John Garang Institute assures students of sooner re-opening
By Thon Philip Aleu
June 25, 2009 (BOR) – The Chancellor of Dr. John Garang de Mabior Institute of Science and Technology in Bor says studies will resume soon after a long delay.
“But one thing is very clear and I’m sure of – that you (students) will study,” he said after outlining delayed funding by the Government of South Sudan and lack of lecturers among others.
Prof. Agrey, however, declined to tell students whether he had received the 13 millions Sudanese Pounds “he managed to get from the Government” but says lack of lecturers is a main problem.
A proposed Institute budget including construction funds will be represented to the Juba Parliament but will not delay opening mid-August or early September, Agrey told a student who sought clarification of monetary issues that had locked the gateway to the highest institution of learning ever established in Jonglei State.
Dr. John Garang de Mabior Institute of Science and Technology in Jonglei capital Bor had been established during the regime of former Governor Philip Thon Leek in an agreement with ASCOM Co., a Moldovan Company.
John Garang de Mabior, whom the Institute is named after him was a born from Bor and the Founder the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) which now rules the semi-anonymous South. He was killed in a plane crash few days after becoming the First Vice President of the Sudan and President, Government of Southern Sudan in accordance with the peace deal known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement or CPA.
Following his pre-successor footsteps, Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk sealed a separate 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.
104 students were admitted for four courses including Pharmaceutical Technology, Ecology (Natural Science), Law and Forestry & Agriculture. ASCOM catered for the of students’ well-beings as well the whole running of the Institute in yet another agreement in 2008.
In the same year (2008), Jonglei authorities requested South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to recognize the Institute and hence, an Act of Establishment was signed by the President, who also appointed Prof. Agrey Ayuen Majok as the vice-chancellor in July.
Thus, in February, 2009, Prof. Agrey Ayuen Majok won control of the Institute. A first semester for the first year students ended on December 19, 2008 and the second semester was scheduled to begin on February 1, 2009.
On April 15, 2009 students publicly complained.
“When the president of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) issued a decree, appointing Prof. Agrey (Ayuen Majok) as the vice chancellor, it signaled that the government was nationalizing the Institute. But we are surprised that there is no budget to run the Institute!” a student told the Sudan Tribune after a meeting described as ‘heated.’
Local people joined the endangered students in blaming the GoSS for “hurriedly decision” to take control of the Institute and dismissing ULIM – something Professor Agrey strongly denied.
According to the Institute President and the documents he refers to during last week discussion with the Students, ULIM decided to operate as a private firm but failed to reach minimum requirements. The Free International University of Moldova had shown less interest to fresh negotiable collaboration terms, Prof. Agrey claimed.
Between mid August and early September, 2009, the institute will open, Agrey told the students as search for lecturers goes on. Today Thursday (June 25) The Citizens Newspaper – a local printed press, run advert by Institute administration seeking lecturers. The advert is the first resurrecting sign since February.
Official announcement for re-opening date is set for mid-July. For the meantime, Agrey says, recruitment of lecturers, improvement of students’ hostels and mobilization of funds from well wishers is underway.
He is set to leave for the United States with Jonglei Gov. Kuol Manyang Juuk this week. Agrey says this trip – which is not meant for fund raising for John Garang Institute would, however, be a chance to meet Southern Sudanese communities there and convince them to support home Institutions.
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John Chol
John Garang Institute assures students of sooner re-opening
Congretulation !
Thank to the government of Southern Sudan for sponsoring Dr. John Garang Institute of science and technology in Jonglei state. But I have a question to be answer by GOSS or Jonglei Institute School Administration, how long would (13,000,000 Sudanese Pounds last for running the the School programs?
Sponsoring the School like this would have been better for president Omar El Bashier rather than giving a negetive promise of constructing Dr.Garang’s village, Knowledge is more valueable than a village. If it’s gained and use properly or wisely it could move a mountain. I urge President Bashire to turn his so call projects of building villages into funds to support Dr. John Garang Instute in Jonglei capital.
My advice to the School Administrations, please use that money very wisely and it would attract another hand full tomorrow. God bless South Sudan .
Ambago
John Garang Institute assures students of sooner re-opening
All our south Sudanese youth are entitled to good education that being at home or abroad. When we heard about this institution of high learning which is named after one of Africa’s learned men and revolutionaries, to say the least, our joy was beyond imagination.
Despite the fact that the people in government might have acted in good faith, yet to everyone’s dismay they made the students to undergo a lot of undeserved stress in thir journey into the unknown as a consequence of our leaderships’ unplanned move in nationalizing the Institution. It was more of dignity issue and Sudanese nationalism lacking the least financial guarantee.
The institute right now lacks the lecturers and of course it doesn’t mean that there are no lecturers outside there. But as the government of south Sudan (GoSS) is deeply drowned in financial crisis partly due to the sharp decline in the Oil prices, the global recession, and directly as a result of the mismanagement in the south Sudan’s finances, despite the shown patriotism , the GoSS can not live up to its support for the Institute.
Teachers in many states in southern Sudan are not getting their salaries regularly as expected, then how on earth do we expect this GoSS to hire the badly needed lecturers for the John Garang’s Institute of Technology?
My dear sons and daughters who are now waiting to persue their academic careers by taking the JGIT as their first step towards that great goal of human endeavour, you need a lot of patience before things get back to normal. Do not expect any body to promise you milk and honey at this particular time in the south Sudanese’s history.
Forgive me for putting it this way, but each time I see someone who is in one way or the other connected to the name Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the person immediately looks to me like an orphan. But how much respect and help do orphans get in today’s south Sudan?