South Sudan passes no confidence vote against Auditor General
By Isaac Vuni
December 12, 2007 (JUBA) — The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) on Wednesday has passed a vote of no confident in Auditor General of southern Sudan government, Barnaba Majok Barnabas, accused of embezzling public funds and failure to deliver service in auditing government accounts.
However, the impeached auditor general earlier stated that in principle the accounts of government are normally audited after the government has closed its accounts and handed it to audit chamber for auditing but GoSS accounts have never been edited nor handed for auditing since it was established in 2005.
The withdrawal of confidence motion was raised by Hon. Peter Bashir Gbandi which stated “The house Withdraw Confidence in the Auditor General as well as other members of the Audit chamber accused of corruption and refers the matter to Ministry of Legal Affairs for further investigation and the motion was passed by 75 votes.
While the second motion of Hon. Achol Marial saying, “The August House to set up a committee to further investigate Auditor General Chamber” got ten votes while seven members abstain.
The southern Sudan parliament asked GoSS president to appoint a caretaker to the Audit Chamber during the investigation.
The Auditor General apologized for using harsh language but insisted he stand with what he has written in his defence but would not prevent the house from taking any decision against him provided that he also has the right to defence himself before legal authorities.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. James Wani Igga thanked the lawmakers for their open and frank deliberation on vital issues concerning masses of Southern Sudan who had fought for more than fifty years against justices of all form.
The specialized committee of Development, economic and Finance accused the Auditor General Barnabas of eleven charges including:
– undermining power of GoSS president by removing and suspending presidential appointees without approval of the president, replacing three presidential appointees without the knowledge of the president, promoting William Labi to the position of Deputy Auditor General without presidential decree.
– Unprocedural purchased a house for the Audit Chamber at US dollars 395,000 and at the same time needed additional money for renovation of the same house.
– Receiving double payments for international trips accounted for by UN and GoSS Chamber of Audit, suspended without pay four presidential appointees on false accusation of misappropriation of US dollars 85,000,
– Involved in withdrawal of documents from ministry of finance by using his appointees Mr. William Labi and replaced it with forged documents signed by William Labi, Handling appointments and recruitments into the chamber by himself without involving human resource personnel.
– Involved in signing cheques that should have not been done by an auditor for the sake of promoting good accounting system, spending US dollar 160 per day for accommodation and feeding at Nile Comfort Hotel in Juba since the time he was appointed to head GoSS Audit Chamber and awarding unnecessary privileges for members of Audit Chamber amounting to 2000 US dollars per month on accommodations.
Earlier, after a lengthy deliberation the house elected the following to the positions of Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly specialized committees but they can not assume the chair in absence of their chairperson and they are:
1-Hon. James Janga Duku, SPLM Deputy Chairperson for Security and Public Order
2- Hon. James Reat Gony, SPLM Deputy Chairperson for Development, Economic and Finance
3 Hon. Sabino Makana Akol, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Public Service and Administrative reform
4- Hon.Caeser Baya Loyalal (NCP) Deputy Chairperson for Legal and Legislative Affairs
5- Hon.Deng Thiep Akok, SPLM Deputy Chairperson for Members Affairs
6- Hon.Georget Lat Mading, (NCP) Deputy Chairperson for Information and Culture
7- Hon. Paul Luth Both, (party affiliation not indicated) Deputy Chairperson for Public Account
8- Hon. Nyalok James Thong, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
9- Hon. Sebit W Abe, (SSDF) Deputy Chairperson for Regional and International Cooperation
10- Hon. Pascal Bandindi Ubu, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Energy, Industry and Mining
11- Hon. Gathkuoth Duop Kuick, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Land, Natural, Resources & Environment
12-Hon. Martin Kaku, Deputy for Gender, Social welfare, youth and sports
13- Hon. Umjuma Juma Sabil, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Education Science and Technology
14- Hon. Dr. Achol Marial, (party affiliation not indicated) Deputy Chairperson for Physical Infrastructure
15- Hon. Lucy Iyaya, (SPLM) Deputy Chairperson for Peace and Reconciliation
Present during debate were 120 members of parliament including15 members absent with permission.
