Transparency Debate in Northern Bahr el Ghazal
Governor Simon Uber Mawut suspended State Minister of Roads and Bridges Carolina Achok Akot on 25 August 2025, citing corruption and insubordination. The move jolted Aweil, where delayed infrastructure budgets remain a sensitive topic.
Opposition Alliance Presses Legal Framework
The South Sudan Opposition Alliance swiftly demanded a transparent probe. ‘Justice requires facts, not whispers,’ chairperson Edward Nyuol Arop told reporters, urging an investigative committee or immediate court action to satisfy citizens and the peace agreement.
Arop argued that Article 87 of the state constitution obliges officials to disclose findings publicly. Without asset tracing, he warned, allegations risk turning into rumor, eroding trust in both the governor’s office and the broader revitalized peace process.
Governor’s Office Cites 90-Day Window
From the governor’s side, press secretary Ayuel Chan Mawien explained that a committee is ‘in the pipeline.’ He cited a legal window of 90 days to assemble members, review records and present conclusions, asking all parties to remain calm.
Minister Achok’s Defense
Minister Achok rejects wrongdoing, insisting the accusations were engineered to silence her concerns about tendering. She fears arrest, noting that each day without an investigative body magnifies uncertainty for her team and the contractors they supervise.
Infrastructure Stakes for Aweil
Observers in Aweil say the case touches more than personalities. Road maintenance links farming hubs to markets, and perceived graft can deter donor support. Transparency, they argue, is therefore an economic as well as a legal imperative.
Looking Ahead to Accountability
The coming weeks will show whether the 90-day deadline sharpens accountability or deepens division. For now, residents wait for a committee list and, ultimately, for the numbers that will confirm or dismiss the claims.