The Unity State Transitional Legislative Assembly reopened on Monday after a nine-month recess, with MPs promising to prioritize peace and service delivery.

Governor Joseph Monytuil Wejang, and the Speaker of the State parliament, Nger Banguot, officiated the opening of the second session of parliament.

In his opening remarks, Governor Monytuil reiterated his commitment to the peace agreement to bring lasting peace to the people of South Sudan. He urged the state representatives to join hands in providing better services to the state.  

"I am equally gladdened by the opportunity of this circumstantial opening of the August house to address you under the theme, Advance Oversite Role and Effective Dissemination of Peace," Monytuel said.

"As we conduct this sitting with one spirit, I am indebted to reiterate my commitment to ensuring true peace and healing amongst our people. I have committed myself to implementing the South Sudan peace agreement without reservation. I assure you and promise to work hand-in-hand with you to bring permanent peace in the community; our state is calm because of our efforts to bring lasting peace," he added.

The governor also acknowledged that the state is faced with unprecedented natural calamity and, for years, has struggled to mitigate floods and maintain internal roads across the state, urging the lawmakers to join hands in providing better services to the people of Unity State.

"Now that you are back from recess, I humbly present my appeal once again to join hands with us in the cabinet to ensure that the most needed services are identified and delivered to our people. As our state restores its calmness in realizing peace, our primary focus should be providing services to our people," he said.

He added, "And this might come in varieties of initiative, construction and maintenance of the internal roads connecting the state with its counties and the roads connecting us with the neighbouring states and the capital city Juba. Floods mitigation, clearing of dykes and clearing of Naam River and its tributaries. Resettlement and reintegration of returnees from Sudan.”

For his part, Nger Banguot, the speaker of the Unity State Transitional Legislative Assembly, applauded the governor's office and the entire cabinet for working tirelessly to ensure the people of Unity State receive the most urgent services. 

"Honourable members, let us together appreciate the Governor, his deputy and the entire cabinet for lifting and resetting the flood victims in the state, providing food and non-food items to the people of unity state, constructing dyke around Bentiu and Rubkona airstrip of Rubkona,” he said.

 The speaker also noted that the suffering of the people in Unity State is prolonged by the delay in clearing the Naam River and urged the parliamentarians to work together to ensure services are delivered effectively. 

Meanwhile, Yien Padiel Tut, an SPLM Party member representing Leer County, told Radio Tamazuj that his main agenda will be to identify the challenges facing the Leer community at the grassroots level.

"My role as a member of the parliament is only to identify as a youth, the needs of the youths.  We are now resuming. We should talk about how the youths of Unity State can work together. What we need is that the youths move together," Yien said.