Gola Boyoi Gola, Chief Administrator, Greater Pibor Administrative Area. [Photo: Courtesy]JUBA – The Office of the Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has accused the Commissioner of Kapoeta North County in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State of plagiarising Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi Gola’s Independence Day message and demanded a public apology.
In a statement issued by Acting Press Secretary Alan Nyachiigak Ngachiluk, the GPAA administration alleged that its official Independence Day statement was copied, edited, and republished on the official Facebook page of the Office of the Commissioner of Kapoeta North County as though it had been authored by Commissioner David Nayee Lomor.
According to the statement, the original publication was altered by replacing Gola’s photograph and name with those of the commissioner while leaving the rest of the text unchanged.
“The original poster was re-edited by replacing the image and name of the Chief Administrator with those of the Commissioner, while the statement remained the same,” the statement said.
It further alleged that the edited version was shared on the commissioner’s official Facebook page under the title: “A strong message from the Commissioner of Kapoeta North County Hon. David Nayee Lomor to the people of Greater Kapoeta and the country at large for Independence Day.”
The GPAA administration described the incident as a deliberate act of plagiarism rather than an editorial error.
“This act of copy and pasting reflects a lack of originality and integrity. This is not a simple mistake but an intentional act of plagiarism,” the statement said.
“If the Commissioner feels the need to issue a statement or message, he should do so in his own words. Stealing and lying to the public about the originality of the statement is a serious offence under the laws of South Sudan,” it added.
The office further claimed the alleged plagiarism was intended to undermine the reputation of Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi Gola.
“We know that these actions are clearly targeted and intended to disrespect and tarnish the reputation of the Chief Administrator, H.E. Gola Boyoi Gola,” the statement said.
The GPAA called on Commissioner Lomor to review the performance of his communications team, accept responsibility for the incident, and publicly apologise.
“Hon. David Nayee Lomor should evaluate his communication team, take responsibility, and issue a public apology to the Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area,” the statement said.
The Office of the Commissioner of Kapoeta North County had not publicly responded to the allegations by the time of publication.
