Disaster Funds under the Care of Suspicious Jonglei Administration
By Malith Alier, Juba
I first of all salute esteemed readers of my articles on the blog. I have been off view for over two weeks because of some reasons including an unfortunate accident on the 23rd of September that landed me in conflict with the law. However, God is great, the accident with the potential to kill didn’t cause great bodily harm and I am greatly thankful to almighty God for saving the situation.
That aside, the political events in Jonglei leading to the sacking of the minister of cabinet affairs, Mr. Gai Riem did not come as a surprise. Many of my articles about Jonglei foretold such events like this corruption on a grand scale never witnessed before in that embattled State. For what do you expect of the composition of an administration devoid of reality on the ground.
Some important changes that no one seems to heed included the current running rebellion. The second most important other reason is the creation of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) which virtually partitioned the South Sudan largest State into two independent States ending the designation. The theft of SSP 3 million is just a tip of iceberg. More will surely come.
Sudantribune.com of 4th October reported that the State Acting or Caretaker Governor failed to take proper care of State affairs leading to loss of recovery funds to the tune of the above mentioned sum. Let it be recalled that Jonglei State Council of Ministers approached the central government in Juba to borrow money to pay former MPs allowances and pensions from 2005 to 2010. Those MPs included the current serving MPs like Judi Jonglei and colleagues. The amount requested is just shy of SSP 2 million on top of the squandered sum.
There was a church quarrel about twelve years ago when one clergyman who was sent to solve the dispute told everyone involved that they must all shut up because no one among those involved has any truth in them.
This is the same message one would like to tell John Koang who presided over the scandal. There is a conga line of those who stand to benefit from this scandal. On top is the acting governor, don’t even call him a State caretaker governor because he shown that he takes care of himself and some ministers. Next in line is the deputy governor, minister of finance, minister of cabinet affairs who is Gai Riem and finally minister of information. The list of colluders may be long.
To help Jonglei as early as now it needs intervention of the Kiir led government in Juba. The following is the possible solution;
1. Sack the whole administration of Jonglei and appoint a fresh Caretaker Governor
2. Send those who belong to GPAA to Pibor as they are warming the seats in Bor for nothing
3. Arrest Gai Riem if he has not yet joined the rebels to fully account for misappropriated recovery funds.
The above steps are crucial in order to putting back Jonglei on the right track. No one in their right mind expects jackals and hyenas to take care of remnants of goats and sheep left behind by other hyenas.
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