Call for Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish positions of power
Opinions
By Akot Lual Arech
This public notice serves to the national and patriotic people of South Sudan for the call for Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish some of the positions of power and influence over public, which he recently accumulated.
As a personal friend, I reached to my brother Benjamin on several occasions and through intermediary, asking him to resign some of his public positions for the interest of the country and the public. All my initiatives and efforts failed, hence, I am duty-bound to go public with my position for the records.
Economic Highlights
The country is now facing worst economic challenges in history, largely in part due to mismanagement of resources and poor political decisions.
South Sudanese Pound is losing its values to United States Dollars everyday.
Public civil servants are going for months without salary payment. The inflation rate is going off the roof, where people cannot any more afford commodities in the market.
According to the reports, more than half of the country will face acute food insecurity this year. The future the country is heading is uncertain, with experts predicting that the country is heading to a total collapse.
The problems are all attributed to one man, Benjamin Bol Mel for having amassed political, economic powers and for his inclination to grab military power as well. Here below are some of the public powers he acquired recently:
Presidential envoy for special projects
This is unprecedented position of power and influence in the country with unlimited decision-making potentials. Here Benjamin reign over in deciding which mega projects for the country is to keep for himself or doll out to his few cronies, for the purpose of milking the project dry of its cash flows.
He also seats and decide to appoint and fire at will those in public positions of power, targeting public financial institutions, where he treats the running of public financial system as his own financial system.
If left unchecked, Benjamin is inching closer in controlling security sector of the country, where the result of which, will show the eventual collapse of the country.
Political bureau
Benjamin holds an influential position in the ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). The SPLM Political-Bureau is an important organ of the party, which decides on policies of the party and by extension, the policies for the country.
The members of SPLM Political-Bureau are only hands full in the entire country and Benjamin is one of them.
National Liberation Council (NLC)
Benjamin is a member of NLC in SPLM party. NCL is the most powerful organ in the party, which serves as a legislative body, which endorses the policies of the party and that of the nation.
Deputy Secretary General for Political Mobilization
Benjamin serves as the Deputy Secretary General for Political Mobilization in SPLM party.
The position is the sixth in hierarchy of the SPLM, which carries a lot of weigh, power and influence, not just within the party, but in the country as a whole.
Lieutenant General in Military
Benjamin Bol Mel has just been promoted into the position of Lieutenant General in the National Security Services (NSS). This is the highest rank one can reach in the NSS, meaning he is among the highest in the Service.
Given all these unprecedented public powers, amassed by one individual, who abuse them with potential to derail the country from the path of socio-economic development, peace, and stability, it is therefore, only that those powers are put into check.
For having economic, political, and military power to one man is just not conflicting, but unacceptable for the country.
I therefore, publicly call on my brother Benjamin Bol Mel to relinquish the powers he holds in governments: the Presidential Envoy of Special Project and that of Lieutenant General in the military.
It is up for the SPLM party if they accepts to fail by allowing accumulation of too much power to one individual, but I am duty-bound to speak on the affairs of the government, since it affect the entire country, because as stated, Benjamin is driving the train in high speed off the rails.
