S. Sudanese fellow urges citizens to prioritise national interests

October 11, 2015 (BOR) – A South Sudanese fellow has appealed to the country’s citizens from all walks of life to consider the nation first by taking its full ownership in their hearts.

David Malual Wuor, the dean of the college of education at Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology just returned from United States after 12 weeks of a Washington fellowship sponsored by president Barack Obama.

He decried what he described as lack of the sense of belonging among South Sudanese.

Malual specifically cited cases of corruption, which he said was making development programs much desired by those at the grassroots over the last 10 years of post-war era.

“We don’t have ownership of South Sudan in our hearts, we think South Sudan belongs to elders and elders think South Sudan belongs to the young ones. No one takes the ownership of the country, and this is why there are cases of corruption here and there,” he said.

The Mandela Washington fellowship is a scholarship rogram by president Obama meant to train African young leaders in leadership skills, specially in three areas. These are public management, civil leadership as well the business and entrepreneurship field.

Malual said it was time president for African leaders to bring change to the continent.

“The best way is to belief in yourself that this is your country, you own the resources, and you are responsible for the actions that you take whether you are young or old”, he said.

A total of 500 scholars from Africa participated in this year’s fellowship in the US. However, only five South Sudanese selected to take part in the three-month program.

(ST).