Western Equatoria declares war against all forms of corruption

By Richard Ruati

August 10, 2010 (YAMBIO) – Western Equatoria state governor, Colonel Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, has on Monday declared war against all forms of corruption by government officials and the entire citizenry.

Governor Bakosoro outlined his plan to fight corruption in a speech he delivered at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop at Super State Hotel by the Government of Southern Sudan’s (GoSS) Anti Corruption Commission. He said no other issue threatens Western Equatoria’s future more than the continued, systematic corruption that has plagued state and local governments for five years.

“The old ways of doing business have gone on long enough. I am declaring a ‘War on Corruption’ in Western Equatoria. I ask the people of Western Equatoria to join me in the fight to save our state from the special interests who have ruled over a rotten system for years. It’s time to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘Enough is enough’,” he said.

The workshop was attended by the state ministers, members of parliament, newly appointed County Commissioners and senior civil servants in the state.

Bakosoro said the citizens of Western Equatoria state have been longing to have an Anti Corruption Commission in the state for the past five years. He added that “corruption is not only embezzlement of government money or resources but it takes several other forms.”

He lamented that, “it doesn’t have to be that way. The people of Western Equatoria deserve better. You deserve public servants who uphold the people’s trust. You deserve to have confidence that your government will serve your interests and not the special interests.”

The recent government change in Western Equatoria has brought a new level of transparency to state government, but, Bakosoro said Western Equatoria still has a long way to go to achieving true accountability in government.

A GoSS Anti Corruption team arrived in Yambio on Friday last week headed by its Commissioner of investigation, Masha Said.

Masha said that “Anti corruption commission will recruit six staff to run the new Anti Corruption Office in Western Equatoria and render reports of corruption cases to the state governor and to the Head Office in Juba for further procedure.”

The South Sudan Anti Corruption Commissioner is one of the important commissions in south Sudan formed by a presidential decree in 2006.

It is widely believed that, with the presence of Anti Corruption Commission in the state, the watchdog body will follow up on government money and assets so that corruption can be minimized, including its other forms of nepotism, injustice and power monopoly in the state.

The state government has promised to allocate a piece of land to enable Anti Corruption to establish its office in Yambio, with possible extension to the other nine counties of the state.

(ST)