February 25, 2020
Professor John Akech, Vice Chancellor
University of Juba
PO Box 80, Juba Road
Juba, South Sudan
Subject: Reinstatement of Professor Taban lo Liyong
Thursday, February 28, 2020 (PW) — Professor John Akech: We the undersigned sons and daughters of South Sudan condemn, in the strongest terms, your suspension of our venerable elder, Professor Taban lo Liyong without pay from the University of Juba. In a letter signed by Mr. Edward Lado Ayira, Director in the University’s Directorate of Human Resource Management, you directed the suspension of Prof. lo Liyong for writing an “open” letter to President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to South Sudan, Hon. Tibor P. Nagy, which was published in a recent issue of the Juba Monitor newspaper. The suspension letter asserts, without proof, that the article amounted to: (1) “Incitement of ethnic hatred”; and (2) “Bringing the name of the University of Juba into disrepute.”
Having read Professor lo Liyong’s open letter carefully, we find that the assertions given are without merit or basis, and amount to mere bullying and intimidation of a distinguished member of the U. of J. community. We elaborate our position as follows:
1. In his open letter, Professor lo Liyong forcefully expressed a crucially important issue of national concern namely, the need to abolish the 32/33 states created by presidential decree, and to revert to the original 10 states that were constitutionally recognized at the founding of South Sudan. He is not the first intellectual to raise this concern. You will recall that this issue has been the subject of vigorous discussions within and outside the university, in the country and in the region (IGAD) as a whole. As it turned out, President Salva Kiir Mayardit has recently issued a decree doing exactly that: reverting to the ten states as part of the reconciliation and peace-building process! Rather than support and defend intellectuals in the university community for boldly addressing this and other issues of national importance, you have shown antipathy toward Prof. Rachat tous types de véhicules utilitaires, camions, voitures légères, ambulances, voitures de taxi, autocars, tracteurs routiers, semi remorques: rachatvotrevoiture.com lo Liyong by suspending him without pay and depriving him of his source of income and livelihood for his family. This is wrong!
2. Professor lo Liyong wrote his open letter as a free citizen, articulating issues of national concern, and issues discussed and shared by many in the community. The open letter was not on the U. of J. stationery, nor was it addressed to anyone at the University. As a citizen, Professor lo Liyong was exercising his constitutionally-guaranteed right to self-expression. You might not like any, or even all, of the contents of his letter but you cannot punish him for exercising his right to free speech! Your claim of “incitement of ethnic hatred” simply has no leg to stand on. As Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, you do not have the authority to punish an employee for expressing his or her opinion – however offensive it might be to you – outside the University and in the media. You have not cited any statute of the University of Juba that gives you the authority to suspend a faculty member or any employee for expressing an opinion that is not addressed to the University or any member of the university community. Professor lo Liyong’s open letter was published by the Juba Monitor and is available to the public. Nobody in law enforcement or in the court of law has charged or convicted Prof. lo Liyong for inciting ethnic hatred.
3. Universities are the beacon of light in any society. Their principal role is to conduct and disseminate research, and educate and train a citizenry that is ultimately well-informed/enlightened and well-prepared to address society’s difficult challenges and engage in nation building.
4. It is the fundamental right of every member of a higher educational institution to exercise his/her academic freedom, by which we mean “the freedom of teachers and students to teach, study, and pursue knowledge and research without unreasonable interference or restriction from law, institutional regulations, or public pressure (https://www.britannica.com/topic/academic-freedom). It is within the framework of freedom of speech and expression that intellectuals engage in vigorous debates, dialogues, criticisms, etc. Stifling intellectual freedom impedes the generation and exchange of ideas and knowledge, which are crucial to advancing human progress.
5. Professor Taban lo Liyong is an intellectual luminary, not only at the University of Juba, but also on the global stage. He has published numerous novels in the African Writers Series, several articles in magazines, newspapers, etc. He has taught African Literature at the Universities of Nairobi, Papua New Guinea, and Venda (South Africa), among others. He devoted most of his academic work to the University of Juba out of deep commitment to, and love for, his people and country. Many of his former students are now his colleagues at the University of Juba and other institutions of higher learning, civil servants in the current Government of South Sudan, and employees and leaders in civil society and the private sector, among others. The intellectual community at the University of Juba and the Government of South Sudan should proudly celebrate Professor Taban lo Liyong’s lifetime achievements. He is a rare gift to the people of South Sudan!
