Northern Bahr El Gazahal puts ex-official on notice over debt claim against Governor

AWEIL – The Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Ministry of Information and Communication has issued a strongly worded warning to Michael Akol Wek, a former commissioner in the state Revenue Authority who served under the previous administration of Tong Aken Ngor.

In a statement seen by this outlet on Friday evening, the office of the Information Minister said Akol recently filed a lawsuit against Governor Simon Ober Mawut over alleged unpaid arrears.

According to Akol, the arrears stem from an agreement he claims to have made with Ober when the latter assumed the governorship in 2004. Akol alleges that he gave money to the governor with the expectation of being repaid, but says Ober has failed to honour the deal.

The ministry’s letter directs Akol to present documentation supporting his claims within 72 hours before the matter escalates into a formal legal case against the state government.

“This letter is an official response to the complaint you filed against the Governor, H.E. Simon Ober Mawut, for the non-payment of a debt,” the notice reads. “While you have the right to claim the amount allegedly owed to you, you are required to produce the relevant supporting documents within seventy-two hours.”

The statement warns that failure to provide the required evidence will prompt the state government to pursue legal action against Akol instead.

“Failure to provide this evidence within the specified time frame will compel the State Government to take the appropriate legal action against you for character assassination and defamation,” the ministry, through Information Minister Gabriel Deng Yel, stated.

This outlet has also reviewed social media posts by Akol, in which he claims Governor Ober ignored repeated attempts to resolve the matter, including calls and appeals made through elders of Aweil.

It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold once the 72-hour deadline expires.