Molana Mayen Wol Jong: The Lazarus of Legal arm and South Sudanese Politic

By Simon Yel Yel, Kampala, Uganda

Mayen Wol Jong, former chief administrator in the office of the president who was sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly using the seal of the president to steal millions of dollars from Central bank, with other accomplices

March 24, 2018 (SSB) — If the emergence of Hon. Mayen Wol Jong from within the President’s inner circle immediately after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has taught us anything, it is that President Kiir chooses people who can do work expeditiously and efficaciously irrespective of their blood relation with him, where they hail from, and whether they were or not in the bush with him during the liberation days.

His emergence and climb to the inner circles of the Presidential Palace has been unique, however it is only matched by the collimate emergence of Dr. Riek Gai Kok. As somebody born into unschooled family but went for Laws at the prestigious Sudanese University of Khartoum and who has no blood relations with the President, didn’t join the SPLA, it’s difficult to infer how he sailed to the top as one of the most trusted administrative aide-de-camp of the President.

Such a climb would only be inferred as a trending madness of a workaholic. Indeed, his passion for work, competency clad with administrative skills for a strong and synergistic work output are apparent desired traits and thus had propelled and won him the President’s firm trust. He is a committed personality who judiciously aspires for excellence and especially on matters pertaining nation building.

His competency in performing his duties warrants no duress. He is a role model to many and of course a potential source of inspiration to those he works with. Due to his assured administrative output, little or no supervision had been established for him.

As circulated early by rumor-mongers, Hon. Mayen Wol is one of the most feared personalities within the President’s circles; perhaps a little edge on this could be credited to Amb. Telar Ring Deng.

In the wake of 2015, the man crumbled from grace to grass. He was together with others alleged to might have gotten involved in a serious financial saga and President himself accused them of funds embezzlement.

That was shocking. It raised eyebrows and doubts were casted as to why the trusted figures would end up messing the Palace. He was in this together with ustaz Yel Luol and many others and so they got suspended.

 However, they eventually were arraigned in court for the purposes of accountability and restoration of stolen property among many other charges. This was to be done by a competent court of law. This alleged financial saga almost brought his meteoric rise to a near crushing kibosh.

In the course of their lengthy trial which lasted for two years, his nemeses were celebrating that he has booked himself a ticket to a permanent political stagnation.

His critics thought he was going to hell following the saga. In their minds, they thought, if he ever escaped death by his mother’s luck, then he will be doomed to a permanent failure.

With his naysayers exerting efforts to ensure that he gets buried alive or dead, few people who knew of his natural desirous work ethic and astute personality could offer him hopes by praying to God for his safety and a possible acquittal.

It was in the minds of those close to him, those that have good knowledge of how he does things and his ardent moral decency that he would one day be acquitted innocent. They knew justice would be served.

In what some people called the “eleventh hour correction of bent justice”, the verdict sentencing the accused to life imprisonment was overturned on appeal. The Court of Appeal declared him innocent for he played no role in the saga and all those other factors that derive from it. The court as well recommended that he be reinstated to his job.

In essence, survival at such instances is at some point attributable to honesty. Therefore, Mayen Wol in some aspects could as well be described as an honest lad. Indeed he is an epitome of honesty and thus deserves a lasting trust.

One man diligently quipped, “Honesty is, this feeling you see when somebody is confident in knowing who he is. He doesn’t need to impress you or try to convince you about something”. That reminds me of a cool character like Hon. Mayen Wol Jong. He is confidently honest and therefore, trustable.

Following his acquittal, it was apparent that some quarters with unjustified devilish hatred were holding sluggish thoughts and a hebetudinous belief that he has permanently squandered his chance of returning to J1 despite the Court of Appeal’s decision on all grounds.

His adversaries believed that there would be no chance of trust between the duo since the President himself was the one issuing his suspension.

Therefore, they concluded inexpediently that Mayen Wol has two alternative options to undertake: one is that he would return to look for a job with Norwegian Church Aid (the NGO which he previously worked for), the second option is that he goes to market and do business, perhaps even selling charcoal would do so as to keep himself alive until later date of his death. They of course sent him to Konyo-konyo Market for that matter on conclusion that anything other than these two alternatives is falsehood.

However, in all things God has the last word. The man mocked, ruled out of all possibilities of continued political survival by his adversaries was again, decreed by the President for a rather bigger task of an Undersecretary in the Ministry of Petroleum.

Logically, his appointment clearly dismissed the negative mindset on the feigned strained relationship with the President and so would be acknowledged that the speculations were in themselves illusional.

To the President, Hon. Mayen is legally acquitted by court of law and hence, he has right to contribute to this nation if there are opportunities.

Like when his conviction was overturned, his appointment sparked a tensed debate on the Social Media. Some critics jabbered highly giving incoherent argument as to why he shouldn’t be brought back to the government. He is a thief who should be in his house if not in a cell than in the government, they ranted.

To bemusement of many people, some highly learned individuals are still holding him guilty on their minds of the accusations he was cleared off by the court.

To them, a suspect remains guilty even though he/she was acquitted by the court and hence, he can’t work in government till he or she dies.

To paraphrase Prof. Jok Madut Jok’s ad libitum post, which he deleted later, “Mayen Wol was caught with his hand in cookie jar, jailed and now promoted (appointed as undersecretary); Agak Achuil was suspended by Stephen Dhieu for dubious approvals of some million SSP, but now removed to a sister ministry. All of them hail from Kuacjok. He obtusely concluded, God has either moved his residence to Kuacjok in this dry season or they bribed God”.

These statements gestate tinctures of a publicity communal champion than an intellectual connoisseur.

To say the least, this leitmotiv is more of a humdrum ad hominem and malarkey, and it is safe to conclude that the SUDD’s top researcher has done a voodoo research on what ferried Hon. Mayen back to the government.

It is unfathomable how such a researcher, who should be busy researching on vital issues to bequeath his audience, becomes paddler of hatred driven criticism and odium on his Facebook page.

If the good Professor can generate such a research, with aura of academia, which in some point defines the cutting edge of thought, I am afraid to say that his post is prima facie enough for the title of professorship to be buried six feet underground and let its soul rest in peace.

On the contrary, some people as well described him (Mayen) with positive adjectives to considerable pleasure. In a line or two, he can be described as a man who has defied the law of gravity and refused to be brought to a free fall; a suspect of mistaken identity who has emerged victorious in the life-taking financial saga and claims back his good reputation.

Indeed, he is the Lazarus of legal arm and South Sudanese politics.  Hon. Mayen Wol clamorously resurrected from political and legal death. It took Lazarus four days to resurrect, but it has taken Mayen Wol more than two years.

In conclusion, to borrow the words of Malvolio’s letter in Twelfth Night, some leaders achieve disappointment and some have disappointment thrust upon them. Others are simply born disappointing. Therefore, Hon. Mayen Wol was one of those of whom disappointment was thrust upon.

However, the J1 saga will serve as the best guide for him to forefend another disappointment being thrust upon him.

As of now, he stands as a free man that should enjoy all the rights and privileges like any other free citizen in South Sudan. You see, God does not always follow the instructions of our adversaries.

Simon Yel Yel can reached simonyel88@gmail.com

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