South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
By James Gatdet Dak
August 22, 2009 (JUBA) — The Anti-Corruption Commission for the semi-autonomous Southern Sudan has been given a special status beyond the other public service institutions as the government steps up the fight against corruption in the region.
The status of the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Pauline Riak, has been upgraded to the status of a minister in the Government of Southern Sudan, and in accordance with the Friday decision, her salary and other benefits were resolved to be set higher than those of the minister.
Her Deputy Chairperson will enjoy the status of a state minister.
This treatment of a special status will also apply to the Chairperson and staff of the Commission for Human Rights which is also given an equal political importance.
The anti-corruption body chairperson, who was invited to the cabinet meeting during the time her proposal was presented to the Council of Ministers by the Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, argued that the nature of her institution’s work required increase of remunerations for her staff in addition to some other benefits.
“For an institution that has a reputation as a highly specialized one, integrity is a core value to it and officers need to have that confidence and assurance in form of well paying packages and allowances,” she argued in her proposal.
Dr. Riak was concerned that without a sort of compensation in form of better remuneration, her staff may fall prey to bribery.
“There is a saying that corruption fights back…While earning less does not give one a ticket to accept bribes, it is very possible that a person handling such sensitive matters and has not been cushioned in terms of proper remuneration can easily fall prey to bribery advances,” she stated.
She said corruption barons and their agents are always on the prowl and will make all attempts to thwart any efforts to control it.
The Commission’s Chairperson also complained of delay by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in releasing her institution’s annual budgets, which she said, has been greatly affecting her Commission’s intended activities.
“Financial independence [of the Commission] is not only a requirement implied in the Constitution but it is a global requirement of all anti-corruption bodies. Having to disclose information in advance, each time money is requested from the Ministry, equally undermines confidentiality as each time the Commission has to disclose its intended activities to third parties,” she underlined.
The situation, she added, has cost the Commission dearly in the sense that it has lost quite a good number of highly trained staff to other well paying institutions both governmental “such as the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development and non governmental agencies such as UN and NGOs.”
She also complained of under-staffing because of restrictions placed on her recruitment needs by the Ministry of Public Service and Human Resources Development, thus justifying her request for the Commission to be treated with a special political status beyond some of the public service regulations.
This year as a result, she stated, the Commission failed to recruit a badly needed 25 professionals as it has shortage of investigators to carry out the work.
According to the resolution the Commission’s chairperson and other senior officers of the institution will have their security protection considered among the other benefits.
“Due to the nature of their work, threats become real leading to much guided interaction, loss of their friends and freedom to social interaction, work long hours and are always on call,” Dr. Riek added.
The Commission also carried out a survey of the anti-corruption bodies in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda and found out that their remuneration and benefits are higher than mainstream government employees and institutions.
For example, the Head of the Ethiopian Anti-Corruption Commission is paid double salary of that of a Federal Minister, the head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission earns more than the Kenyan President and the head of the Inspectorate of Government of Uganda earns more than a national minister.
They also enjoy other privileges such as accommodation, medical cover, entertainment, domestic help allowances, travel allowances and security protection for the Heads and top management staff.
Dr. Pauline Riak stated that anti-corruption bodies have international standing and that her team would strike at run-away culprits beyond international borders during investigations and recovery of assets stolen and taken to foreign countries around the globe.
“The global part of it [the Commission] comes by virtue of the obligation of all nations to recognize the Commissions and to assist them in undertaking investigations and fulfilling their mandate within their territories,” she assured.
She said the Commission intends to employ the best qualified staff and provide them with high quality training in Sudan and abroad because, she explained, “fighting corruption is a high risk business and requires a lot of confidentiality and a highly developed networking system to accomplish the mandate.”
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON SACKED
In another related development, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a Presidential decree this week relieving the deputy chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
It was not clear to the press what caused the dismissal of the second powerful chief of the Commission. It is however seen by the public as part of the ongoing reform to empower the Commission.
President Kiir also announced last week that the anti-corruption body would be empowered to not only investigate cases of corruption, but also prosecute the culprits.
Over a thousand corruption cases are believed to be sitting in the Commissioner’s office since 2006 and awaiting investigations and possible prosecutions of the culprits.
The power to prosecute had been previously entrusted to the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development.
No official has ever been prosecuted for having involved in corrupt practices since the establishment of the Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission in 2006.
(ST)
oshay
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
This is a joke and so is this so called up graded commission. How can a group of criminals try to uphold the law? The SPLM has to resign en masse and call for a general election in the South which will hopefully won by the SPLM-DC.
Maruon Ayiei
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
Our people has just it.Get to work and bring those who think get rich quick to justice. It was an overdue implementation in SPLM/A. Put the Hyenas of southern Sudan to jail or fifteen years to life in prison. It was a crime and they need to be presecuted to the fullest of the law. Congratulation Pesident Salva Kiir Mayardit for job well done.
Kur
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
We are moving toward credible system in which check and balance against corrupt officials is working well.Those tasked with fighting corruption must know that we are going to watch them very closely. We want transparent system not like the NIF system, where the national resources are run by part agents. South Sudan must be a model of a free society, where corruption is not practised.
We know that must of the corrupt officials were hired by the NIF to destroy financial system in South Sudan, but soon will find and send them away to jail.
