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AKOBO
CONSTITUENCY UPDATE
INTRODUCTION
The idea
behind this Update was to give my members of the Akobo County Constituency
some background on what I have been doing , as an MP representing this
area, from the time I placed my hand on the Bible until the Assembly went
into recess on 1 December ,2006.
As the South Sudan is passing through a Democratic transformation , any comments and for
suggestions to improve my political work will be very welcome from any
individual or group.
WHO IS DHANO OBONGO?
I was born in 1959 in Akobo Town District , currently
Akobo County .
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
1967- 1973 I attended Akobo Elementary School.
1973- 1976 I commenced , and completed my Junior
Secondary School – Malakal , Upper Nile Province.
1976- 1979 I attended , and graduated from , Malakal
Senior Secondary School, where I received my my Secondary Sudan School
Certificate- Malakal , Upper Nile Province.
1982- 1986 I attended and graduated from, the
Evangelical Theological Seminary at Cairo, Egypt , with a Bachelor in
Theology degree.
1999- 2000 I graduated from the University of
Queensland with a Post- Graduate Diploma in Social Planning and
Development( PGDSPD).
WORK EXPERIENCE
1979- 1981 I taught at Fangak
Junior Secondary School . From here ,I obtained a Scholarship from the
Presbyterian Church U.S.A.,via the Presbyterian Church of Sudan ( PCOS)-
to study Theology in Cairo, Egypt .
1987- 1992 I taught at Maride and
Wingbull Girls Secondary Schools – Khartoum, Sudan( Displaced Schools).
1992-1994 I joined the United Nations -
World Food Program –“ Operation Lifeline “ – Sudan North Sector
(UN- WFP- OLS). I was a Relief Officer and Food Mointor at Pochalla ,
South Sudan.
1995- 1999 I worked for the New Sudan Council
of Churches ( NSCC) at Nairobi, Kenya . I left this position when I had
the opportunity of settlement in Brisbane, Australia, in 1997.
2001- 2004 I worked for the Australian Red Cross ,
Queensland ,as a Settlement Officer.
2004- 2005 I worked as a Settlement Officer for
the Multicultural Development Association ( MDA). This is a Refugee
Agency.
2005- Update
In October, 2005, I was nominated , and subsequently
appointed , by the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Republican Degree,
as a an MP in the Jonglei State Legislative Transitional Assembly –
representing the South Sudan Democratic Forum ( SSDF) for the Akobo County
Constituency.
UPDATE FOR ALL ANYUAKS OF AKOBO COU
NTY CONSTITUENCY
How did I come to politics ?.
I t was about 10: 00 p.m one evening that I received
a telephone call from Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . this call
informed me that there was a Political group , named SSDF interested in
talking to me.
So I was given the telephone number of the man , representing this group
.This happened in September , 2005.
The following day, I telephoned this man who told me that the SSDF was
interested in selecting me and nominating me to represent the SSDF
in the Jonglei State Transitional Assembly – Bor.
My respond was that I ‘m not a political member of SSDF.
However, I’m a dedicated supporter of SPLA/ M since
the foundation of the movement , and during my University studies in
Cairo, Egypt . I have been a SPLA /M supporter through my career.
Nevertheless, I requested some time to consult
with my community , as well as to seek advice and opinion from my friends
. following these consultations . I could inform them of my decision .
So I called a meeting with the Anyuaks of Akobo , in Brisbane , mainly the
Ciro community . Moreover, I consulted H.E Mr. Stephen Ogut Obongo ,
Advisor to the Governor on Security Affairs , as well as the Hon. MP of
the National Assembly , the Hon. MP Isaac Ajaba Ochang , concerning the
candidature to me.
They all responded unanimously that I should accept this National call .
However the Hon.MP Isaac A. Ochang rejected the idea that SSDF is not a
good ticket , but decided that being a supporter of SPLA/M made it a
good idea.
The reasons given by them were
based on the following justifications:-
-
Mr Moses Ajak Ojuch was nominated at the grass
root by our fellow , Lou- Nuer- Mor to represent Akobo Anyuak
Community to represent Akobo Anyuak Community in the State Assembly.
But , for one reason or another , his name was omitted by GOSS.
-
-
The Akobo –Anyuak community have no
Representative in the Jonglei State Transitional Assembly .
-
-
H.E Stephen O. Obongo , who was consulted , gave
his approval to join him as part of his team.
-
On these grounds , I was persuaded by their reasoning
. Therefore I accepted the National call to return home and to serve our
beloved Akobo . The Anyuak community in particular and
the Akobo community in general.
On 20 December , 2005 I left Brisbane, Australia , to
travel to Nairobi , Kenya and arrived on 25December 2005 , at the Anyuak
Community Association in Nairobi, Kenya. Their leader, than Ustaz
Omot Okong Olok asked me to brief the Nairobi Anyuaks about my trip ,
which I did .
On 26 December 2005, I booked my travel to Juba ,
with a possibility of connecting , the same day , to proceed to Bor . This
was necessary because 27 December 2005 was scheduled to be the
First Session of the Opening of the Assembly , and the
swearing – in of the MPs . This would be followed by the election of the
Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Unfortunately, my booking did not
materialize .Thus, the Speaker position went to the SPLM party – 70% -
represented by the Piobor County ( MURLE). It was supposed to go to
Pochalla County MPs , but no MPs from Pochalla County were in attendance
that day. The Deputy Speaker went to the National Congress Party ( NCP)
– 10%represented by the Akobo County female ( Gender balance).
On 4 January 2006 , I left for Bor boat . Friday , it
was a very risky journey , but , thank God , I arrived safely in Bor on 7
January , 2006. Our Akobo Anyuak in Bor was not active in bringing people
together . So I began to re- active our political activities.
