South Sudan: Prof. John Akec is a Leader Who Comes Once in a Generation

By Malek Arol Dhieu, Juba, South Sudan

Sunday, 10 March 2024 (PW) — In the years leading up to 2014, the University of Juba had become a haven for squirrels, snakes, rats, bats, termites, birds, and other small creatures that should reside in a game reserve, not a university. The area now occupied by the French Institute was a lush grazing ground for cattle, a small swampy paradise. The garage and Department of Animal Production were overgrown thickets that served as impromptu restrooms.

Until 2017, Al Samani Hall was both a lecture hall and a beehive. A massive swarm of bees guarded the main entrance, chasing away students and lecturers to conduct their own lectures. Bats would interrupt afternoon classes as they emerged from offices and halls, flushing people with their pungent urine.

If students forgot handouts in the lecture halls, they would find them shredded the next morning, thoroughly chopped by rats as if smeared with peanut paste. There were not enough toilets, and the few available were hellish. If nature called during a lecture, one would have to remain outside for nearly 30 minutes to let the stench dissipate. The entire university resembled an abandoned building.

Student registration occurred at the college level, allowing Deans to sharpen their teeth of corruption yearly. The academic calendar fluctuated like the economic crisis, with a 4-year course taking 6 or 7 years, a 5-year course taking 8 or 9, and a 6-year course lasting 10 or 11 years.

The university laboratories housed toxic 1980s apparatuses and reagents unfit for use in the 2000s. The library was filled with antiquated books, resulting in a jarring mismatch between the editions used in class and those available, an expensive joke indeed!

With Prof. John Akec’s appointment in 2014, he realized that relying on government handouts was a waste of time. He centralized the administration to pave the way for change. Tuition fees that used to disappear at the college level were now channeled into the university’s account, leaving corrupt academics salivating but unable to quench their thirst for money.

He raised tuition fees and expanded private admissions to generate more revenue. With meager funds, he began beautifying the university. Lecture halls were renovated and new ones built. Toilets were refurbished and new ones constructed.

The library received a transfusion of up-to-date books, and American and Japanese Corners were established to provide students with necessary scholastic materials. The then 12-College University of Juba expanded into a vast university with nearly 20 Schools.

Electricity and WiFi were installed to facilitate Zoom lectures and internet access for students. Benches were placed throughout the campus to accommodate students between lectures. The formerly neglected Custom Campus area was transformed into a well-demarcated space with impressive new halls.

Throughout my seven years at the University of Juba, I have observed Prof. John Akec from various angles – first as a mere student, then as the President of the Juba University Medical Students’ Association, working within his shadow. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he appointed me to the University’s COVID-19 Task Force Technical Committee, bringing us even closer and allowing me to witness his dedication to service delivery firsthand.

In South Sudan, few leaders can transform a chaotic system and establish a new one. When universities closed during the pandemic, he fought tirelessly, drafting Plans A through E to reopen the University of Juba. He continuously raised tuition fees, partly to pressure the government to release funds and partly to sustain the university’s operations.

When salaries were delayed, he paid lecturers from the university’s coffers. If the government took advantage of this, he would organize peaceful protests to demand the release of funds. He augmented and improved Postgraduate Programs and initiated Evening Class Programs.

International ties between the University of Juba and other African and global universities were reinvigorated and strengthened, opening doors for MOUs, donations, scholarships, and mutual benefits. This earned the university a ranking.

I cannot recall all of Prof. Akec Apuruot’s achievements, for I am only human. Before becoming Vice-Chancellor, he was an ordinary person. If some issues remain unresolved, it is because he is human. Even Jesus Christ, in his 33-year life, left burning issues unsolved, and we know he is the Son of God.

To me, Prof. John Akec was more than a Vice-Chancellor; he was a citizen with South Sudan imprinted on his heart. He fought battles beyond his role as VC. As president of the small nation within the larger one – the University of Juba – he saved the Sudd Wetlands and university land from public property vultures. He was more than a VC, and I pray God grants him another significant opportunity.

To the new VC, Prof. Robert Mayom, a twin brother to Prof. John Akec, I recommend shedding more light on examination setting, marking, entering, and releasing academic results. There appears to be manipulation and examination leakage. Some examinations are substandard, while others are overstandard, suggesting a lack of oversight from examination panels.

The delay in releasing academic results is another frustrating issue. Results often come out after students have registered and begun classes for the next level, making it an expensive joke to send them back to their previous classes. This could lead to lawsuits, I prophesy. Another major concern is the lack of sufficient lecture halls. Now that the cafeteria has been transformed into the beautiful “UNIPOD” building, does this mean the main student cafeteria is gone for good, or is there a chance for its resurrection?

Finally, many students occupying the three hostels graduated years ago. Some are even lecturers. Why would lecturers share hostels with students? How safe are the tests, examinations, and results? I urge the new VC to treat every problem as a problem. Remember, a small leak can sink a ship.

Thanks for reading “Sowing The Seed Of Truth.” The author can be reached at malengaroldit@gmail.com or +211922332811.

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