Kur
Biliu
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
Our state is really being a model for transparency in Anti-corruption war, such a step of empowering the committee will allow them to achieve more tasks entrusted to them by our state government, I strongly urge the South Government to extend their jurisdictions so that corruption will be engulfed by all means!
To the wishful thinkers like Oshay and members of what so called SPLM-DC. negative criticism will lead you nowhere except to the exit door to your failure, we, the southerners are more aware now than ever, please stop trading on our sufferings and emotions, those are not vital business any more, your chairperson and your founder Dr. Lam is well-known as a political scavenger, who betrayed the southerners long ago and repeatedly for some minor political benefits, SPLM is not a work of God to be perfect or without blemish, but it’s working hard now to identify and eliminate corruption from roots, mercenaries are not replacement for the SPLM, while scavenging in Khartoum in the name of SPLM reformer movement, can you name a single organization fighting publicly corruption in the north?!!, I bet you won’t!!. to hell with SPLM-DC, the rightful son of the NCP, referring to what Dr and Mister Scavenger Lam Akol stated in Al-jazeera TV.Ch “ I don’t stain the tray I’ve been feeding on for such a long time” he was referring to NCP, shame on you SPLM-DC.
Angelo D.
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
That is what we want, it is the first step toward fighting the corruption in south Sudan. We want the department of Anti – Corruption Commission to be empowered to prosecutes those who are looting the public funds without doubts. There is disturbing demanded that the chairperson of Anti – Corruption Commission is demanding at her first public appearance is not interesting the people of southern Sudan as she stated that she want her Staffs to enjoy, “privileges such as accommodation, medical cover, entertainment, domestic help allowances, travel allowances and security protection for the Heads and top management staff”. Some demands are acceptable and some are worse of public resources.
Dr. Pauline Riak, people appreciated your highly well educated background, but you gotta understand that the Goss is four years semi – autonomous government. Demanding all this allowances at the same time without analysis your proposals at the first place is casting doubt in your administration Dr. Pauline Riak.
The privileges like for accommodation and travel allowance and medical cover and would be acceptable and for your safety, you need security protection to protect you on the ground, because there are people who are going to start hating you when you start booking them in to face legal system. But for your claims like, entertainment, domestic help allowances things. Please, you need to revised your words back little a bit MOM. Are you here delivering services to the marginalized people of southern Sudan or having amazing luxury time?
There are teachers and Doctors that don’t even get their salaries for couple of months in south Sudan, and you are demanding such surprised allowances. Those allowances can be used for salary of five to ten people in the south Sudan by doing that, you have create Job opportunity in your department. In Juba there alone, there are university graduates who are roaming through the street in juba looking for jobs and they can not find no job because ministries are collecting more allowances apart from their own salary, is this fair my people?. What we southerners see is that, this ministries are not there for us, they are there for themselves and their own interest.
By, Angelo D.
kanisio
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
I appreciated this positive step which is supposed to be taken earlier as one of your policies for progressing and prosperity of the country. I do think money is not the only stimulation for efficiency of work but we need to defined and provide the best solution and alternative e.g. training, management abilities, handling of work, strategy, even consultation, and so forth. I always wish for South Sudan the best with optimization, we cannot continuou criticize and pessimism but we need to give and contribute what we have as well as south not the country of one person. Conclusion it’s time we shall believe in unity and start develop South Sudan. Let’s not look back and into the demerits of people.
God Bless South Sudan
James Okuk Solomon
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
I doubt whether this Jamaican lady called Dr. Pauline who has been married to a South Sudanese from Bahar El Ghazal called Riak, will change anything as far as corruption is concerned in Southern Sudan. The good change she will make is to increase her title weight, salaries and other privileges so that she can drive the most luxurious car and enable here family to live in a very expensive luxurious house abroad.
This lady is so good at writing excellent proposals but too coward when it comes to implementation. She is excellent at lobbying for funds only and I may doubt her success in GoSS Anti-Corruption Commission. I do not know where I can be interpreted as a bias opinion writer here but I think this is what understands sincerely about this Jamaican.
Why I doubt here, is that she has not been pushing so hard for the Anti-corruption Bill (which include Anti-tribalism law) to be enacted into law. Up to now no code of law against corruption in Southern Sudan has been seen on the real ground.
Thus, in my opinion, Dr. Pauline should have waited for the Anti-corruption law to be codified first before she rush with full speed to increase her money, especially at this stage where Southern Sudan is suffering from budget deficits.
Imagine how many medical doctors and teachers remains working in Southern Sudan today without being paid their due salaries for months while Dr. Pauline Riak shamelessly asks for increase of her luxury and extravagancy?
How my dear Motherland of South Sudan, I pity your so-called leaders because they are only much concerned about their selfish needs and not the needs of the common people who suffer day and night in big numbers from lack of good income while their resources are being wasted.
In the case of the collapsing SPLM-led Goss today, it seems that every leader or an authority is for himself/herself and only God is left to be for all. Until I see actions speaking louder than words, I will never stop doubting and will keep my tears flowing because I know that not all that glitters is gold to be valued!!!
Reanyou
South Sudan upgrades Anti-Corruption Commission, dismisses deputy chairperson
I thinks, that is right place to start since Anti-viruse known us Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy C.Person to be sack since they seem to be not seeing anything, Becuase I wonder, with the big corruption going on and they don’t see, now let start with them so that they can also see the other dogs running around with the bones.
I suggest not only dismissal but more fully arrest her. I mean I arest,arest,arest.
Well done go a head.