GoSS owes public follow up on SPLM promises
By Nhial Bol
Nov 18, 2006 — It is almost a year since the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) was announced and yet Juba, which is the capital of the two governments (GoSS- Central Equatoria State), lacks essential public services such as good roads, clean drinking water and electricity. Speaking at the first anniversary of signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the President of GoSS, Lt. General Salva Kiir took the decision and promised that at least Juba and rural roads would be developed.
We owe the public follow up on the promises made by the leadership of the SPLM led government (GoSS). We want to know what happened to the brave promises, specifically development of roads, supply of clean water and provision of electricity services. Some of us will not allow the government of Southern Sudan to rest until the details of how the 2005 and 2006 budgets were spent is explained to the public.
Many promises were made by the SPLM during the years of struggle, but we now want the last promises of the SPLM led GoSS. I will not talk much about those promises because Prof. Taban Layloing of Juba University wrote two books for public consumption that speak for the old promises of the SPLM during the struggle. The first book of Prof Taban was under the title of “The Last Word” and the second book was under the title of “Another Last Word”
We demand from GoSS a public update about why there are no services in Juba and in the 10 states that constitute Southern Sudan. We want President Kiir to take the initiative and inform the public about what happened to GoSS promises. Foreign experts tell us that GoSS is sitting on the oil money and that GoSS is in position to provide services from the little resources now available. We saw the 200-Day plan but if one looks ate it critically, GoSS will not achieve 20% of the 200-Day Plan’s draft document. The plan in my opinion was based on unreliable data.
Kiir started well when he assumed the leadership of GoSS and SPLM/A as well. He was welcomed to the leadership without resistance or opposition from the public and he should not let the public’s goodwill in supporting his leadership go to waste, any waste.
As a journalist with practical ideas about politics in the world, Kiir is the only leader who acquired power without potential opposition and his challenge now is how best he can maintain the goodwill of the public. Kiir started off well on bright footing but the way things look, as the public eyes survey the situation on the ground, lack of services will be the real challenge to Kiir’s leadership.
Kiir leadership should associate itself with professional groups and trade union leaders because SPLM lacks professional cadres. SPLM has absolute power in the army (SPLA); beyond that there teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants; SPLM does not command support of their trade unions and this will create an unstable political situation facing Kiir’s leadership. There will be mass-strikes all over the South and this may paralyze Kiir’s leadership.
If Kiir loses the confidence of trade unions, as I am seeing now, some individuals within the SPLM may use this in the forthcoming SPLM convention, either in 2008 or 2009, against Kiir. Kiir must treat the professional groups on equal footing with the army. I am not talking politics but just cautioning about the last promises and another promise.
It is at least GoSS’ best interest to issue a public briefing and promises projects that are delayed, especially services to the public, should be given satisfying explanation. The public is very watchful these days and this may end up in mass-public unrest.
SPLM-led GoSS has to sustain the impression that they meant business with what they told the people in different places in the South; and they are accountable for all their promises. SPLM, as a major ruling party, should not let the high moral of their supporters fall to the ground, as it was speculatively conjectured by people we assumed were cynics that the leadership would never deliver services.
We have been observing from the public offices that Kiir’s ministers are not serious to deliver services and the evidence supporting this argument is that every time one wishes to meet a responsible person (minister or director general), politely the receptionists will say, ‘He or she is in South Africa or Kenya or Uganda’; and for what reasons, the receptionists can never say. We are taxpayers and governed citizens; the government is obliged to be accountable to us.
One time, a receptionist told me that his minister has gone to South Africa to remove bad teeth because there are no qualified dentists in Juba. I was shocked. I strongly advise President Kiir to dismiss his cabinet and appoint new ministers.
* The author is the editor in chief of Khartoum based The Citizen daily newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]