Tributes to educationist Dr el Samani Abdalla Yaccoub, former Vice Chancellor of Juba University
President Kiir at the 18th graduation ceremony of the university of Juba, April 2015
TRIBUTE TO Dr EL SAMMANI ABDALLA YACCOUB AND APPRECIATION TO THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JUBA PROF. JOHN AKEC FOR RENOVATING SAMANI HALL
By Pesuech Arok Deng, Juba, South Sudan
Sunday, August 23, 2020 (PW) — On the 28th/4/1978, an air crash at malakal airport killed one of the best Sudanese scientific educationist Dr el Samani Abdalla Yaccoub, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, hence depriving Sudan and especially southern Sudan with the most dedicated son.
Dr Samani was on his way to Khartoum enroute to Cameroon to attend the meeting of Association of African Universities in which he had been elected as President making him the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba to hold the highest continental position. From Cameroon, he was about to attend African and international personalities on economic development in Bamako(Mali) on the invitation of former west German Chancellor Wille Brandt.
Dr Samani was born in Kosti and served as the second Vice Chancellor after first Vice chancellor Abdalla Tayyeb refused to come to Southern Sudan on the ground that Southern Sudanese were not fit to have secondary school leave alone University and to someone like himself can’t work in area with the names such as rujal mafi, lubas mafi and Atlabara.
University of Juba was established as a dividend of peace to Southern Sudanese After ending 17 years war leading to signing of popular Addis Ababa Accord on 27th/3/1972. Its prime role was to train southern Sudanese who were lagging behind in the Labour market since creation.
As southern Sudan was lacking teachers and doctors, Dr Samani initiated the establishment of College of Education and College of Medicine but the plane crash didn’t allow him to witness the first graduation of the seeds he sowed. Late Samani worked tirelessly to build the University of Juba and in a short time, he opened the university in the exact date mentioned in the calendar, a character revived by John Akec after 40 years.
It is to be recalled that Dr Samani promised that should the university of Juba failed to be open on a set date, he would eat his shoe. A commitment he fulfilled squarely by opening the University as scheduled. He worked for national peace and reconciliation in which he consolidated these ideals he died for. His love for southern Sudanese was unimaginable.
Dr Samani led a distinguished academic career. After lecturing in the University of Khartoum, he proceeded to Cairo as a visiting professor at the Middle East Centre for Radio isotopes before his appointment as the Vice Chancellor in 1976. He immensely worked hard to develop science not only in Sudan but in Africa and the world at large. He wrote several articles in international scientific journals on science, technology, economics and education.
History shows us that the airspace of South Sudan is not friendly to the most dedicated sons of this land. On the 12th/02/1998, the first SPLM “genius and strategist” Arok Thon Arok died in a plane crash in Sobat river with then vice president Zubair Mohammed Saleh. Arok was on a mission to tour their forces after signing the “Riek Machar bogus Khartoum agreement” of 1997. He helped established SPLM in 1983 before mediocres and selfish individuals occupied the mighty party three decades later.
Not only that, Dr John Garang perished in helicopter crash in Eastern Equatoria on the 30th/7/2005, my beloved community of Twic Mayardït lost their sons that’s, Dominic Dim and Dr Justin Yaac in a plane crash on the 2nd/5/2008, my beloved cousin Achol Makur et.al died in a plane crash on the 9th/9/2018 while governor of Lakes Makur Chagai died in a plane crash in 1985. The above personalities fought for the rights of South Sudanese in one way or another and their selfless contribution will be remembered in generations to come.
Late Samani had similar academics background and very good working style with the current vice Chancellor, prof. John Akec. He studied in Moscow state university and obtained his Msc degree in 1963 and PhD in physics in1968 while prof. John Akec obtained his Bsc degree in Applied physics from the University of Gezira(1985), Msc in System Engineering from the University of Cardiff(1992) and a PhD from Birmingham University (UK) (2000).
However, in 2018, prof. John Akec philosophy of “Changing the Face ” of the university landed on the renovation of Samani Hall, one of the magnificent building named after the famous Dr Samani in 1979 . The hall housed the first Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in 2005 but its structural condition was in near collapse.
Several seats got broken, a home to multiple lizards, bees and mosquitoes with a capacity of 300 students but Prof. Akec hardworking style renovated the hall to reach Harvard standard of lecture halls with an increase capacity of 400 students. Congratulations Prof. You have done your good work amidst difficult period and we hope to learn more from your excellent leadership.
Vice Chancellors of the University of Juba
Abdalla. Tayyeb (1975_1976)
Dr El Samani Abdalla (1976_1978)
Ab Al Rahman Abu Zayd (1978_1982)
Ab Ala’a Abdalla Osman. (1982_1987)
Mahmoud Musa Mahmoud. (1987_1991)
Mohammed Ahmed Ali. (1991_1997)
Zakariah Bashir Imam. (1997_2001)
Fathi Mohammed Khalifa. (2001_2002)
Babiker Ahmed Mohammed. (2002_2006)
Sabarino Farajalla. (2006_2009)
Agrey Abate. (2009_2014)
John Akec Apuoruot. (2014_ to date)
Chancellors of the University of Juba
Jaffer Mohammed Nimeri. (1975_1985)
Sawar el Dahab. (1985_1986)
Sadiq el Mahdi. (1986_1989)
Omar Ahmed el Bashir. (1989_2011)
Salva Kiir Mayardït. (2011_to-date)
The writer is reachable through dengfrancis111@gmail.com
WhatsApp 0920641444
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