Gen. Khamis’ Puts Hon. Makuei Lueth On a Spotlight!

Updated at 2:50pm, Nov 28, 2014(PST)

Nov 27, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The Director General of South Sudan Radio and Television, Brig. Gen. Khamis Abdulatif Chuwal Lom, has swiftly responded to “unconstitutional” practices in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Khamis was prompted to respond by an order to report to Juba with immediate effect. The Director has fallen out with Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, who doubles as the government spokesman, over “unconstitutional” transfers to the Ministry’s Headquarters.

Khamis, who is in pain and regretting the continuous violation of the constitution in the Ministry, has fired at Hon. Makuei Lueth and the Ministry’s Undersecretary, Garang Deng Chol, who issued the order to RTO with immediate effect.

“First, I am very much regretful and painful of continuous surpassing and violation of administrative procedures and laws and constitution by the Administration of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting”  Khamis responded from Nairobi, Kenya.

The Undersecretary, Garang Deng, issued the warning over the radio and television on November 25th, 2014 which forced Mr. Khamis to respond the following day.

Khamis was given an official leave on 14 November to follow up on his daughter’s sickness in the neighboring Kenya, however, his office and the Radio station were threatened by the security forces at the  order of Mr. Makuei.

“You know very well that following the unconstitutional and illegitimate ministerial order on my transfer to the Ministry’s Headquarter without assignment, […], you granted me a leave to travel to Nairobi to attend to my daughter’s sickness” DG. Khamis said.

“It is his constitution and legal right to submit a recommendation to H.E. the President of the Republic to request for my relieve or transfer” DG. Khamis continues.

According to Khamis. the Minister was acting “unconstitutionally” since he was assigned to Radios and Television by the president.

Khamis cautions Hon. Makuei to stop using the security forces to silence him or radios and televisions, otherwise, “heads would roll.”

Khamis further warns Hon. Makuei to respect the Republican decrees, and stop acts of transgression, or else the President of the Republic may lose his kindness.

“But to issue orders annulling Republican Decree or altering its intend and by dispatching security forces to enter to Studios of Television at 11:00pm to cut the regular programs of transmission and force someone not on duty to read a ministerial order is a big transgression” DG. Khamis

“And had it not because of the kindness of H.E. the President of the Republic heads would have rolled.” the Brig. General said.

Director Khamis tells Undersecretary Garang and Hon. Makuei to respect the head of the government and the state, Salva Kiir, because he appointed all of them equally.

Brig.  Khamis reminds Hon. Makuei that he is not a junior official to be bullied or warned over the radio and other live programmings.

“Warnings and bullying over media organs are always used against junior officials and what [you] did is something new and surprise to me”. DG. Khamis.

Khamis justifies to the Undersecretary, Garang Deng Chol, that his [Garang] warnings must be unconstitutional since he works in a Ministry that rampantly violates constitution.

“The way things are being done in the Ministry of Information is not found anywhere in the world and you [Garang] yourself when I presented myself to the Ministry, you told me that decisions of the Minister were unconstitutional so what is so new in your warning to me” DG Khamis

Tribalism, Corruption and Violation of Constitution:

According to Brig. Khamis, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is a “one tribe and one state” and Hon. Makuei Lueth has done excessive damage so far. While Khamis is a Dinka from Agaar of Bhar el Ghazal region, Hon. Makuei is a Dinka Bor from Upper Nile region.

Khamis believes that Makuei has unconstitutionally removed and replaced many government officials that were appointed by the President, and he will never allow Makuei to do so under his watch.

“He refused a Presidential Degree appointing Justice Deng Biong as Undersecretary of Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, and instead he appointed someone who does not hold Bachelor of Law to his position by a Ministerial order. He did the same with Dr. Julia Aker Duany, the Undersecretary of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs when he become the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and when he becomes the Minister of Information and Broadcasting he issued a ministerial order relieving Colonel David Nok Marial who was appointed as Adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide a Republican Decree. He also relieved Mr. Mustafa Biong Majak from his position as Director General of Information in the Ministry of Information, a man who was appointed vide a Resolution of Council of Ministers, as well was Mr. Arob Bagat from the position of Director General of South Sudan Radio and Television who was also appointed vide a Resolution of Council of Ministers, and also Mr. Justin Aleer as Director General for Administration and Finance who is grade “4” without consent of the President. Mr. Aleer then continues not only to disburse budget of Radio and Television but also gives directives even to staff members who are senior to him.” DG Khamis.

Khamis believes that the Ministry is consumed by excessive corruption, and although he downplays talking about such sensitive matters, he warns that he possesses corruption documents that speak for themselves.

“I do not want to want to talk about excessive and corruption being practiced in the Ministry of Information. I shall talk at the right time because in my hands are number of documents that speaks for themselves” DG. Khamis.