The Yei River County Commissioner Juma David Augustine opened the office for Lasu payam headquarters on Monday. [Gurtong/ Petia Suliman Loro]
By Petia Suliman Loro
YEI, 30 May 2012 [Gurtong] - The new Yei River County Commissioner Juma David Augustine opened the office Monday during his official visit to all the five Payams in the county.
The trip took him to Mugwo, Otogo, Tore and Lasu Payams.
The Commissioner thanked the Central Equatoria State Governor Clement Wani Konga for appointing as the youngest Commissioner for Yei River County, saying it is a great opportunity for the involvement of the youth in development of the county.
He urged area residents to prioritise agricultural production in a bid to beat food insecurity.
“Lasu Payam used to feed Yei Town and the rest of South Sudan during the liberation struggle but now people have neglected farming and are instead loitering in towns in search of jobs. This has contributed to food insecurity in the county”, he said.
The Commissioner also encouraged parents to send their children to school, saying the Constituency Development Fund has been used to construct two primary schools at Tokori and Libogo Bomas.
Augustine at the same time cautioned traders against escalating the prices of food items, adding that such acts create huge economic gaps between the poor and the rich.
“I also appeal to farmers to sell their produce through co-operative societies as they will ensure more returns”, he said.
While on a visit to Nyori Refugee Settlement, the Commissioner cautioned the refugees against loitering in Yei Town, saying it poses a security threat.
He pledged to work with the UNHCR and the county agriculture department to support the refugees’ involvement in agricultural production.