Black-market fuel vending in Juba is so disgraceful to the image of South Sudan!
By Emmanuel Ariech Deng, Juba, South Sudan
August 10, 2016 (SSB) — Hmm! Dear readers, I have finally come out of the self-destructive events of late June and early July. It is inevitable to be in trauma without psychological counseling pertaining to the befallen catastrophe of late June and early July. However, the point of argument here is, the country administrators should honestly admit and stop the intransigency to support the vulnerable society.
It doesn’t make sense for the country to export oil and buy the oil expensively as evidently proven by roadside petrol vendors composed of women and children who do not even know the scientific hazard of the flammable liquid, but whose concern remains a way of earning a living with the danger petroleum being hidden in teapot places along the road for safety in the day time and in kitchen for safety in the night. What a kind of a Country!
The Maridi-Membe road petrol tanker explosion tragedy that claimed over hundred lives has not yet taught the petrol vendors’ lesson since it is a struggle between earning daily livings or else die by hunger. So the children and women selling petrol in plastic-water bottles along Juba roads have opted for death by tragedy than by hunger. The attempts made to stop roadside black market of diesel and petrol did not yield any fruit due to the involvement of high profiles into the fuel business dealings.
Where has the oil revenues disappeared to: individual pockets or national projects? There is no any significant national project in place and all we have seen is individual lucrative privatized companies, some of them run by foreigners and chaired or owned by the siblings of Country Executives and no roads, no affordable health centers, no genuine schools elsewhere apart from Juba and the public continued to suffer in the expense of their own leaders.
Why should we shame our own struggle for independence to recruit fierce criticism from the enemies of South Sudan’s progress?
I think it is time for the oil money beneficiaries to get satisfy and go for something more reasonable than personalizing everything coming in from national coffers. Your unlimited interest on yearly new branded cars, Hotel accommodations and frequent private foreign tours; do not benefit the country in any way but continue to keep our country in deplorable shape, a reality we both cannot refute.
Is it fair for a group who do not constitute ten percent of the country’s population to hold the rest of ninety percent hostages in their own country just for the groups to enjoy?
Other countries with no oil exploration in Africa and somewhere around the world lived a better life than we do with enough oil reserves and other valuable minerals, just for our ignorance to publically question the architects of self-actualization.
Our fertile land is another substance that can improve the livings of vulnerable if properly modernized but with rampant privatization of public funds, chances of mechanized agriculture will remains as pending projects until the coming of Jesus Christ.
The moment the country principals continue with the same spirit of pre-independence to post-independence, chances of peaceful state will be limited, the rising of conflicts will be endless and corruption will overcome the established systems that would even make it much more difficult to fight and re-establish the transparent working systems.
The concern authorities should bring to an end this despicable and embarrassing red plastic-bottles along the Juba road networks. In order to avoid another petrol tragedy in Juba and to also portray our country in a better image, we should not be oil exporting country and selling petroleum in black markets.
It is too shameful for oil operating companies in the country and the countries currently holding oil contracts with South Sudan. Even in countries of no oil reserves, petrol is not sold in the manner I have seen in Juba.
Those who encourage illegal ways of doing things just for their own benefits, should not be given way to strengthen their dirty deals and instead, should be dealt with properly and punished in the court of law to avoid over-repetition of the same style of acquiring wealth.
It will be too egregious if the Maridi petrol explosion tragedy could again be spared time to occur in Juba with daily increased vendors many of them from the villages who know nothing about the danger of the liquid itself.
The political turmoil in the country should not be used as an excuse of this danger of petroleum being stored in kitchens all over Juba residential areas. Juba city council and other collaborative authorities should immediately find a solution to this imminent catastrophic event.
Otherwise, the views expressed here entirely represent the writer opinion in regard to the petrol black market danger. I remain your part-time contributor for the issues of common concern.
The writer is a cognoscente (discerning expert in a special knowledge) and can be reached via ariechemmanuel2015@gmail.com
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