Juba, 22nd October:
A normal human psychic is telling anyone in South Sudan that something is terribly going on wrong especially in dealing with national issues of great concern, namely the issue of Passport and secondary school examinations. After the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly Rt. Hon James Wani Igga declared the positions of Parliamentary Specialized Committee vacant on technical grounds, another MP also raised an issue of concern in relation to the use of Arabic language besides the English language in the August House. The said MP urged the House to provide a table-translated Arabic version of every agenda discussed for those MPs who don’t read or write English.
Hon John Luk Jok, the Minister of Justice became hot on the matter telling the house that any translation made in any other language apart from English which is the constitutional official language would contravene the wording of the Transitional constitution of the republic. He mentioned that Arabic is an unrecognized language in this nation; therefore any translation made in Arabic would amount to a violation of the constitution. The minister was actually telling anyone who has not touched Constitution that there are constitutional clauses that should not be tampered with whether it means the sunset in the midday.
Minister Jok was in the spirit of respect for the supreme law of a sovereign land which is the Constitution, our pride as a nation.
On the contrary, the Minister of Education, Hon Joseph Ukel was recently quoted by media saying that South Sudanese students with Arabic background education are allowed to still be sitting for Sudan secondary examinations in the North for a period of three years, meaning continuing with Arabic as a medium of communication of course.
Meanwhile, the government of South Sudan is spending a hell of money on capacity building for government employees who don’t read and write in English. In these two statements, the application of logic and commonsense have all gone defeated not rightly but due to a lack of coordinated efforts from senior government of officials. Sometimes it can be referred to as ignorant of the application of law
I doubt if there are parents ready to sacrifice the future of their children on the expenses of maintaining a cordial relationship with the republic of Sudan in the shallow pretext of continuing sitting for examinations whose papers will not earn them living at the end of the end. The reality on the market in South Sudan today is that holders of English certificates are on the safer side, and what if you give it another two more years?
To me, continuing with the examinations from the republic of Sudan is just going to be deliberately spoiled chances because the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan is very clear in white and black. Who is that to violate it in favor of unrecognized language?
If at all there is a language to recommend your child to sit, for now, it should be constitutional recognized South Sudanese national languages. We are done with Arabic business after all use of two official languages promotes inefficiency in public offices and it is documented in the last six years of the CPA.
Second, to that, the public has been promised a new passport as soon as the flag of the new republic is hoisted up on the 9th of July, and as if we had known the goal post was shifted to September and again to October.
The communication from the new occupants of the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs now is that December is the deadline for receipt of the document. A great amount of time consumed preaching an equivalent of lies would literally be translated into a lack of initiative especially when the public comes to digest the presidential 100 days timeframe.
Indeed lack of passport and Sudan examinations could be seen as of less interest to policymakers because they are busy moving up and down running their side businesses, while their kids are attending prestigious schools that would enable them to compete for all kinds of jobs.
Conclusively, the lack of passports and continuation of Sudan’s examinations are altogether executive dumping strategies meant to keep the majority of citizens away from the realities of the competitive dynamic world of today. A passport is a constitutional right even if it means curving wood, melting metal, or solidifying water into papers passport, we need it with marketable quality education.
The writer is a journalist working in South Sudan, and he can be reached
