South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
August 26, 2009 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan legislators have decided to probe alleged misuse of public funds by the minister of education other officials in the semi-autonomous government.
The decision has been adopted after Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in a setting chaired by Mr. Daniel Deng Monydit, Chairperson of the Security and Public Order Committee on Wednesday listened to motion of Education Committee on the Status of Education in Southern Sudan presented by the committee’s chairperson MP. Nartisio Loluke Manir.
The education panel said dissatisfied with the management of education rehabilitation under multi donors Trust Funds (MTDF) “for its erratic and insignificant achievements,” adding that out of 100 schools proposed to be rehabilitated in Southern Sudan and further reduced to 77 only 34 schools are under construction for three years.
Further, it lamented the alleged misused of fund in the Ministry by the contractors awarded contracts for the construction of schools in Southern Sudan besides misused of funds earmarks for scholarships.
The officials to be investigated besides the minister Job Dhuruai, are the Undersecretary Josephine Lagu and the former Undersecretary for General Education, William Ater Machiek.
Last week, the police had arrested Josephine Lagu for allegedly banking some $323,010 destined to support Southern Sudanese students in Uganda into a personal account. But, the daughter of Joseph Lagu, the signatory of 1972 peace agreement and former President of the High Executive Council of the Southern Sudan was released on bail.
The Public Accounts Committee has to submit the findings of its investigation to the Assembly, within one month.
Juba parliament also decided to summon the Education minister within two weeks to give statement on Education status in Southern Sudan.
(ST)
oshay
South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
It just keeps getting better with the serpent SPLM doesn’t it.
Mabior Ayuen Dengajok
South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
Every Goss ministers must come to western World to see for them selves how the system and democracy works.
Every time various headlines pour about allegation of corruptions, how could this ill management be ended?
Not knowing that education is the prospect of the country, Goss must dismiss those who are accused of fraud charges, you guys have brought down the Nile commercial Bank on it knees and you turning your selves towards public funds for your own possession and, not taking into consideration that those money are for innocence children.
How could this children claim their right?
It’s by bringing those guilty to justice
I have find out that most people who got their education in Africa are most corrupted leaders compare to those who got their Western education because they know how hard it is to survive.
South tell me when are you going to change?
We should be proud that our liberation War was a “human right party” that seek total freedom for his people, from discrimination, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and so on, however since we are halfway to achieve what we fought for, we should have done really democracy at this time, by bringing those hungry leaders into justice.
They must face imprisonments of 30 to 40 years in jail, there must be no warning.
This is how Southerners learn, they don’t learn from words but action preached the words.
Ahmed
South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
good work!!! I wish the GOSS use more money in make clean and good schools. South Sudan needs to start think of wars and developing its people.
Kur
South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
Things look good in Khartoum beacuse we do not hear of any allegation of corruption there. But are they really that good? I do not think so. They do not want to talk about corruption becuase Khartoum is the safe haven of the most corrupt people on earth. We will never hear of any corruption until the NIF is gone.
On the other hand, the Government of South Sudan is going to receive some credit for trying to fight corruption. It is better to try to uproot it instead of denying it.
Matiop Panchol
South Sudan to probe alleged misuse of education funds
Reports of corruption among the GOSS officials are a big embarrassment to all Southern Sudanese. They make every loyal citizen of South Sudan to hang their heads in shame.
The signing of the CPA brought great joy, releive and hope to all the citizens of South Sudan who had spent over 20 years in toil and sorrow. The CPA also brought great enthusiasm and willingness to help from freinds and symphasizers of South Sudan.
However, all these positive expectations have been killed by the current GOSS officials through their incoherent administration and lack of accountability. Most of the officials think that they are the “kings”, “bany” or “muksuleen” and therefore they can do whatever they want. They view the normal citizens as “servants” who have no power to question them. With that mentality, most GOSS officials shamelessly steal public funds and expect no one to question them.
GOSS officials should therefore wake up and do away with the communist and military mentality that existed in the bush. They should remember that they are now leaders of a “Democratic Republic of South Sudan”. And that in a democratic system the leader is the “servant” and the citizens are the “king”.
Accordingly, I appreciate the current efforts by the South Sudan parliament to curb corruption. I also warn the officials to be aware of the fact that all the citizens of South Sudan are watching their actions very closely. South Sudanese don’t want to be let down. The government officials should do more to convince the people that they are fit to lead.
pathfinder
Parliament, PLEASE HELP. MOEST is a Circus
It would be very good if Parliament could review the progress, payments and tenders for all school construction and rehabilitaion projects funded in Southern Sudan by a. GoSS, b. the special funds donated by the Council of Ministers (as in the rehabilitation of Torit Technical Institute in Eastern Equatoria), c. the MDTF. These are the three ways construction contracts are/were awarded. The special money from the Council of Minister projects has virtually ZERO oversight.
Some contractors received payments via one or more method without necessarily delivering results in any. Quite a few contractors just rolled from one fund to the next, with the blessing of the procurement department and the ministry leadership.
Also, if you review the competitive bids that were submitted prior to contract award, you will find that the tender process wasn’t really competitive at all. This is especially true of GoSS and Council of Minister projects. Ask to see a list of names of all contractors who submitted bids and, more importantly, get the actual bids submitted and contact the companies to verify whether or not they even exist.
For MDTF, a kind of mafia ring was created among higher-ups, consultants and low-level staff, so you might not get straight answers from anyone. Since MDTF only cares about disbursements, as long as money was moving, no one cared if money-gone did not actually equate to no-schools. Only Parliament has the chance to get to the bottom of this sorry state but they better send in a few forensic accountants soon lest there be a ‘fire’ in the Ministry tomorrow.
What is the Ministry of Education? A passive NCP minister with an agenda from his own party, perhaps, to retard the education of the South. An agressive, shrewd, insatiable former Undersecretary who could always play the SPLM trump card and buy more time with Kiir, saying criticism of his administration meant criticism of the South. A new undersecretary of Higher Education who, I’m sure, is only guilty of naivete and a faith in some odd notion called nation-building. If anything, I believe she either didnt know the money was going to a personal account (not her own, btw) or she was trying to save it from being eaten by the folks in the Ministry who have been eating scholarship money for the last few years. Think about it: scholarship money was one of the largest line-items on the budget of the Ministry and yet students still begged and begged and begged. They are either greedy students OR THEY NEVER GOT THEIR MONEY. Before the new Undersecretary for H.E. there was NO COHERENT SYSTEM WHATSOVER FOR IDENTIFYING STUDENTS AND AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS, and GoSS was completely irresponsible to disburse money to MoEST without a system and database in place.
MoEST is a circus. Politics and personalities trump nation-building so if you are waiting for Sudan to give you an education, don’t hold your breath. Do your best to pick up a book and become self-taught. Your chances are better this way.
As far as trash-talking GoSS in favor of the NCP or SPLM-DC or whatever, save it, especially if you can’t make points in a worthwhile and coherent manner. Sudan in general looks like a fool – NSEW. The Northern “leadership” more interested in flogging a woman for wearing pants and repressing 90% of its population and the Southern “leadership” doing a poor imitation of the institutional crookery of its neighbors -and oppressors- and wearing its complete insecurity and inferiority-complex on its sleeve.
And both North and South begging the world for its future while resisting getting into the future.
North and South have utterly failed. All political parties in Sudan have utterly failed. No more excuses. They’re tiring, man.