South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Commissioner of Awerial County in Lakes State, Philip Mawut Garang, sat for the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) examinations on Monday, expressing his aspiration to attend university.
Mawut is one of 40,000 candidates taking their final secondary school exams across the country.
He is sitting his exams at Panekar Secondary School in Yirol town, where he is among other candidates for the first paper.
Unlike the other candidates, Mawut, an experienced political figure, is seeking further knowledge.
In an interview with the Dawn on Monday, he stated his intention to pursue a university course of his choice for personal growth.
“I am not going to stop anymore. I am proceeding to university immediately,” Mawut said.
A well-trained soldier who transitioned to politics in 2018, he aims to inspire his peers by emphasising that education has no age limit.
“I want to encourage our colleagues who have been busy with government duties and never had the time to complete their studies,” he added.
Capt. Mawut, who joined the liberation struggle in 2006, explained that he never had the opportunity to study due to his commitment to the liberation effort.
“After I joined the army, I was occupied with military operations and did not get a chance to return to my studies,” he said.
“Upon entering politics in 2018, I intended to resume my education in 2022, but I did not get the opportunity. This year, I made a decision earlier, and I joined the school in March.”
Mawut first served as Commissioner of Awerial South County on 14 May 2018 under the administration of Gen. Mangar Buong Aluenge, the governor of Eastern Lakes.
He was later reappointed as Commissioner of Awerial County in October 2022, succeeding Simon Jok Geng.
