E. Equatoria: Aid NGOs urged to refrain from insecurity warnings
By Isaac Vuni
Jan 31, 2007 (TORIT) — Eastern Equatoria authorities exhorted aid groups working in the state to refrain from issuing unfounded in security alarms. A regional official reassured international ONGs that security situation is under control.
The Commissioner of Torit County, Col. Massimino Allam, said security situation in state of Eastern Equatoria is relatively good, except for Magwi County that is being terrorized by Ugandan rebels, Lord’s Resistance Army. He appealed to international NGOs operating in the state to refrain from raising an alarm of insecurity, commonly known as “Level four, No go zone”, before getting a clear security report from state authority.
He made this comment when addressing a consultative meeting with NGOs and state authority on how to distribute four million US dollars, Community Humanitarian Fund (CHF) approved by OCHA to Eastern Equatoria state.
Earlier, the area Coordinator of OCHA, Francis Matsanga said OCHA has ear mark four million dollars for reconstruction and development in Eastern Equatoria state and state authority to come out with their priority needs to be implemented by NGOs in the state or wherever method they authority wish. Matsanga promised to circulate the guideline for Community Humanitarian Fund to all state ministries and NGOs.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor Alosio Ojetuk, at Torit County hall, Col Allam said he noticed that there are a lot of expired food and beer being sold in Troit town and other part of the state. The state secretary for strategic planning who presided over the consultative meeting, Francis Ben Ataba has directed the state ministry of health and of agriculture to work in collaboration with Torit town council to ensure that business men and women supply food stuff that are fit for human consumption.
Meanwhile the state minister of Information and Communication, Ben Loky, said there is noticeable duplication of work by International NGOs operating in the state and advised the NGOs to refrain from duplication, rather seek advice from the state authority who in turn will direct them on what to do and where to do it.
Responding to concern raised by NGOs that the indigenous people in Torit are not cooperating in reconstruction and development, especially on sanitation; Col. Allam says “Defecation in a toilet is against Otuho cultural norms”. As such, I urge NGOs involve in promotion of sanitation to make pit latrine outside Otuho home estate and should not cover the roof. Otherwise, “It is a taboo for us Otuho to defecate in a latrine constructed within home compound because it would appear as one is defecating in a house”, he remarks.
The representative of World Food Programme (WFP), Ms. Mio Nozoe, stated that WFP has prepared food stock that could last up to April this year to support school feeding programme including 1500 returnees to Eastern Equatoria state. However, she said, for any school or health center to benefit from such support, it must first have a pit latrine, water and store as basis for qualification. However, she said Magwi County has been rule out of WFP programme because of persistent insecurity pose by LRA in the area.
George Muras Lomoro, state minister of finance noted that there are more than 31 International NGOs operating in the state but most of them concentrated their services and offices in Kapoeta area. He went on saying that, “Irrespective of what, all NGOs should have their head offices where the seat of the state government is for easy sharing and communication”. Otherwise, International NGOs in the state have become a political party within the state, he remarks.
Lomoro said the only international organization that has complied and submitted it budget to state authority of eastern equatorial is Catholic Relief Service (CRS).
He said previously NGOs were being nurse like babies when they were operating under SPLA controlled areas. But now the NGOs must understand that there is a full functional government and ought to respect and follow its directives on what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, NGOs’ cardinal concept of “Give little but promised much so that people have hopes” only applies to a situation of liberation struggle than in a stable government.
It was observed that Lopa County is one of the most neglected by NGOs who are purporting to be serving the people of eastern equatoria state.
State ministry of agriculture, Francis Okeny stated that his ministry needs some cash for establishment of a farm demonstration center for educating local farmers who in turn would embrace it in their day to day activities. He appeal to international NGOs for contribution of seedling and agricultural implements including some cash for educating local farmers to become self reliance than dependence on relief handout from international NGOs.
Francis Ben Ataba, State Ministry of education outlined education updated the NGOs on the statistic of school in the state, 283 schools with 85,000 pupils enrolled but said some schools are operating in permanent building, semi building and under tent or trees. There are 215 teaches mostly untrained and additional 55 trained IDPs teachers are expected from Khartoum.
He said the Ministry of education is to recruits 1500 southern Sudanese returnee’s teachers on arrival to Eastern Equatoria state. Meanwhile senior head teachers are to be sending for management training course either to Maridi Teacher Institute or abroad.
AVSI organization is already constructing school in Torit town while NCA is to build schools at Lowi and Langairo but they have not yet reach the areas. CRS is about to finish Tirangore primary school.
Silvestro Omin Bala, Director General of state ministry of health, said there is a suspected out break of menizitis in the state particularly in western and south of the state. He appeals to NGOs dealing in health services to support the state with vaccine.
The Director General of state ministry of Physical Infrastructure, David Borok said appeal to NGOs to support in water provision progamme of the state by drilling boreholes in the state. There is already an organization called global world promised to drill 90 boreholes in Kapoeta south, north and east counties respectively.
The meeting has prioritized dissemination of information through print and electronic media as a priority number one, followed by insecurity, education, agricultural seedling and tools supply and primary heath care respectively.
(ST)