Residents of Nzara County in Western Equatoria State over the weekend demanded better services from the newly appointed commissioner. 

Last Saturday, the state cabinet minister, John Barayona Furula, was delegated by the state governor, Alfred Futuyo, to accompany the new commissioner of Nzara County, Richard Zizi Bugwa, to his duty station.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj upon the arrival of their commissioner, residents in the area expressed happiness as they stay for more than a year without a commissioner. 

Angelo Rizida, a resident of Nzara County, said he is happy to see the leader on the ground but appealed for improvements in the education and health sectors. 

“What we need is good education for our children because if they don’t get the education they will not be good in the future because they are the leaders of tomorrow,” Rizida said. “The second thing is drugs for us in the health facilities so that it can help the communities. These are my requests to the commissioner.”

Helen Joseph Sakondo, another Nzara County inhabitant, said she is happy to see the commissioner and now wants tangible development in the area. 

“What we need as women of Nzara is cooperation from the commissioner, we need him to help our office. We need water to run our daily activities. We also need peace, reconciliation, and unity. We need cooperation between us and him so that we can support him in the development of our County Nzara,” Sakondo said.

Santo Dominic Gasiyo, a resident of Ringasi Payam of Nzara County, said they lack communication infrastructure in the area.

“What I need from him is support in Nzara, especially in our Ringasi Payam, we don’t have school buildings, no water and we have no telephone network for communication. When a letter is sent to us, it gets lost. We are suffering in terms of communication in our Payam of Ringasi,” Gasiyo said. 

Meanwhile, the newly sworn-in Nzara County Commissioner, Richard Zizi, urged the citizens to forgive each other and forget the past.

“I want to appreciate all the people who have gathered here today (Saturday) to welcome me, especially the soldiers who have to maintain peace in the area, I need everyone to forgive each other because a lot of things have happened,” Commissioner Zizi said. “If I have done anything wrong, I need you to forgive me as I have forgiven everyone here. I need you as you need me so that we develop Nzara and we will do it with the little we will have at hand.”

On behalf of the state governor, the cabinet minister, John Barayona, called on the new commissioner to listen to the communities and work with them.

“We need to cooperate with this new commissioner so that he delivers good services to you here from his office,” Barayona said. “This is for Zizi, my advice is that many people here may get harsh and rude when they need to survive but seek the almighty.”