Mar 25th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudanese have accused the office of the country’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, of employing a foreigner and of fraud after social media users circulated a passport photo of a lady named Animu Risasi Afekuru and an application document for the South Sudanese nationality bearing the logo and seal of the Ministry of Interior and that of the Directorate of Nationality Passport and Immigration.
Akol Ayom Wek, a journalist, wrote on his Facebook page saying “I just cannot understand the intention of appointing a foreigner into BIG offices. A Ugandan working at the vice president office whilst we have our own qualified South Sudanese women seeking for the job around Juba. I failed to understand why H.E First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai appointed this lady in the first place and yet when we talk [against the governement] they call us unpatriotic citizens”
In the passport, the lady appeared to be a Ugandan national and was born in Uganda, however, according to the application form for the South Sudanese nationality, usually obtained from the Directorate of Nationality Passport and Immigration, the lady was born in Juba in 1983 in contrary to the Ugandan passport circulated with the form.
A source attached to the office of the First Vice President told Nyamilepedia that the lady has been working for the office of the first vice president as IT secretary since December last year.
The source added that the lady has been a South Sudanese national after acquiring the South Sudanese nationality in early 2014.
Similar cases have been on the rise since the new nation started to issue nationality identity cards and passports.
Nyamilepedia could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents. However, if true, this will question the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.
