The Rust of Words ( a Novel )
8 min readBy David Aoloch Bion
Chapter Five
As the Republic had to start from the scrap after the war, the Chief Servant announced 200 Day Programs to deliver the services to the people. Under them “Everything is the priority number One ”. Billions of pounds had been approved by council of Servants chaired by the Chief to achieve the Programs. The programs include projects like, one mobile hospital on the River Nile, Renovation of the three universities, construction of 200 primary schools and 60 secondary schools, construction of 20 referral hospitals, roads, bridges and so forth .
The advertisement for bidding was announced in the newspapers and radio stations. The registered companies applied to carry out the implementation of the programs.
The Programs was then a Satan-given, lucrative chance of embezzling of funds by both the public Servants and the companies. All the contracts of roads, bridges, secondary and primary schools, universities, hospitals, airports were awarded to different companies. All these companies had registered but did not exist physically; they are imaginary companies – briefcase companies. They were carried in the bags.
Directors of these companies go to the bank, make illegal deals with the bank managers , so the bank forged accounts for them . They wrote a bank statement with bulky money in the account, when actually the account has no single coin in it. The Director would promise to bank official that when the deal succeed and the government gives the money, he would give him a share of double digit percent .
On the other hand, when the public Servant is negotiating the contract with company, he would make illegal deal with manager to falsify the amount of the money. If the exact money of the project is 50 million pounds, the Servant add 10 million into the project fund and the money is transferred to the company , from there , the Director of company deposits 10 million pounds to the personal account of the Servant . The Servant would give the manager a percent of share too. Under these Programs, more than hundred projects were launched across the country, ranging from the supplies of medicine to feeding of students both at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Billions of pounds were released to two hundred fifty different companies.
At the end of the period, the companies were reporting back to the various Departments where they signed the contract with, especially the Finance.
The company contracted by Transport to construct the Airport in city submitted its report of the progress of the work.
At the signing of the contract, it was quoted that 250 million Dollars would complete the airport .it did not finish with that money . So the company requested another 100 million Dollars to finish the work. The Servant in Charge of transport approved the money. He forwarded the approval to Finance;
The Director went to Finance; he gave two documents to James Majok. One was the report of 250 million he took, the another was the new request of 100 million Dollars .
Majok reads the two documents, the report and the request. He found that the report was of 200 million Dollars which contradict the cheque , he had recorded 250 million Dollars .he asked .
“Why is it that 200 million Dollars, you spent not 250 as it is in the original cheque?”
‘’ Really, you gave us 200 million Dollars, isn’t it “’ he answered
‘’ Are you sure? You took 250 million Dollars. Why did you make the report of 200 million instead of 250 million, you took?’’
‘’ you gave us 200 million .
‘’ I think , There is a mistake in this report, so I could you allow me to go back and correct it ‘’
‘’ no, not , let me go and inform my boss’’
Majok went to the Servant , he narrated what had happened . He summoned the Director.
‘’ Why is it that you took 250 million Dollars and you make a report of 200 million ?’’ asked the Servant.
‘’ I think that was a mistake, so could you allow me to go and correct it ‘’
‘’ I will not do that., how would you make such huge blunder ?’’
The Director found himself in flounder. He begged the Servant to allow him to go back to his office to find out what happen in the report. The Servant rejected that .he said.
“I am afraid not, you can’t leave my office before explaining to me where is 50 million in your reports?”
“Give me an hour”
“Absolutely not”
“Please sir”
The Servant in Charge of Finance called in the police; the Director was arrested. At the police he was questioned.
“Could you please introduce yourself sir” asked the police officer
“I am director of the company that upgrades the Airport” said he
‘’Finance Department said you have signed a contract of 250 million Dollars and in your report said, you spent 200 million pounds, can you explain that deficit in your report?
“Honestly, when we were negotiating the contract with him, we agreed that, the airport would be upgraded with ceiling of 200 million. Before we signed the contract, he said that I should add 50 million Dollars as his. So I did as he said, after I had withdrawn the money from the central bank, I had to pay 50 million to his personal account as we agreed”
‘’ Who told you to add 50 million?’’
‘’The Servant in Charge of Finance ‘’
“Was that not a fraud?”
