Prelate Lokudu urges Construction of decent houses in New Sudan
By Isaac Vuni
July 1, 2007 (JUBA) — Inaugurating St. Paul and Peter Chapel, today, catholic Archbishop Paulino Lokudu has urged all youth of New Sudan especially of Jondoru area to seriously take charge of constructing decent houses within their home stage.
“It was a move and a challenge by Jondoru community whom I had previously not taken seriously when they sought permission to construct a school, health center and a chapel for themselves. Today I must admit that I underrated them”, confessed Archbishop Lokudu, declared Archbishop.
The Tokiman communities are people who live to their words and I urge all communities in southern Sudan to emulate what Tokiman people have done in order to accelerate effective development, Archbishop Lokudu pleaded.
The prelate assured the community that a minor seminary will soon be constructed at Jondoru and thereafter the area becomes a complete mission where there is a school, community health center, spiritual centre and a formation house of a minor seminary.
Tartizio Lado, Chairman of Tokiman primary school and of St. Paul and Peter Chapel said both school and chapel lack chairs for sitting. He appeals to any well wisher to come to their aid because their children have missed schooling and spiritual guiding for more than two decades when southern Sudan was at war with Khartoum government.
“Our children are desperately looking for better education and the only way to support them was by mobilizing the entire community to build schools and health centre you are seeing today” remarks community chairman.
It was the community who constructed the Tokiman primary school, about 8 km from Juba, for their children, Community Health center, spiritual chapel including house for their spiritual guidance, said Lado.
The Tokiman community primary school has so far four classes with six teachers out of which three are volunteers other three are paid by Central Equatoria state ministry of education who has failed to send any representative on this vital occasion. The school was opened in 2006.
When asked why he is teaching without pay ,teacher Stephen Gubek reply that, “It is part of my national duty to contribute in teaching our children who have missed two decade without schooling while the children of the so called southern politicians and better of individuals in southern Sudan are send to study either in Khartoum or abroad”. Since our people have constructed school, it’s a must for us to teach our brothers and sisters because their future lies in proper education, he remarks.
Meanwhile reverend Santo Loku, parish priest of Terekeka appeal to southern Sudanese to embrace love, peace and respect to each other. He said there shouldn’t be any room for revenge while appealing to those political elites from the previous governments who have looted wealth of southern Sudan to stop their dirty game and embrace people oriented development programmes.
”Let us all be new in our plans and action for developing southern otherwise empty criticism will not lead us to constructive development”
(ST)