Minister urges qualified Southern Sudanese to return home

Aug 17, 2006 (Nairobi) — The Ministry of Education in the Government of Southern Sudan is urging all qualified southern Sudanese in the Diaspora to return home and join in rebuilding the country.

Michael Milli says that all those qualified in various fields should return home as the southern Sudan government is in dire need of their skills. Addressing southern Sudanese students in Nairobi, Kenya last week, the minister said the government would immediately employ all qualified Sudanese who return to the country.

“I see there are those with diplomas in education; there are diplomas in health and diplomas in agriculture and so on. We need these diplomas now, now in southern Sudan and then we can build on them. They can become degrees or even PhDs,” Milli said.

The minister dispelled fears that the government did not have money to pay its civil servants, adding that the government began paying teachers’ salaries last month.

On the other hand, The Director General of Education in the Government of Southern Sudan says that his ministry will improve teachers’ wages in the region.

Lino Girikpio Wandu says that in the past, teachers were regarded as second-class citizens, but that his ministry now wants to create a better environment for the teachers. Mr. Wandu told Sudan Radio Service in Nairobi that the education ministry will improve teachers’ working conditions so that they can continue to offer their services.

(SRS)