Unity state governor: I am ready to fight corruption
July 10, 2012 (BENTIU) – The Unity State governor, Taban Deng, has called on his cabinet to fight corruption during a briefing at the state anti-corruption commission on Saturday.
Recently South Sudan president Salva Kiir wrote to 75 government officials suspected of embezzling a total of US$4 billion over the past seven years. Deng welcomed Kiir’s announcement.
Unity State officials were amongst those suspected of involvement in a grain scandal which accounts for the majority of the embezzled funds.
Deng said in his address at the workshop organised by the state anti-corruption commission in Bentiu, that the ministers who were failing to reduce corruption in the state should act more creatively. He added that there are a number of public servants who live in Juba, neglecting their working duties in the state. Deng urged ministers to report those not fulfilling their duties.
“I implore every participant to offer his or her contributions on how best we can meet the challenges of corruption in our societies,” Deng added.
The Unity State secretary of South Sudan opposition party – the African National Congress of South Sudan said that the government must reveal the names of those involved in the grain scandal to prove its transparency to the nation’s people.
South Sudan’s civil society alliance group presented a document demanding the President reveal the names of those 75 officials to be prosecuted, currently to no avail.
(ST)