On 18 April , 2006 , I was sworn in as an MP,
representing the Akobo Constituency on the ticket of the SSDF.
On 19 April , 2006 the Assembly commenced the debates
and deliberations on the Conduct of Business of the Jonglei State
Legislative Assembly . After many days –came the hottest debate ever ,
in my experience . It concerned April 20 of our draft State
Constitution , regarding the Capital and Seat of the State Government to
be provisional .
This happened as a result of a Motion from one
Honorable Member of Parliament , namely the MP from Ayot County
Constituency , that Bor be a provisional Capital and Seat of State
Government , of Jonglei State , in the draft State Constitution .
He proposed that a wide consultation be carried out
among citizens , political forces and civil Society groups;also that a
feasibility study was needed to determine whether Bor could remain the
Capital or not . So, the Motion was seconded.
After the first, second and third reading of
the Draft constitution , finally constitution for votes to be taken .
So the voting was conducted . The outcome was 19 votes for , and 16 votes
against . Two MPs from Pochalla County abstained from voting .
For me , I joined with the majority of MPs , for the best political
interest of the Akobo – Anyuak Community , according to my political
analysis and reading.
On 3 July , 2006 the standing Specialized Committees
( SSCS) were formed based on political and ethnic indirect representation
.
I contested a place in one of the Standing
Specialized Committees ( SSCS) , but was already represented in the State
Government.
However, I was assigned by the Assembly Business Committee ( ABC) to the
Gender and Social Development Committee, as its Clerk.
From 17 July 2006 , I was selected and consequently
nominated , among five MPs , to represent the Jonglei State Assembly in
the most historical Symposium ever organized by the South Sudan
Legislative Transitional Assembly ( SSLA) , we as fresh MPs in the ten
South Sudan State Assemblies , learned new techniques in Parliamentary
affairs . The Symposium was very educational , informative and fruitful.
Furthermore, during this Symposium , we
received information about the South Sudan General Budget for the
financial year of 2006 . The Presenter mentioned that the General
Budget method carried out by GOSS was the Top –Down approach.
While, I was in Juba , I had some political
consultations with our Hon. MP , Mr. John Luk Jok ( Akobo South Sudan
Assembly representative) Ustaz/ Tap Kodi and the Hon. MP. Dr. Wal Duany .
The reasons behind these political consultations were confidence
building measures between the two inhabitant groups of Akobo County
Communities , namely the Lou- Nuer- Mor and the Anyuak of Akobo ( Ciro,
Nyikang and Ojwa) . All of these consultations were positive indeed . One
of the Lou- Nuer- Mor mentioned that it was the first time any approved
had been made by Anyuak from Ciro to discuss an Akobo issue.
On 4 August 2006 , I briefed and updated the Akobo-
Anyuak community in Brisbane about the political situation in Bor .
On 24 October 2006 , I called for a meeting
with the Akobo – Anyuak Constituency to brief them about my political
activities in Malakal .
Our Agenda focused on the following
issues :-
-
Political mobilization of IDPs and refugees to go
home.
-
Census on 15 November 2007 .
-
Security analysis of the Akobo situation .
This consultation meeting was organized under the
auspices of the Akobo – Anyuak community Association ( AACA).
From 29 November , 2006 , until 2 December , 2006 , I had the privilege
and honour , nominated by my party SSDF , of representing the party at an
historical workshop , organized by GOSS- the Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs (MPA) , for eight Southern Sudan Political Parties . The theme was
“ EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES” . There were good numbers
of Scientific Papers presented by the Northerners who were Professors from
the University of Khartoum Institute for Peace Research Centre and also
two Ambassadors from Nigeria and India . The workshop was very productive
and fruitful.
ACHIEVEMENTS
During this short period , I managed to obtained
employment for two Anyuak boys as Primary Teachers in Bor , Jonglei State.
Also, through my network of some classmates , colleagues and friends , I
managed to get work for one of our Graduates with the Southern Sudan
Commission for Census , Statistics and Evaluation.
Moreover, I Had the privilege and honour to attend
the meeting of the Akobo – Anyuak Community ( AAC) in Malakal , Upper
Nile State , when Mr. Lero Olok Odolla came to Malakal as an envoy of the
USA Akobo – Anyuak Community.
HERART FELT THANKS AN
D APPRECIATION
Well, I will not miss this chance to say a big word
of thanks and appreciation to these relatives and friends who have
encouraged me and given me sound advice while I was still struggling with
whether to take the MP position or not.
My special thanks and appreciation go to Dr. Simon
Agolory and his dear wife , Kathy Agolory , for their generosity in
donating some money , with which I was able to buy a Laptop Computer .
That Laptop Computer did not only benefit me , but also has benefited the
Jonglei State General Secretariat in typing Government and
Ministerial Papers. Furthermore, my heartfelt thanks and appreciation go
to my dear nephew , Dr. Joseph Agolory and my beloved cousin, Ms Akodthi
Ojulo Okoth for their wonderful advice and encouragement.
Of course , I must also remember the Ciro – Anyuak
Community in Brisbane who , as a body , encouraged and challenged me to
accept my National call.
Moreover, I appreciated and would thank them for their financial
contribution and moral support to make my trip positive . I salute each
one of you . Thank you , and may God bless you all.
My special thanks and appreciation go to my brother
and friend , Mr. Choul Rambang Louth for his frank advice . I n fact , I
learned a lot from him.
May God bless you all.
Many thanks
Hon. MP .Dhano Obongo-
Akobo Constituency.
Jonglei State Transitional Assembly
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