Thousands of Fake Academic Documents Pouring into South Sudan
By Peter Chol Duom
February 16, 2015 (SSB) — Weird things are happening in our country due to economic, social and political reason. In south Sudan, you find certain groups of people busy always with underground economy (or black market) trying to fake a living. Dealers are everywhere in Juba and in particular in the fuel stations, forex bureaus, commercial banks, and Central bank. None of these dealers is licensed by Central Equatoria government or National government. The same style used by those workers in the fuel stations, forex bureaus, commercial banks, and central bank has been copied by academic wounded individuals trying to leap-frog into higher education system without passing through primary/secondary education. There is a saying that “man made money and money made man mad”. Most universities within and in foreign countries are money-minded to extend they couldn’t see documents that qualifies a student for admission into the university.
Some universities have opened branches in Juba and in some other States and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology is watching the drama. Where is the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) which was formed by the former Minister of Higher Education Hon. Dr. Adwok Nyaba? What is the role of NCHE in regard to these fake universities which are admitting primary/secondary school dropouts? I call these Institutions fake because they are not trustworthy in admitting students. Imagine if former Minister of education Dr. Adwok Nyaba would have not closed down 22 private universities in 2012, how many universities do think by this time? I think more than 80 private universities could have been operating today. I thank Dr. Adwok Nyaba for publishing the list of 22 fake universities during his time.
We must admit that higher education is expensive and only public funding can afford the kind of infrastructure most universities require to function satisfactorily such as labs, well stocked libraries, and research and training facilities. We better equip these five public universities (Juba University, Bahr el Ghazal University, Upper Nile University, Dr. John Garang University and Rumbek University) to meet the international standard. We can also open branches of these five public universities in some of the States that do not have Institutes or colleges.
The total number of students in public universities in South Sudan is less than 38,000 thousands. This is a small number compare to other public universities in foreign countries. In Egypt, Cairo University is admitting over 80,000 students every year, Makerere University in Uganda is admitting over 40,000 students every year, Nairobi University in Kenya is admitting over 20,000 students every year, Dar el Salaam University in Tanzania is admitting over 15,000 students every year. The list is long. So why do South Sudan fails to admit a number less than 5,000 to public universities?
My message to the Ministry of Higher Education is that, they should regulate these mobile fake universities or else close them down. The ministry should read the minds of her citizens. They citizens of this country are power and education hungry. Everybody wanted to have a framed gong picture hung on the wall of his/her house so that family members and visitors can watch. The government of South Sudan is hammering herself because most of students in these fake mobile universities are government officials and army generals. Do you think semi-literate graduates from these universities will make any change in public institutions? Of course the answer is YES or big NO.
Our country will be peaceful when 50-60% of country population is educated. But the type of education our country men and women are getting will contribute less or nothing to our country.
Where is our country heading to? When there is shortage of fuel, people go for black market; when there is shortage of dollar in commercial banks, bankers go for black market; when government and the world talk of high illiterate rate in South Sudan, we want to leap-frog into tertiary education. Well, I am not against where and how you are acquiring your education. Go ahead and fill the basket but don’t fill it with rotten cabbage. David Lloyd George said: “The most dangerous thing in the world is to try to leap a chasm in two jumps”. So, shortcuts are the most dangerous ways.
Oh God, bless South Sudan!!
The views expressed above are solely the opinions of the writer and not linked to any group. I can be reached at duompiriit@gmail.com
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