By Onyi Itara, SOUTH SUDAN,
Opinion.
Oct 1, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — As always, bad news keeps coming. Three South Sudanese army soldiers were killed and fifteen others injured after clashes erupted at Yei military barracks in Central Equatoria State [Sudan Tribune doing the rounds on Tuesday 30th September]. As reported, the clashes centered on salaries.
So, when shall the issues of salaries end? On the ground, citizens are rock-bottom; they need money to cater for themselves, their families & the country but there is no money. Told to wait for a month, nothing is coming out; told to wait for two, three & four months, still nothing is coming out. What do you expect for instance?
Mr. President has miserably failed! Where is the oil money aaa? He uses it to buy the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces to protect his weak government [SPLA-IG]. He pays them in US dollars [$] while starving his very own veterans [South Sudan Defence Forces], even when the little money [for peanuts] comes, it will have been after two, three, four months; most dissatisfying!
No try is given when critics lament the outside-cash-splashing. Instead he continues to say “UPDF will not leave South Sudan.” What? When the UPDF are harvesting “the unnecessary” from us! As if this is not enough, he continues to harbor foreigners in the country. Kenya control banks and insurance companies and take the ‘pesa’ back to Kenya. Ethiopia control hotels and lodges and take the money back. Khartoum invest in the country and take the money back. Uganda control both transport & food supply etc, and take the ‘cente’ back, Eritrea control the Juba waters & fish and take the money back, Somalia control petrol stations and take the money back. The NGOs shield away his citizens from ‘juicy-jobs’ and take the ‘huge sums’ back to their respective countries etcetera and etcetera.
Where is then the money to pay the army, police among others? The author hears he has turned to borrowings, does he know the effects? In total, he is unable to find solutions to the ever lingering challenges to his government/country. The only option left for him is to look in the mirror and quit.
The nascent country needs the money [that goes out] to facilitate construction of good international & inter-states roads [so we transport things without hassle], to facilitate construction of hydro-electric stations [so we have a 24/7 electricity supply], to facilitate supply of water in the city and other, to facilitate the improvement of agriculture [so we have enough food and exports], to construct primary and secondary schools & tertiary institutions [so we stop going outside for education & retain the money], to facilitate construction of big hospitals across the states [to end diseases], to facilitate sports development, and most importantly, to train & motivate our very own national army [South Sudan Defence Forces] & police [so they act professionally & stop harassing citizens at odd hours in the city] among others.
These are the national projects on which the money should have been spent instead of splashing cash outside each day that passes by. He made promises but nothing was coming out of them. So, what is left is nothing but “quitting” so a room is left for the likes of Dr Riek Machar Teny, Mama Rebecca Nyandeng, General Lado Gore etc to catapult the young nation to the next level as they seem to have a clear vision!
The author lives in South Sudan. Kick him hard at onyi.itara@gmail.com
