S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
By Julius N. Uma
September 8, 2011 (JUBA) – The South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission (SSACC) has officially presented its long-awaited annual report before the national assembly, amidst repeated calls for zero tolerance on corruption by the country’s president, Salva Kiir.
Also included in the report is the work plan and a four-year strategy.
“The campaign to completely get rid of corruption from our society should largely be seen as a collective responsibility of the government and all its organs, including members of the general public,” said Riak.
She noted that the body has already teamed up with various institutions, including the country’s audit chamber and other stakeholders to develop joint mechanisms to completely stamp out corruption.
Under the country’s transitional constitution, which came into effect with the declaration of South Sudan’s independence on 9 July, SSACC has been mandated to prosecute anyone involved in corruption.
Riak cited inadequate funding as one of major setbacks to the organisation’s activities, and appealed to the Government of South Sudan to allocate more funds to the commission.
Kum Kum Geng, an assembly member, raised a motion calling for the adoption of the SSACC report, after prolonged deliberations at an assembly session chaired by Daniel Awet Akot, the deputy speaker.
Wek Kuc Deng, the chairperson of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state anti-corruption commission said the adoption of the report was an important milestone in the fight against corruption.
“The unanimous decision by the national assembly to adopt this anti-corruption report is a positive step in the right direction. The observations and amendments made will further strengthen and empower the commission to carry out its mandate as required by the public,” Deng told Sudan Tribune by phone from Aweil, the state capital.
However, Daniel Deng, a civil society activist described the anti-corruption watchdog as a state formed institution that “lacks independence and is ever targeting small men”.
“I don’t think the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission has the power to prosecute corruption government officials as they want us to believe. They lack independence and that’s why they chase after less important people involved in petty crimes,” Deng said.
While addressing the crowds celebrating South Sudan’s independence declaration, Kiir pledged zero-tolerance on corruption and that his new government, shall be driven by effective service delivery to citizens.
Kiir reiterated this call during the 30 July Martyrs’ Day celebrations in Juba, the country’s capital.
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ocitigangpemeru
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
yes no immunise in this commission. can u imagine now she start asking for more funds rather then excuting her duty. she is also need to corupt.
Paul Chadrack
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
If the president (Kiir) is among the list of 13 most corrupt officials in south sudan, who should anti-corruption start with?.
Board1
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
She said two days ago that her commission has recover 120 million SSP. was that amount recovered from who? and if some people are involved why don’t they prescute them. I thing she is fearing to mention those big bosses
Alier42
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
The commission is being headed by the wrong person.we better live without ssacc.incase her husband invovled the scandal.Do you think she will take the right direction?no she can not.likewise to the colleagues of her husband,which mean it is waste of funds to fund that commission.
Ori' Vuni
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
This is a good idea that also to some extend will be there to govern the rest of the citizens not all. Anyone can tell me that these 13 most corrupt people in South Sudan went to the busy to later be poor.
Wanibuluk Ciciliba
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
The Commission is supposed to be a seperate section in the atorney General’s office so that they can have the maximum powers to act on the foolish and selfish individuals.
By the way, even this commission members are corrupt but don’t investigate their own crimes.
Antigraft
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
you are right board1. This report is just a botch. It reminded me of another one done sometimes back by Audit chamber. Most of these reports do not contain substances in them. The report is manipulated and made to blindfold us that there is accountability in this country. there is none. Now if the parliarment was seroius and concern about the public plight they should have refused the report and sent it back for review. Just for example, when one member of parliarment Hon Akol Paul Kordit raise a motion in parliarment asking for authencity of the report while was suprise some expected names to be inculed in the report were missing, then parliament should have capitalized on his argument and pick from there to raise more questions about the report if it was indeed comprehensive. But the parliarment just proceeded to adopt a report with no clear and obvious corruption cases. If there were any then parliarment would have mandated the ssac to pursue the case in court where particulr persons will be parraded before investigators to plead. But these proceures are eithers news to the people who are running our affairs or they are just pretending. We are finished. This country is being managed by thieves.
Lokeji
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
It will be very easy for me to believe if someone tells me that the nile water turns to flow from north to south than to buy the notion that Dr pauline commission will eradicate the rampant corruption in the infant state.Dr pauline will get an approval from the parliament but still the commission will continue to be feeble,because in the end of the day her report have to go through the office of the president and it’s here that many things goes wrong,the president in such matters alway turn to consults his ground who are the really culprits and actual perpetrators of corruption in south sudan, this guys through out the six years of the interim, there were alot of changes that took place within kiir’s administration but they manage to survive all these years.Therefore as long as kiir is the president of south sudan, stop dreaming of eradication of corruption and effectiveness of anti-corruption commission, bcoz kiir will never allow his kitchen boys to be convicted of corruption charges and he will continue to protect them.
Now a new opportunity is been presented to them to loot, i.e the building of the new capital, if you analyze critical why there are not representative from the parliament and the anti-corruption commission for this huge project?
acuil deng
S. Sudan parliament adopts anti-corruption report
If the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent body which is not, then its action is not only a waste of public money but also a loss of public trust. Which will put the president in a collision course with his own cabinet, something Salva Kiir Mayardit has been avoiding all the time.