Jonglei minister meets upset students of John Garang Institute

By Philip Thon Aleu

April 20, 2009 (BOR) – A meeting on Friday between a Jonglei state minister and students of John Garang Institute of Science and Technology in Bor ended without setting a new date to open the Institute, which is halted by the Government of Southern Sudan’s delay in allocating funding.

Deputy Governor Hussein Mar Nyuot, who doubles as State Minister for Local Government and Law Enforcement, told the students that Jonglei authorities have no strong hand in the maintenance of the Institute. After handing over the Institute to South Sudan government, Jonglei has no mandate and capacity to handle financial affairs, he said, but can only give a supplementary support.

The students, however, held Jonglei responsible for failing them by stopping lecturers from the Free International University of Moldova (ULIM) in a move to hand over the Institute to the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), something Mr. Nyuot strongly denied.

ULIM had held the university from opening on the condition that Jonglei State to pay tuition fees for 64 students, he said. “But the State has no money. It was a difficult situation,” Nyuot stressed.

Dr. John Garang de Mabior Institute of Science and Technology in Bor, the capital of Jonglei, was established during the regime of former Governor Philip Thon Leek in cooperation with ASCOM Co., a Moldovan oil company operating here.

The next governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, sealed an agreement with Free International University of Moldova (ULIM) in January 2008 enabling the latter to send lecturers to the Institute which officially opened on February 2, 2008.

But Prof. Agrey Ayuen Majok, appointed by South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit as vice chancellor, took control of the Institute in February 2009, halting the activities of ULIM.

After two and a half months of leave pending budgetary allocation to the Institute, there is still no date set for commencement of activities including lectures. Nevertheless, the South Sudan Parliament has never eliminated the Institute’s budget as earlier claimed, Nyuot elucidated last Friday.

“All the Universities in Southern Sudan are financially supported by the Government of National Unity and so the proposed budget [for John Garang Institute] was sent to Khartoum… only to be rejected on grounds that the Act of Establishment was signed by South Sudan President and therefore, the money must come from GoSS (Government of Southern Sudan),” he said adding “there is no worry… because we are committed and the budget is now before the Council of Ministers in Juba for discussion.”

The students, who had expected the state official to announce a new date for the opening of the first higher Institution established independently by GoSS, left campus without any satisfaction.

“I thought the Minister was going to tell us when to begin lectures, but that the budget is still under discussion in Juba — that is what we knew already,” one student said.

“This does not mean that the Institute is collapsing but time is not in our favor,” another student noted, adding “I wish the Juba council pushes on quicker with the discussion and passes that little money.”

But the situation could grow worse: the deputy governor told students that if the government’s fiscal crisis deepens, they would be distributed to other universities of Southern Sudan.

Yet the students appreciated Jonglei State for showing responsibility in the affairs of the Institute and efforts made especially by updating them on the developing proceeding in Juba.

The Government of Southern Sudan is unlikely to allow any chance that the leading institution will collapse, as this could challenge to the legitimacy of the party ruling the semi-autonomous region, which opposed Khartoum governments for failure to spread social amenities nationwide.

(ST)