Leaders of the Tennet community in Eastern Equatoria State have petitioned Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, requesting the establishment of Arilo as an independent administrative unit.

The delegation from Imehejek Administrative Area presented the petition in a meeting at the Governor’s office, citing marginalization, poor service delivery, and limited representation in local governance.

The leaders alleged that key administrative positions in Imehejek are dominated by one ethnic group, leaving their community excluded from decision-making.

They also cited Arilo’s geographical isolation, saying the distance from the headquarters limits access to services and exposes residents to insecurity.

They called for the urgent creation of an independent administrative unit for Arilo to improve governance, service delivery, and security.

“As a matter of fact, we are often deliberately excluded from decision-making processes,” part of the petition read.

In a related appeal, the community also requested the upgrade of Arilo Primary Health Care Unit to a Primary Health Care Centre to expand healthcare access.

Governor Lobong acknowledged receipt of the petition but said previous requests lacked key requirements, including population data, administrative maps, proof of viability, and human resources capacity.

He urged the community to engage in dialogue with other groups in Imehejek, including the Otuho and Lopit, and emphasized that creation of new administrative units requires approval by the State Council of Ministers, not the Governor alone.

The Governor advised the delegation to strengthen their proposal before resubmission.