By: Angelo Achuil
Although not many Southerners know what post CPA condition would be like, one thing is virtually clear for most Southerners – We are separating from the Islamic North in 2011! Separation means physical development in the South, freedom from constant Arabs’ intimidation and contempt, freedom of expression and press, Christians to be free from forced Quranic constitution and conduct, and the women to have all their due rights including being judges and campaigning for presidency. These are the major interests associated with separation, and people surely will get what they wish for –doesn’t matter how long. Voting for unity only means that the hope for all the above will not happen. And if these don’t happen, there will be mistrust followed by unrest all over Sudan.
Secession which is only eleven (11) months away is something nearly 100% sure for most Southerners considering the current tone of the Southern civilians and politicians – one only needs to read the news or conduct interviews. The concern as to whether the North would rigs the referendum is no longer the key question (it is expected). It is expected that Juba- South by hook and crook would do what it possibly can to secure votes that guarantee separation whereas Khartoum would do what it can to influence the available data to make it reflects what suit their hope –unity (Enable the North to keep using Southern resources and people for Northern advantage). Both sides have the ability to manipulate the referendum results to suit each of their desperate specific hope. Juba has the people and Khartoum with data to determine separation or unity– what matters? Time will tells.
GOSS Challenge After 2011
SPLM leadership however will face greater pressure than never before when secession is secured. Now, people are pointing fingers to the North as the cause for all the problems in the South which is quite true only that it is a little over exaggerated. As of now, SPLM can easily make Southerners unanimously get angry at the North as the reason as to why there is no enough clean drinking in Southern Warrap State, why there are no functional health centers in northern Jonglei State and Unity, why there are no better schools in Upper Nile State, and why there is no reliable civilian protection in Western Equatoria State. It’s all the North’s fault, the North, that old enemy who hates us can reasonably makes a good answer for why the Unity and Warrap States are regularly butchering each other in the swamp over cows.
It is the North who knows exactly who is continually eating veterans’ money, and why many GOSS (Government of Southern Sudan) senior officials (County Level to Juba Level) are never held accountable when they are regularly stealing (using what does not rightly belong to you without permission) from the public. How can one go to the governor who steals and say, by the way, why did you sent 15,000 pounds of State money to your friend in Honolulu last week which was yours?
Asking such a question as a staff could means the end of your job; only God in his own ways can reach these intimidating thieves for change of hearts or punishment– For now, the easy answer for all our problem is: Oooh, the Arab had confused us, made us hate and kill each other by buying off our own people to undermine us. They continue to manipulate our rightful share of oil money, and on and on… This kind of attitude or answer however does not and will never help the people because it only demobilizes them – making them completely weak and hopeless to solve the problems on their own. A friend said, “If there is a problem you can’t do anything about, then it isn’t your problem” – meaning if you truly have a problem, you surly will have to do something about it, so talk about what you can do something about and leave what you can’t. We have plenty of those who think they can’t do something about anything. They complain and when you call them to come abroad or give better options, they can’t, we all do this at times.
The truth of the matter is that SPLM will have to measure up beyond this kind of the game after 2011 because to become a responsible government, GOSS will and must have to provide basic services – clean water, better health services, better school opportunities, security, roads, and electricity. Why only these? These are the ones common civilians in villages need just get a long in life. They are necessary for the educated and uneducated to feel “Aaah feeling” – Aaah, this is it! This was the good stuff we fought for so long just to get them. No more of taking mothers and sisters to Khartoum to get yellow fever injection and surgery. When the South is independent and these basic services are available, the civilians and the world can then congratulate and defend GOSS’ ability to perform as a legitimate government.
If however these services fail, esp. the first 4 in the list, GOSS or SPLM would more likely be in its worst state since its kick off in 1983. People’s hearts would fail and they would begin to feel sorry about separating from the North. They would say that may be the rumor that we were better off in the hands of Arabs was right and begin to believe it. After all, each person would say, surely what can a person do with a government that can’t provide the basics -101? Who can be proud of leaders who push the blinds off the road, rob veterans of their pay for personal investment, lock up the widows to make them quite, and sold the children for a pair of slippers?1 After 2011, people demand for an administration that does the works, not just talking the talk.
