By Akolde Nhiak Jinub,
(Gurtong Edited and Posted) -For the last six years of Southern Government existence, a lot have come and varnished with nothing significant for common man. And all has been said and sacrificed in the name of total liberation struggle from Arab north oppressors by SPLM appointees till today.
Some of these governors have siphoned millions from public coffers, and nobody anywhere has been caught red handed and made to vomit out what he/she has squandered as was promised by our President Gen. Kiir in his presentation during this same Governors Forum meeting of 2009 in Juba.
This year Governors Forum under the Theme: "Strengthening Decentralized Governance for Equitable Service Delivery and Sustainable Development in the Republic of South Sudan". Will this be felt by us public sure?
There is need for our President to have an institution that will be tasked to monitor and evaluate Governors in all ten states of the Republic of South Sudan.
But before I ponder on, allow me to register my appreciation to the most outstanding Governors in our beloved republic and on first rank in the list is Gov. Hon. Louis Lobong of Eastern Equatoria state for his tremendous great achievements and plans underway for our people of South Sudan in that region, the cradle of our determined and sturdy liberation struggle from 1955.
The Hon. Governor has demonstrated his ability as true nationalistic figure whose dreams and vision for South Sudan to economically stand on its own, and whom our President should stand up to applaud and support in all needs for his state there. His achievements point to his factual financial records adherence in accountability; transparency and viable tax institution that endeavor for earnings to benefit all of the state and South Sudan at large.
I was so much impressed when I saw his Finance Minister during first week of this month in her presentation to the State Assembly that her ministry has so far gathered SSP 17,000,000 million of local revenues in taxation just from Jan. --- Sept. 2011, which is beyond state projection of SSP 14,000,000 million annually which was budgeted for. This example alone tells a lot of the Governor will and desire for his people for Equitable Service Delivery & Sustainable Development.
It is in Eastern Equatoria where rule of law is being practiced as prescribed in the state constitution, Transitional Constitution of our Republic. It is in Eastern Equatoria that Legislative Assembly has legislate several bills such as Taxation & Revenues Act, Land & Survey Act, Audit Act, Telecommunications & postal Service Act, Public Service Act etc. Is Eastern Equatoria not the perfect state to be emulated by others!!? My Government and people of Eastern Equatoria, congratulations, you have got the government with talented Governor with his devoted and diligent staff to count on at all times of your needs. Please, give humble time and help when call for duty as your part as citizen of South Sudan.
Mr. President, give Hon. Louis Lobong all he needs as support from your leadership for him to deliver more, and I am very confident he would do just as expected.
The Second Governor on the list is Gov. Hon. Kuol Manyang Juuk. Hon. Kuol is known for his strong administrative character since united Arab Sudan period. He is an excellent mechanical engineer, who has trained and developed some of the Southern devoted engineers in our land. Kuol made it clear to his troubled region members of Parliament and executive that corruption and communal instigation have no space in Jonglei under his leadership and he meant it by sacking through Parliament State Assembly Speaker in 2009, Minister of Education and of late Pibor County commissioner, who by our scientific gesture, is involved directly or in directed in recent fateful tribal feuds and continued cattle rustling, and/or he could be accused of negligence to have had put down all that had cracked in his county, and which occurred at his close watch hence he deserves to be discharged of duty and later would be investigated to that effect.
Comrade Kuol, on the other hand has reformed the Civil Service sector with a motto of putting rightful civil servant in the right place. He brought in experienced and work oriented chaps from close horizons in South Sudan and aboard. This is also seen in Eastern Equatoria and nowhere else.
The third place would go to Western Equatoria Governor Hon. Joseph, who has endeavored on building state institution ministries and one which was opened in April 2011, a two storey building as Ministry of Finance, Trade and Industry. He helped fund Arrow boys, who defended their people along side our mighty SPLA troops against the world most vicious and notorious, aimless LRA mercenaries fighting President Museveni of Uganda. His latest depict of his true patriotic character was during Peter Sule rebellion, in which he coordinated with security and SPLA and Mr. Sule is today behind bar in Juba to answer what his malicious plans were and who he was to rebel against?
However, one thing that remains on the table of Hon. Governor is to have Munduri East county Commissioner, the SSNLA MP, County Administrators and all local authority members to be thoroughly investigated and if anyone is attached or involved in anyway, he/she would be held accountable for in court for charges of treason, saboteur and bustle to destabilize our region.
On my list of recognition for a job well done is Governor Hon. Rizik Zachariah of Western Bahr Ghazal state – Wau. Just as I was writing this piece, a wonderful constructed water plant glitters my view on Gurtong news. Hon. Zachariah has set and reformed better educational facilities in his state. It is Western Bahr Ghazal where Constitutional Development Funds have been made used of rightfully and I lauded all MPs from this state who are true to their people, and to whom I count on to challenge their other colleagues from other worse affected States of Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr Ghazal, Western Upper Nile (Unity), Upper Nile, Jonglei and Central Equatoria; who have done nothing with this CDF cash, but to have it in their obvious way of business in South Sudan today led by the executive from Juba to State – CDF from these states has ended up in graft practice.
