The narrative of this article is to reflect on South Sudan’s Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth’s recent tour to Longechuk and Maiwut counties. It is a sequel to my latest article published by Radio Tamazuj on 21 June 2026 following Ezekiel’s visit to the area on 12 June. The two counties are located in Upper Nile State, South Sudan, and are predominantly inhabited by the Gaatjaak Section of the Nuer people, from which Ezekiel Lol hails.
During the tour, Ezekiel engaged with residents, conveying a deceitful campaign message trying to blandish them to vote for President Salva Kiir in the upcoming controversial South Sudan General Elections slated for December 2026. The political tour triggered widespread uproar and debate among the members of the Gaatjaak, Jikany Nuer communities, and South Sudanese citizens in general, both at home and abroad. In their debate, two opposing viewpoints emerged. One, South Sudan government supporters described his tour to Longechuk and Maiwut counties as an official outreach to deliver a message of unity, stability, and inclusive development. Second, his critics and local observers argue that “Ezekiel’s tour to the two counties serves as a political campaign to rally support for President Salva Kiir ahead of the awaited elections rather than addressing unfulfilled development.”
In this reflective article, the author will focus on Ezekiel’s sycophantic rhetoric that severely damaged his character and credibility with a rhetoric that backlashes poorly on Salva Kiir’s administration despite his comment of milking the government. Ezekiel had significantly fuelled political divisions within South Sudan, given his provocative speeches. He gave empty promises, calling upon the people who fled to refugee camps in Ethiopia to return home, stating, “We do not want any son of the Gaatjaak to lose his life again.” Yet he was the one who ordered fighting to rekindle in Gaatjaak territory, especially in the Udier and Mathiang areas. He went ahead and announced that the construction of a school and a hospital in Maiwut will begin next week, questioning, “How is it that Maiwut lacks proper hospitals when you have a son like me in the government?” Ezekiel was the petroleum minister and did not build a single school or hospital in Maiwut and Longechuk; built hotels for himself and his brother in Gambella, Ethiopia, and both of them own houses in the United States of America.
He also requested community cooperation, saying that, “One hand cannot clap by itself. Do your part, and I will do mine. I do not know how to lie; let us start working now.” If Ezekiel doesn’t lie, is the denial of the killing of the Nuer people in South Sudan not a lie? Ezekiel also urged residents to practice agricultural foresight, asking, “Why don’t you plant fruit trees instead of trees that bear no fruit? You should plant mangoes and avocados. I will bring mango seeds from Ethiopia” before he concluded with a political rallying cry: “What I want to tell the entire Gaatjaak Community is that we are going to vote for President Salva Kiir Mayardit, because we are heading to elections this December 2026.”
Furthermore, he went so far as to make controversial remarks during the SPLM Youth League meeting in Juba. He redefined the traditional concept of ethnicity and tribal loyalty by emphasizing financial dependency. He asserted that “The one who is taking care of you, who is paying you, this is your tribe. Our tribe is Salva Kiir.” He and other Nuer officials who are serving in Salva Kiir’s government denied the fact that the Nuer ethnic society had ever been targeted by the Dinka-dominated government in South Sudan.
In reality, Ezekiel’s rhetoric during his recent deceitful campaign tour to Maiwut and Longechuk counties clearly identified him as a pure sycophant and a fawning stooge who is worshiping Salva Kiir as a demigod and encouraging others to worship his boss. Can followers worship their bosses/leaders as Ezekiel portrayed and encouraged others to do? The answer is absolutely no! Followers cannot scripturally worship their bosses or leaders, given the fact that leaders who act as if their followers exist to serve, bow, and worship them are denounced as worthless leaders. Leaders who are held in high esteem are individuals who prioritize empowerment, humility, and service to their followers. Ultimately, leadership is earned by serving others rather than demanding adoration. His framing of political loyalty as unconditional support rather than a commitment to public welfare and the remark “milking the government” are actions of an individual who aims to secure personal survival rather than deliver tangible development to the people he claims to lead. Also, his remarks threaten that Dr. Riek Machar will “die in jail” unless he is not in Juba, reflecting deep political immaturity.
Frankly speaking, Ezekiel dipped his hands in South Sudan’s wealth when he was the head of the Government of South Sudan mission in Washington. D.C. When South Sudan gained its independence, heads of foreign missions were promoted to ambassadors, and their salaries increased based on the power of the country they served in. The Washington embassy, of which Ezekiel was the head, was given a budget of a million dollars a year. Most of that money was going to Ezekiel, as level one ambassadors were allowed to be paid ten to twelve thousand. When he became the minister of petroleum, Ezekiel engaged in corruption, and during an investigation, it was found that at least three crude oil consignments went missing. He became another corrupt leader, adding to the many corrupt individuals who looted South Sudanese money since 2005. He is one among the two upper groups who own the wealth of the country, particularly those who are running the Government of South Sudan.
Some of them cannot get hungry again because, during the interim period, they accumulated millions of dollars that would keep them alive for the rest of their lives. Many of these individuals have bought houses in foreign countries and opened personal accounts with money that would have been used for the country’s development.
In summary, the study of human behaviour indicates that people have both positive and negative traits in their characters. We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. History always judges societies, governments, and their institutions, not by how big the societies or the governments are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless. Ezekiel has damaged his character and credibility by his speeches. James chapter three tells us the tongue is a small part of the body that destroys the whole body. That teaching represents your everyday words, which reveal the true condition of your heart and soul. Ultimately, Ezekiel needs to know that one’s tongue can destroy the entire body.
Respectively.
The writer is a political commentator. He can be reached via lulgatluak09@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.
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