Defending kleptocrat is like defending devils before God, Response to the skeptical article of Peter Wek Ayom Wek

By Zechariah Makuach Maror

On Friday 6. Dec. 2019 the dawn newspaper published an article in its Vol.4 Issue 1111 written by a clumsy writer called Peter Wek Ayom Wek titled "response to Zechariah Makuach Maror Article published on 29 August 2019 on pachodo.org". On his vague overdue article, he was trying to defend the bloodstained governor of Gogrial state who obligated the butchering of the citizens in broad sunlight without fearing of humanity, here I don’t want to question the writer's unprofessional writing but the reputation of the media outlet that published such filthy opinion, at least ethics should had been a matter in selecting publication, “anyway that is none of my business”.

Wek said the governor of Gogrial State Mr. Victor Atem Atem was appointed by the President of the Republic through the recommendations of four community of Gogrial State and therefore by that virtue, he has rights and powers to arrest and kill everyone as he wished. This short sentence caught me with worry as how could the future of this Stone Age man holds in the 21st century of democracy and the rule of Law, even I can say the Stone-age Smart minded who generate opinion is far better than Mr Wek who thinks that someone recommended and appointed by the President is God of hosts and he should not be criticized for he will send apocalypse to end the world age. Without knowing that he was appointed by the President to take care of the citizens not to use the powers for killing the youths who oppose his medieval styles of leadership. 

For your information, the current governor was recommended by none other than some individual who don't even constitute any single clan rather than your mere claim that he was proposed by four communities of Gogrial State. If you insist than portray the evidence to support your argument because the evidence of my favorite is that Apuk community have explicitly protested the appointment of your governor by publicly boycotting all associations that fall under the umbrella of Gogrial State while other communities had grudgingly swallowed their dissatisfaction as a respect to the president's decree. I think Atem came by chance and not through recommendations as you concocted, otherwise, you are behind news that is why you have responded to my article after 129 days, wake up from your deep sleep to cash up with the world my brother. I don’t know what compelled you to backdate yourself to such extent of responding the forgotten article thought I assumed to know what influence you.

Do you know the Leadership of your political godfather has become "intoxicated" by power — engagement in the wrongful behavior simply because he can and he could get away with it (and his cronies such as the likes of you and others are willing to collude and make such exceptions "It's OK because he is the leader"). Handful human rights organizations have reported that your powerful absolute immoral governor had engaged in a sexual dalliance with intern teens girls simply "because he could." And yet you implying that it is his divine right because he's a good leader who brought consensus among the communities of Gogrial State, do you know Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The form of power Your governor had invented in Gogrial State is what I can call personalized power, and he is using it for personal gain. Importantly, a leader can use his or her power to benefit others, but can also gain personally. The obvious problem is when personalized power, dominate and the leader gains frequently at the followers' expense like you who follow blindly.

Wek has similarly situated his governor action to arbitrarily arrest and jail youths as a means of ending indiscipline, according to the theory of State and power you can't arbitrarily arrest and kill people as a means of making them good citizens. what you do to gain ground of support as a government is enactment of the laws that govern public affairs and then implement those laws with letter and spirit so that they effectively yield a public good and finally avail the needed services to inculcate the spirit of patriotism, loyalty, devotion, dedication and morality between the state and citizens. Wek think that state is like classroom were a teacher barely entered into class and cane indiscipline pupils/students for not honored him/her to stand up, if that is how you view politics than you are wrong.

Your governor has always been accusing youths of indiscipline which is fundamentally fake in nature, is talking about lack of services means lack of discipline? is talking about pregnant women tortured by governor militias till she got miscarriage mean lack of respect? is talking about unlawful taxes imposed on civilians means false accusations? is talking about the civilian's cattle which illegally taken by the governor's security adviser mean reclaiming conflict? Is talking about the people who are shot dead by governor orders mean calls for instability? These are few questions that governor supported mouthpiece should retort to ascertain the public about how good is his governor.

Finally, the good reason we the civil society criticized state government is that according to "constitutional theory it is stipulated that we the people are the sovereigns, the local and state officials are only our agents. it is we who have the final word to speak softly or angrily. We can seek to challenge and annoy, as we need not stay docile and quiet.”— Justice William O. Douglas. With this quotation your governor is Unjust, Brutal, Criminal, Corrupt, Inept, Greedy, Power-hungry, Immoral. Murderous, Evil, Dishonest, Crooked, Excessive, Deceitful, Untrustworthy, Unreliable, Tyrannical. These are all types of words that your governor has at some time or other been used to describe Atem government in Gogrial. That I may feel morally compelled to call out the government for its wrongdoing does not make me any less disciplined citizen.

If I didn’t love co-existence in this State it would be easy to remain silent. However, it is because I love my country and State, because I believe fervently that if we lose freedom here, there will be no place to escape to, I will not remain silent Neither should you nor should any other man, woman or child—no matter who they are, where they come from, what they look like, or what they believe. The final solution to problems of Gogrial state is for President to remove Victor Atem Atem in the throne of Gogrial State.

The writer is a civil society activist based in Juba and he could be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.