Common man shocked after being fired as Ibba Commissioner in decree

An ordinary civilian in Western Equatoria State said he was surprised when he heard his name being fired in a 7th August Presidential Decree, which was instead intended to remove the Commissioner of Ibba County.

President Salva Kiir issued a series of Republican Decrees, removing and appointing several officials to the governments of Western and Central Equatoria, Jonglei, and Lakes states.

In a decree read on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Wednesday evening, Kiir removed “Phillip Ayoub Gaza” as Commissioner of Ibba County and replaced him with Wilson Tetela.

Reacting to the announcement, Mr. Ayoub, a retired General who hails from Ezo County in Western Equatoria said he has never been the Commissioner of Ibba County.

Mr. Ayoub said he is not a member of any political parties and was surprised when he heard his name being read as fired on state-owned television.

“I have never been a Commissioner and I will never be the Commissioner for Ibba County. That is what I know. I am still tracing who put my name there,” he said, in an interview with Eye Radio.

“I heard it myself. I heard it and I am trying to follow it up who put my name there and what for. If you are not a person concern, how do you feel, you feel that people want to play with you. I am not for any political party; I am just of my own.”

Meanwhile, Charles Elisama Babua, who the decree intended to remove, said he has accepted being replaced and has already exited the local government office.

He said he had been at home to avoid confusion, while his party – the United Sudan African Party (USAP) is following the issue to determine who recommended for his possible removal.

“If it is my President who brought me to this post and he issued a decree also I must respect but unless if I get another reserve of the decree if it is so, then I can say that I can work but if I don’t get a clear information, I will not work,” he said.

“I am at home because let it not bring confusion because already there is somebody who is already in my place waiting for his swearing in I cannot work now.”

“Unless if there is an official information from the higher authority and from my party because my party is trying to know about this one [removal] in Juba up to now so they don’t know how it happened, so I am at home.”

Charles Elisama Babua has been the Commissioner of Ibba County since April 2021 under the Other Political Parties (OPP), until Wednesday, 7th August 2024.

When contacted by Eye Radio, the Presidential Press Secretary, Lily Adhieu Martin, said she was yet to consult the legal team in the Office of the President on the matter.