Yei’s New Mayor Promises Unity

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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Her Worship, Cecilia Oba, the former State Minister of Cabinet Affairs in Central Equatoria State was last week appointed by governor Clement Wani Konga as the new Mayor of Yei Municipality.

The governor also issued two decrees; one upgrading Yei Town Payam to Municipality and another appointing the former minister of Cabinet Affairs to a mayor, with her deputy Mr. Silvan Ali Samson and Comrade Bidal Kosmas the former SPLM Yei County Secretary as the Clerk in charge of Administration.

The appointment of her worship the Mayor met strong opposition from some of the people in Yei town, calling for total rejection of the Mayorship and the municipality.

Amidst underground fuming critics, hundreds of school children and residents of Yei Municipality gathered at the Yei Freedom Square to welcome and enthrone the new mayor of Yei Municipality.

Her Worship, Cecilia Oba, congratulated the Government of Central Equatoria State, the National Government and the SPLM party for appointing her as the first female mayor in the state and in the whole of the Republic of South Sudan.

Cecilia called upon all the opposing groups to the new administrative system, to lay down their grievances and unite hands together with the Authority of the Municipality to create peace, unity and development in the municipality.

She added she has not come to work for the people but rather to work with them to change Yei for better.

“I have not come to work for you but rather to work with you to change Yei,” she said.

Cecilia said she is sent to unite the people of Yei, restore Yei back to its former status of being small London and to solve the problems of the people of Yei.

She said people should not fight for public positions as many raised their eye brows for key public positions in the county, adding there are good number of men who don’t want public positions to be given to the women.

Yei Town payam was upgraded to a Municipality because of its high population, high economic prosperous and different ethnic groups and foreign Nationals living in Yei Town Payam; this qualified it to be a municipality.

The high population in the municipality has also stretched the limited human and financial resources available in the county.

As the mayor takes up her new office, the citizens in the municipality expect maximum services delivery and political transformation in the municipality.

There is also socioeconomic fear among the citizens of being displaced or relocation of the people as the municipal may come with new policies and system of building the municipality where those who are financially handicapped may be forced to desert their lands within the town centre and move to the third class areas.

In Governor’s message to the people of Yei Municipality read by his advisor on health, he calls for unity among the people of Yei.

The move has also ignited the National Ministry of Health to upgrade Yei Civil Hospital to a national level.

The people of Yei are also being urged to organize themselves into groups to form co-operative groups for effective services delivery to the communities.

The Governor also warned the people against growing tobacco, adding the tobacco factory in Yei Municipality will soon be changed to produce other goods rather than cigarettes.

He added it is time for services delivery; people should keep a distance from tribalism, politics and grouping on tribal bases.

Juma David Augustine, the commissioner of Yei River County welcomed the appointment of her worship Cecilia Oba the mayor of Yei Municipality and promised to work hand in hand with the mayor to promote peace, unity and development in Yei Municipality and Yei River County.

Juma said the new administration will operate within the Yei Municipality and the Commissioner of Yei River County will operate with the remaining four payams of Otogo, Lasu, Mugwo and Tore payams in Yei River County.

The Mayor will have official meetings and visits with all the departments in the municipality.