Hon. Paulino Lukudu Obede, Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State - Courtesy

The Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria stated that the government will prioritize demarcated areas in Juba for basic service delivery, noting that undemarcated areas require proper planning to expand water, electricity, and healthcare services.

Paulino Lukudu said on Eye Radio’s Sundown Show on February 28, that the government is discussing plans to expand electricity and basic services to Juba residents.

The deputy governor, however, said the service delivery plan does not include areas where land has not been legally allocated.

“We’ve been discussing plans on how we can expand electricity in Juba. We are now planning to provide electricity, but areas that have cases of land grabbing will not give them electricity,” he said.

“We will also do the same thing to people who need water. We will expand the water pipe to the areas that don’t have cases of land grabbing. And if you don’t have proper documentation, meaning, your areas will not be within the government’s planning.”

“If your areas are not within the government’s plan, no water and electricity, even services like hospitals will not reach you unless the government intervene.”

In recent years, incidents of conflict related to land acquisition have been widely reported in Juba County of Central Equatoria State.

The deputy governor appealed to South Sudanese citizens in Juba to refrain from being used by influential people as a tool for land grabbing.

According to him, some individuals bring vulnerable families, provide food and some little money to guide the plot, but once the place becomes a well-established residential area, they will evict the people.

“One thing that we have realized from the land grabbers and mainly those who are doing it for business or doing it for settlement. At times they grab land, they bring a vulnerable family, their relatives who are less privileged,” he said.

“They will only give them food and some little money to guide the plot, and once the place becomes a very good residential area, they will evict these people and grab another land somewhere and take the same people.”

“These are human beings, they may have families, they may have children, they may need to broaden their stay. So, it will be better that once we demarcate the land in places like Digala, now there is demarcation and far of Lokiliri.

“You will have your plot, instead of being used as a tool for the land grabbing. We don’t want to use South Sudanese as a tool for land grabbing because, simply, you can afford to give them food and some little money and use them for land grabbing and risking their life.”