N. Bahr el Ghazal parliament summons minister over land issues
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March 22, 2014 (JUBA) - Members of the state legislative assembly in
South Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal have summoned the state minister
of physical infrastructure to appear before a briefing over oddities
in the allocation of land plots in the capital, Aweil.
JPEG - 14.2 kb
Three boys carry their belongings by cart in Sudan's Northern Bahr
el-Ghazal state (Photo: UN/Staton Winter)
Minister Angui Diing Diing, a well-known associate of Pagan Amum
Okiech, the former secretary-general of the governing Sudan People's
Liberation Movement, is expected to appear before members of the house
on Monday.
Multiple members of parliament told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that
Diing had been expected to attend a briefing on 17 March, but failed
to appear after reportedly taking sick leave.
Under articles 56 and 58 of the State Transitional Constitution,
members are permitted to summons any public office holder to clarify
matters of public importance.
In an ordinary session on Monday, state legislators described the
minister's no-show as disrespectful and a sign of "insubordination".
State MP Santino Mayuat Ngong confirmed that Diing had been summonsed
over issues related to the allocations and acquisition of land in
Aweil town, after the minister failed to address complaints raised by
local residents, some of whom staged a protest.
Like other urban centres in the country, Aweil town has experienced
rapid population growth since the end of the civil war with Sudan,
compounded by the fact that many returnees to the country who fled at
the height of the conflict now preferred to resettle in urban centres
rather than their remote, ancestral homelands.
Analysts say the trend has driven an increasing demand in urban areas,
leading to the proliferation of informal land markets and value
speculations.
Deng Ajou, a resident of Maper Akot, a residential area in Aweil town
told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the state ministry of physical
infrastructure was responsible for the problems, accusing officials of
being driven by greed.
"I have been here living in Aweil for the last seven years and I know
where exactly the problem lies. It lies squarely with the officials at
the state ministry of physical infrastructure," he said.
"They don't care about service. I tell you now 120 people share
documents with similar plot details. I am now sharing the plot with
someone else. The same plot that was given to me after paying for it
and completed all the processes is the same plot which has [been]
given to someone else. This is a complete mess and the ministry did
not want to address [the issues]," he added.
Ajou said that these days the only want to secure a land plot in the
area was through back door dealings with the officials at the state
ministry of physical infrastructure and the town council, adding that
very few in Aweil owned large land resources.
(ST)
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