(ST)
Gaker Alier
South Sudan passes no confidence vote against Auditor General
Congratulation Kiir Mayardit on ZERO TOLERANC POLICY! There will be no stone left uncheck under your leadership as you promise to deliver the services to our people. There are so many more people to be delt with and remember that the masses of Southern Sudan are lining behind you and your leadership. Let those gangs of thieves and criminals armed only with Islamic and dirty money that you would end up in the north, but if you come to Juba, God is only one you will face our wrath. Conduct your business as usual and don’t attempted to cross the southern boundaries, or else you will be delt with accordingly. NO more corruption and yes to transparency and accountability. Thank you Kiir Mayardit.
Gaker Alier
Baalens
South Sudan passes no confidence vote against Auditor General
Bravo! Bravo! Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, congratulation for being keen enough to catch vultures who are grabbing the resources of Southerners…pliz I kindly requesting to continuing the race of corruption by advancing to Ministries with related taxes and hope you’ll cry “BIG TEARS”, b’se the one you got is just a bit of it, examples of places to look keenly are Ministry of Interior where there is Migration, Traffic among others, Ministry of Finance, where there is Custom, Tariff among others, that even can pay GOSS salaries without the budget of oil, Ministry of Commerce, Trade & Supply, the worse disease…ask them where do they put they money of licenses plus other taxes at the borders, among other Ministries who are money generating and don’t submits them to GoSS account..
And they other worse coronic disease, is unnecessary travelling of Ministers abroad wasting money and get no returns to compensated what the waste out of the journey they made, but find only spying the GoSS and some mainly for business with acception of few doing the best to uplift the GoSS.
Pliz, I beg you in the name of the SOutherners to see further on developmental issues, by appointing those who will run the affairs for the interest of the South.
I talked on these for the love of the Country. Nice time.
Duop Chak
South Sudan passes no confidence vote against Auditor General
Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) has make a decissive move. This is clearly a sign of democratic value. SSLA must stand firm to safeguard public properties.
Gombu Gindalang
South Sudan passes no confidence vote against Auditor General
I learn a vote of confident in auditor general of South Sudan government with great sorrow and sadness. I read Isaac Vuni’s article twice to ensure that it talks about Auditor General of South Sudan. The issues (i.e. embezzlement of public funds and failure to deliver services in auditing government accounts) mentioned in the vote of confident in Auditor General of S. Sudan left me with no choice but to comment on it.
The office of the Auditor General in any country is an important national institution; part of the essential framework of a country parliamentary democracy. The office provides to Parliament and the government a very vital services, the office and its employees contribute in a fundamental way to good government, to democracy, and to a country society.
The auditor general office’s operations are funded by taxpayers in the same way as any other department or ministry. Since the office is an advocate for economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the conduct of government operations as a whole, it too has an obligation to observe these principles. The office should function as a model for the rest of the public service. Employees should strive to achieve cost reductions and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Office.
Office employees are guided in their work and their professional conduct by a balanced framework of Office values, made up of democratic, professional, ethical, and people values. These families of values are not distinct but overlap. They are perspectives from which to observe the universe of Office values.
Democratic values: Helping the Office and Parliament, under law, to serve the public interest.
Professional values: Serving with competence, excellence, efficiency, objectivity, and impartiality.
Ethical values: Acting at all times in such a way as to uphold the public interest.
People values: Demonstrating respect, fairness, and courtesy in their dealings with both citizens and fellow employees.
If the accusations raised in the vote of confident are found to be true, my question to Barnaba Majok Barnabas is “Who would inform the Southern Sudanese about their government operations?” It would be a shame to the whole chamber of audit office in South Sudan and an insult to Accounting Professional Associations’ Code of Conduct across the world.
Gombu Gindalang
The Author is an Auditor with Government of Canada in Canada