But Hon. Governor Zachariah has to change the mentality of his Security service men, who ruthlessly have been involved in unscrupulous activities of harassing Journalists, being handy in dealing with school kids, encouraging north Sudanese Arabs merchants to trade at public expense, who are behind several moral decays portraying his state as place for prostitutes.
I have got tough words to other Governors whose names haven’t appeared up there and reasons are numerous and they know why they could not make it on my list as shown for recognition.
In Lakes state, where I come from, I would begin in brief, my Governor has had nothing to present to his President so that his colleagues can also listen to and be applauded for. This stems from lack of total service provision in his state, and which should begin with Health Care. The Only state Hospital here stands in pathetic situation. Patients go there to be laid on dry beds. Thanks Italian Government under their International Cooperation project to have renovated all old structures.
Education face is unspeakable to say the least. This institution has been wrecked by destructive demonstration just early September 2011 out of fury by Pupils of Rumbek Secondary school whose grievous issues were met by unprofessional way of dealing with matters. They went to Education office to query of what happened that their school is not reopening, to State Parliament, where they were told that Assembly has nothing to do with problems of students, and that they should go to where education ministry is or call Juba. And without other options and given childish minds, they destroyed what they should have not.
Of late, State Assembly committee on Public Account, Finance & Economic Development report of October 5th 2011 has found out that close to SSP 30,000,000 million has been embezzled or unaccounted for. Their finding did document about six areas of concern. The local revenues worth SSP 5,546,000 from Jan – June 2011, which is half of what was projected and budgeted for as SSP 11,000,000 in the state has no single document to show how it has been collected and deposited into state government account.
That the State Finance Ministry has arrears with other institutions for three months from Jan – March 2011 worth SSP 12,000,000 and has not been paid till this report found out in October 2011. Pension money of SSP 4,000,000 has neither documents showing where it is being banked nor the constitutional recognized Ministry of Labour, Public Service is an account holder. An amount of SSP 15,000,000 is missing between transfers from Juba to state and from state ministry of Finance to institutions in the capital and to counties.
Rule of law is feeble in Lakes state where the commissioner of Police has been bogged down by the executive and other groups known to Governor to keep in place old policies of not doing the right thing at the right time by the right person. In Police, people are still being detained unlawfully beyond 24 hours. Cases are not being independently investigated but marred by political interference, backing by those well-placed and common prejudice. The state during Hon. Governor Eng. Chol Tong has witnessed security incidents such as killing of innocent women and children, massive sectional killings during which close to thirty cattle youths butchered themselves in Alamtooc West of Rumbek East. The Rumbek centre and Cueibet counties cattle conflicts during March – June 2011 were too of not supposed to spill over.
There are no structural plans that state government is undertaking and if there are few spots here and there, they are just being erected to smear public question marks of why are things not being done like in Eastern Equatoria state, Jonglei, WES Yambio and WBGS – Wau.
The challenge now to all Governors of the ten states of the Republic of South Sudan remains to be seen of the pledges they made during last year’s elections that each one of them will provide equitable service delivery & development, Good governance, maintenance of security and rule of law, develop sustainable economic growth and Empowerment of youths for a better future. However, this is not the case with states such as Lakes State, where government sees youth and critics as opponents. Will this relationship nurture a way forward for development? Let’s wait and see.
There is an issue with Western Upper Nile state (not to be continually called Unity) with Governor Hon. Taban Deng, whose reign since SPLM government led has been tarnished by militia rebellious activities, unprecedented corruption, social disorder and political intimidations. There is always time for everything. Time is up for Gov. Hon. Taban. When I read International Crisis Group report of October 17th 2011, about South Sudan and Western Upper Nile in particular, I sensed that something is terribly wrong in this state and that a change has to happen there regardless of 2010 elections status of Hon. Governor Taban. President Kiir is obliged by Transitional Constitution to do something right away!
By the way, one thing that all Governors and SPLM post holders in RSS Juba and states should know is that not many of them did qualify to be elected, but South Sudanese public enthroned them into what they are today bragging around as public entrusted figures just to finish the last line of struggle and that they must bear in mind that public of South Sudan has a right to withdraw their cards from anyone not proven having a will and vision for this country and her people, which is the case with Taban & Chol Tong.
Governor Hon. Paul Malong of NBGS is as well not doing good either in Aweil, but rather exercising tyranny kind of leadership style and of late he is arresting even government appointed Anti-Corruption figures or MPs who are speaking out against graft practices. Governor Hon. Clement Konga is indulging himself in petty graft of resources in what is today RSS and CES city.
The latest episode is donors wary of their money that has long been misappropriated and this call isn’t loud and clear, but it is mounting. The former Joint Donor body leader before leaving Juba echoed this call. UNSGSR and UNMISS boss Hilde Johnson and UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande have been vocal enough about this devil called corruption.
Have they made themselves heard enough, yes they are. Are there any effects that these well known representatives from international community and UN call on our land and government!??
Be the judge.
Mr. President Gen. Kiir, I beg your honourable to design a gold medal and to organize Award festival for the best performer Governors so that next year during the forum, these Awards are given to those governors who did what it takes for such rewards.
Remember Governors, we on computers writing daily will be the same to write of legacies either bad or good whether you like it or not.
Akolde Nhiak Jinub lives in Rumbek RSS.