancient leadership style of governor called Victor Atem Atem. We have lost our dignity and pride of our great state called state of Gogrial Akuol Akuith, all youth are divided by governor due to his outdated policies he initiated during the nomination of SSNYU delegates when he insisted in recommending candidate that don't meet requirements. We the organized youth of Gogrial state in Juba, we are appealing to his excellency general Salva Kiir Mayardit to liberate people of Gogrial state by  relieving Victor Atem Atem from the governorship of Gogrial state.

The writer is secretary general of Gogrial state intellectual organisation (GOSIO) and he could be reached via  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.