Michael Othow Bol took the oath of office before Upper Nile Governor James Koang on 23/06/2025|Courtesy

The newly appointed Commissioner of Makal County in Upper Nile State, Michael Othow Bol, has pledged to toward unity, peace, and development in the region following his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, 23, June 2025 in Juba.

Othow, who was appointed on the ticket of the Other Political Parties (OPP), took the oath of office before Governor James Koang at the State Coordination Office. In his first official address, Commissioner Othow expressed gratitude to national and state leadership, vowing to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to restore stability in Malakal.

“First of all, I would like to thank the President, the leader of the OPP party, the Governor, and his deputy,” Othow said. “I want to promise them that we shall work with one heart and one step, so that we bring stability to Malakal town and to all its tribes with love and dignity.”

He stressed that sustainable development would only be possible through peace and security, noting, “We hope that if the security is stable, we will have sustainable development through the efforts of the Governor, and I know he is capable of doing everything.”

Representing the OPP leadership, Paulino Lokudu, Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, reaffirmed his party’s full backing for Commissioner Othow and the state government.

“We want our commissioner and all the leadership of Makal, including the Governor, to work together to deliver services, development, and security in Makal and Upper Nile in general,” Lokudu said. “We know Malakal has been destroyed by the war, and we cannot contribute to anything that could cause war, conflict, or displacement. We stand for development.”

He went on to praise President Salva Kiir’s decision to appoint Othow, calling it “the beginning of unity and prosperity.”

Governor James Koang, who presided over the ceremony, called for cooperation among local leaders and urged Othow to take his responsibilities seriously.

“It’s a happy day because you came and gave a lot of advice to the County Commissioner,” Koang remarked. “Malakal is not like in the past months—Malakal has stability. The citizens of Malakal are not the citizens of Upper Nile alone, but they are all people living in South Sudan.”

He concluded by emphasizing teamwork: “The most important thing is the cooperation and understanding of the job, and this is what will make him successful.”