People in the counties knows who is doing what in the communities be it NGO or GOSS2. If after 2011, GOSS continue to underperform like now, it will NOT be acceptable and the former excuses will not work anymore. There will be no one willing to listen to stories about Arabs being the ones responsible for our post -CPA failures.
One great attribute of a true government is a government that accepts its fault. When you are the leader of any given administration, it is imperative that you learn to accept that whatever goes wrong in your leadership is your fault.3 Most Southerners are sick and tired of the blame game over the last three decades. All of us are complaining and grumbling at every turn. It is not me but the Commissioner, heey, the governor started so I did it too. By the way, it is not me alone stealing – do you truly think it started here, everybody beginning in Juba does a little pocket work monthly, so why shouldn’t I? Should I choose to be the foolish one -being the only one outside the game of deceit?
How can I survive if I don’t do a little evil (lying, stealing, and using public assets to gain favors) once in a while? This is the blame game model, and the last question is what many struggle with.
Jesus somewhere in the scripture posed a profound question about this topic. “If you cannot be trusted with the goods of this world, how can you possibly be trusted with heavenly ones?”
It is very hard to be in charge of a lot of money/material goods and remain with your integrity. For few, integrity means more than goods and therefore remains true to the end by investing in people- putting the need of the community first. And this is held in tack by having professional auditors who can be brutally honest to the leader about his performance (not a bunch of flatterers). This is when people begin to understand the need to identify oneself with a nation, not just the village.
Anecdote
(1) If GOSS can (which is achievable) surely establish reliable water, health, school, security, road, and electricity services after 2011, then it have two options. (1) Change its current senior officials recruitment policy or (2) Establish auditors’ team (70= 7 each State) with working powers to impeach even the president in the evens of office abuse.
(1) however is a little too optimistic considering the fact that the current leadership does not value education enough in recruitment, for example the current 2010 election campaign does NOT require candidates to produce even a copy of high school certificate for State legislative assembly or MPs (Member of Parliament). What does this mean for the nation? This low standard of selection only means one thing –there will NOT be a lot of change. Your own village (ruins of war) will virtually remain the same for as long as these people stay in power and one may ask, what is wrong with the villages remaining the same? This means people will flee to the North or fight again in search of a better government that works. To change the current leadership paradigm will require serious decision that will hurt a lot of people before the nation would heal and join the journey to progress.
(2) for GOSS is to create a group of auditors who would hold everybody (Boma Administrator – GOSS President) accountable for whatever government asset they receives. Auditors would devise a working strategy - tracking and verification documents/practices (NGOs can teach GOSS auditors how to do it well) which will make it difficult to steal from the government just as it is very difficult to steal NGOs’ money and remain unnoticed.
Auditors like Anti-corruption people need to report only to the President and to the Parliament. And to be effective the current Anti – corruption commission must have power to fire (people) up to the level governors, and with the auditors, have protection and mobility as their work necessitates.
The work of Auditors is audit (inspect) the work of Anti-corruption twice a year (June & December). Audit’s finding and recommendation must be taken seriously, repeated serious mistake leads to job termination since the person refuse to learn. Auditors (need to undergo 7 weeks of intensive auditing training) will help GOSS how to tract money for example from Khartoum through Juba via specific ministry to the last salary recipient in a specific Boma.
The auditors would randomly choose specific ministries and step by step from GOSS to Boma level confirming exactly how much money (exact figures) was dispensed by whom, when, where, date, signed and the same for the recipient- every single pound be accounted for- each expense must have a pay slip or a receipt! Any government money used without a pay slip or a receipt to reconcile expenses must be paid by the buyer (one who used the money). These receipts are then send to Juba to Anti-corruption Commission’s office.
If GOSS will be in better shape to hold S. Sudan together after 2011 then one of these options must be implemented immediately. People want a government that works (not just talk) for them. If SPLM does the work above, then Southerners will remain true to its leadership to the end, but if not, may God help us.