6. Since the founding of the University of Juba in 1977, its faculty and students have enjoyed the intellectual freedom on campus. Students have debated political, social, and economic issues, expressed diverse viewpoints; they have disagreed strongly on certain themes, but still maintained a sense of civility. Meanwhile, faculty have debated critical issues pertinent to the running of the university and, when necessary, they have vehemently criticized the Government of South Sudan. You, yourself were an ardent critic of the Government before your appointment to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Northern Bahr El Ghazal. The freedom of speech or expression is a fundamental human right that the university should cherish rather than stifle.
By taking these actions, you will have not only made Professor lo Liyong whole, but you will have also helped restore the image and reputation of the University of Juba as the academic pillar in the country.
We are expressing these views as South Sudanese intellectuals (some of whom are alumni of the University of Juba) in the U.S. who are concerned about the increasing politicization of academic freedom at the University of Juba. We ask that you immediately rescind the suspension of Prof. lo Liyong, and reinstate him with full privileges, including back pay. You owe Prof. lo Liyong a public apology for this unfortunate action. Most importantly, we ask and expect that you make the necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of Prof. lo Liyong as he conducts his normal university duties.
Sincerely,
1. Benaiah Yongo-Bure (BA, Economics, Makerere University, Uganda; PhD, Dalhouse University, Canada)
Associate Professor, Kettering University, Flint, MI
2. Augustine A. Lado (B.Sc. Business Administration, University of Khartoum, Sudan; PhD, University of Memphis, TN) Interim Dean, David D. Reh School of Business, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
3. Scopas S. Poggo (B.Ed., University of Juba; PhD, History, University of California at Santa Barbara, CA) Associate Professor, African and African American Studies, Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH
4. Alex Sekwat (B.Sc., Business Administration, University of Khartoum; PhD, Public Administration, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
5. Henry Lejukole (B.S., Animal Sciences, University of Juba; Ph.D., Animal Breeding and Genetics, Kyoto University)
Research Scientist, NewLink Genetics, Ames, IA
6. Winnie Lejukole (B.S., Marketing; BA, Japanese; University of Iowa)
President, Kuku Community of North America (KCNA)
7. Urbe Y. Woli (B.S., Fisheries, University of Juba; PhD, University of New Mexico)
8. Benaiah N. Duku (B.A., Political Science & Anthropology, University of Khartoum; M.A., American University in Cairo)
9. Oliver Mogga (BA, International Relations, United States International University-Africa (USIU-A); Master of Professional Studies in International Development (MPS), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A; Masters of Education (M.Ed.), Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, U.S.A; PhD in Educational Administration, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, U.S.A
10. Raymond Terrell, Ed. D. Professor Emeritus Associate Dean College of Education, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
11. Oliver Tunda, BA International Affairs , George Washington University, Washington DC, MBA Strayer University, Washington DC.
12. Nelson Goyo Loponi (BA, Education/Math and Physics, University of Juba, South Sudan; MSc. Library and Information Studies, Loughborough of University of Technology, UK; MSc. Experimental Statistics, New Mexico State University, USA; MA. Education and Curriculum Development, New Mexico State University, USA; Chairman, Board of Directors, Kuku Community in North America, USA; Director, Relief Organization for South Sudan (ROSS), Southern Region, USA.
13. Robert Karaba (B.S. Organizational Administration, Miami University, Oxford, OH; M.S. Philosophy, Colorado State University, U.S.A; PhD, Educational Administration, Miami University, Oxford, OH, U.S.A Associate Professor, Chair Educational Leadership Dept. Interim Chair, Faculty Senate New Mexico Highlands University
14. Majura Selekwa (B.Sc. Eng., University of Dar es Salaam; M.Eng.Sc, University of New South Wales; Ph.D., Florida A&M University)
Associate Professor, North Dakota State University
15. Oliver Kenyi Yongule (BS, MSc. Computer Science, Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Moscow Russia; PhD. Information Assurance and Security, Moscow Power Institute, Moscow Russia) Sr. Software Architect, United States Marine Corps, US, Sr. Software Consultant, Quest Analytics, Kansas, US Executive Director, Network of Good Samaritans, Missouri US
16. Thomas Bundenthal (MA Political Science, University of Alabama)
Professor, Political Science. Solano College, Fairfield, California