Jonglei boosts government employees’ managerial skills
By Philip Thon Aleu
June 12, 2008 (BOR TOWN) – Forty-four Local Government staff, from Jonglei Counties, are attending a week workshop on Budgeting and Planning skills, an official told reporters Thursday June 12 here (Bor Town).
State Director General for Local Government Bashir Deng is optimistic that the skills; to be acquired in this scheme, will relieve the state from hiring external experts. “We hope that by the end of this workshop, we shall be able to work fewer difficulties,” he said.
Local government and Law Enforcement department employs the highest number of people in the state but majority do not adequate knowledge in Budgeting and Planning given the 22-years of arms struggle that denied Southern Sudanese of higher education.
The workshop is sponsored by United Nation Development Program (UNPD) concurrently with Jonglei Government. UNPD officials were not accessible by press time, but an informed source told Sudan Tribune that the UN agency has been involved in numerous developmental projects in the state. UNDP previously provided office equipments including chairs and tables in Jonglei state as a part of assisting in post-war reconstructions.
UN agencies operating in Jonglei State have been accused by government and public for not been active and virtually occupying space for nothing. Addressing a rally on International Women’s Day (March 8), Jonglei governor said his government will be forced to chase idle Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
“They (NGOs) just move in planes and you don’t know what they are doing,” Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk told thousands of Bor Town residents including NGOs representatives on March 8, 2008 adding that Deputy Governor, who is also the State minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, “will check NGOs performances and make reports to the office of Governor.”
Reacting to Governor’s decree, a UN agencies representative at the rally told reporters shortly afterward that “NGOs are to work or could be asked to go” if found idle. It is unclear whether the recent commitment by NGOs is in response to March 8 Governor’s decree. No NGO has been chased so far either.
GENDER WELL BALANCED
The forty-four (44) men and women were haggard four (4) each from the State’s eleven Counties in a ratio of 3:1 respectively. This arithmetically generated thirty-three men and eleven women.
Jonglei governments strived to respecting 25% of women representation in all chambers of government and free to compete in the reminding 75%, adhering to South Sudan’s policy of reverence to gender. This, the women say is creating an idea haven to women emancipations.
“I’m happy because I perceive women like me participating with men in workshop,” a town resident Mary Achol told Sudan Tribune on Thursday evening when told the development adding that “liberation is truly being enjoyed by all genders and the equation is well balanced.”
The training that started last week is expected to end this week. The forty-four will relieve Jonglei government of unnecessary loses and poor managerial skill once they take this workshop seriously, trainees claim.
(ST)