“I am deeply sorry”
At time, the Servant in Charge of transport learned of the arrest of director, he called the Servant in Charge of Finance; they discussed the matter over the phone. On the following day, the Servant came to finance, they discussed again; the Servant wrote the letter to the police and the director was released without any charges and the case was cancelled.
After the Director was released , the Servant asked why did you leave out 50 million the report
‘’Oh , my God , it is excruciating mistake ‘’ the Director said .
The company that was contracted to supply the hospitals with equipments and medicine submitted it report too, however, there were no such items in the hospital , because the directors at hospitals took expensive medicine into their private pharmacies and clinics . .
After three days, a pharmacist was arrested by selling drugs in box marked with Department of Health logo . He was asked by the Police.
“Where did you get this medicine with label of Health logo?”
“My boss brought them”
“Who is boss?”
“My boss is Phillip,
‘’ Who is Philip ?’’
‘’He is the director of Napata Hospital, the main public hospital”
Phillip was also arrested. The Servant in Charge of Health was his brother-in-law so he intervened, everything was discussed at higher level and Philip was released without charges.
The director of the company contracted to renovate the university submitted its reports. The universities were not renovated; they just painted the walls and the roofs of the building only , The Chief Servant refused to unveil the university after renovation . He walked away before he cut the ribbon because of poor work by the company that took 19 million Dollars .
A company contracted to supply food to the university in the city submitted it reports . The amount of money it needed was high. Majok received the reports and asked .
“How many times did you provide a meal to university a day?” Majok asked.
“I provide meals three times a day?” said the director
“What kind of food that cost such this huge sum of money?”
“I provide chicken three times a week”
“I doubt this claims , if I go to university, and I ask the students , they will not tell me that you supply chicken three times a week , you just fake the receipt so that you get the money, tell me , exactly . How did you use the money?
‘’ I use the money to buy chicken”
“Even at your own home, you can’t eat chicken three times a week; you just say I need money” Majok laughed
“What is your problem? Is it your money or government? I must eat this country until I spit out uneatable cherries and no one will ask me ” the Director said
“I don’t envisage how this Republic will flourish. Every man place money above his patriotism. Worst of all, every man is corrupt and irrational ‘’
Half a year passed, however, the director of the company contracted to build the Mobile Hospital on the River Nile never submitted any report of the money, he took. Majok searched the company, but he didn’t get any physical office or the official who worked in that company. The file in the registrar of the companies at Department of Justice is shown it exist but it location is not known and could be traced.
Indeed, thousand of the companies registered are non-existence. The companies were organized scam by criminals, who pay the money to Justice to register them so they could get government contracts.
James Majok went to the Servant..
“Sir, all companies which were contracted by the government on the 200 Day Programs have not done work, aren’t they?” Majok asked.
“What is your problem? , get out of my office” he ordered the Servant .
The Rust of Words is the story of reforms and transformation from bad governance to good governance in the Republic of Sudd. It is the story of poet James Majok , who inspired 2nd Uncle , the Chief Servant of the Republic , to reform and transform his corrupted, dysfunctional system of governance.
Billions of dollars from oil revenues were stolen by 75 servants from public funds in the period of six years.
As the result of such embezzlement of fund, there were no roads, schools, hospitals across the country. Worse of all the country imported food from neighbouring countries.
An inspiration of reform comes to Chief Servant, when Majok reads the poem on the 7th anniversary of independence. The poem indicted the Chief and his Administration
In his response to the poem, the Chief begins the needed reforms. In the series of reforms, the corrupt Servants in the government were arrested, tried and executed for corruption.
The Chief justified his action by saying he was following what is written in the book, a book which was not seen by anyone since its publication but he harangues that every citizen must read it.
In order to purify the rusted thought of the people. He formed a committee of 600 intellectuals, led by the state Philosopher Peter Gatluak, to modify the language in order to perfect the thought; they invent new words to purify the language in order to purify the thought of the people. Many rusted words in the language were destroyed.
70 years later, after the radical reforms, the society becomes just, prosperous. There was no man or woman committing a crime,
In celebrating hundred anniversary of the Reformation, the Republic abolishes department of police and the faculties of Law at all Universities across the country because law and police become irrelevant in the just society.
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