By Ater Yuot R. Amogpai
Agriculturist and University Servant
Yuot Riak
the last born of Mr. Riak Amocepei and Mrs. Ipuoc Madat was a brother to Pilot and Police
Officer Mathew Madding Riak. He was born in 1945 in Aluakluak Village, Yirol,
Lakes District, Bahr el Ghazal and was baptized by name Henry in school. He
started his education in Akot Elementary School (1958-1962), Tonj Intermediate
School (1962-1966), he entered Rumbek Secondary School(1966-1970). He was
admitted to University of Juba by 1980 where he graduated with Bachelor of
Science (Honors) at the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
(Crop Science) in 1986.
He
started working as agricultural officer in Agricultural Research’s
Sachem Sinnar from
1971 to 1976. Then he served in various positions in South Sudan: from 1976 to
1980 he served as Agriculture Assistance, Seed Programme for Program Development Unit
(PDU) funded by the World Bank, Western Equatoria, Yei. He served as agricultural
inspector at the Ministry of Agricultural and Animal Resources in the regional
government of Western Barh El Ghazal State Wau, from 1989 to 1991. And from
1991 to 1993 he served as first-commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation
Commission (RRC), Wau.
When University
of Bahr el Ghazal established in 1991 he joined the University by 1993 as a
deputy director for Investment and Agricultural Production. By 1997 he was
attached to University of Upper Nile,another new established university as
Director for Investment Projects in Renk Upper Nile State. He returned to
University of Bahr el Ghzaal as Director for Investment from 2003 to 2017.
Mr. Henry
invested his time on his children, three boys and one girl and all are
university graduates. He used to tell his children Iwill support your education
up to university level. Indeed, he did fulfill what he said. He was a great
coach, he was closely following the performance of his children in schools. He used
to visit the class of each of his children to get feedback. His leadership will
continue beyond his family because he believes good leadership starts at home.
He has prepared his children for tomorrow leaders.
His wife
Alak Maguen did not go to school but she was the one monitoring and put their
children into schools. He taught his beloved wife that at seven year a child
must be put into school, she understood the lesson and did it properly. He used
to teach his children and he made himself as their private teacher at home. He start
with his elder son Dr. Ater YuotRiak (Ph.D.) who in turn became a teacher to
his younger brothers and sister. His children are always at top ten in their
classes in the school. This has taught his children that sharing a little
knowledge you have with others is a great achievement. Now his elder son Mr.
Ater YuotRiak is a university professor.
Mr. Henry Yuot has contributed
in struggle too, he joined Anyanya Movement in 1965-1967 together with other young
South Sudanese students from Rumbek Secondary School. In the bush, arrangement
was made that some of them should go back to school and the rest would remain
to continue struggle in the bush. Uncle. General Andrew Makur Thow was among who
remain in the bush and Mr. Henry Yuot with the rest found their way to Rumbek
Secondary School in Omdurman.
Some of
his common statements when chatting with his children are as follows:
–
Thank your God in good and praise his name in bad,
because everything happens according to his will
–
You shall not covet, meaning that you shall not
desire other’s people properties that not belong to you
–
Put your mind and your heart on your little property
you have and make effort to make it bigger
–
Acquire knowledge, it is a key to all successes
–
Marry a good girl from a good family.
He used
to say he doesn’t want to get sick that could bother others specially his
children. Indeed he died suddenly with heart failure on June 6, 2017 at his
home in Wau. He was buried at his home town Yirol on June 9, 2017. His Full Name
Henry Yuot Raik Amocepei.
Ater Yuot Riak (Ph.D.)
