By Atok Dan Baguoot
It was earlier this month when the president of the republic Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit together with the minister of Interior Hon Gen Alison Manani Magaya officially inaugurated processes of registration of persons in which citizens are issued varieties of national documents ranging from age assessment certificates, national Identity card to passport. It is ongoing very neatly. What remains questionable is how the workforce assigned is handling this work.
Having scanned through the forms and the nature of information needed from respondents, they are well detailed in a simple and clear language. The design and format are also professional in standard. Now the awkward part that I saw when I glanced through the forms after being filled especially part handwritten is that quite a good number of personnel assigned to fill these forms don’t write legibly and interpreting questions to respondents is also questionable.
Inasmuch as the majority of them come from an Arabic education background, understanding the questions to interpret the application is a bug. When I glanced through several forms already filled, my eyes met with a lot of mistakes. Among these mistakes are the usage of surname, state of origin, ethnicity, place of residence, and many others.
The handwriting on paper is as illegible as that of a child in primary two class.
It is this very misinterpreted information that the experts seated on computers will definitely key into the system as data leading to distorted facts. A cousin of mine sharing the same name with me had his first name written as a surname and each of his dependents had a different surname. Imagine all these dependents are his kids and the wife and each had a delink parentage association judged by their names. I thought my kids can have the same surname as me except for the wife who might have retained her parental names in our South Sudanese Africa way.
In such a case, there is no way a graduate from an English education background can fail to differentiate between surname, place of birth, place of parents’ origin as well as current residence. These people making all these simple mistakes are Arabic graduates because I don’t think whether the migration staff who recruited them had also recruited primary school kids.
In fact, the majority of people who graduated in the North do pretend to be literate in both Arabic and English languages but in reality, they are not. Indeed there are those who had gone to good schools in the north to warrant such qualifications. This number is meager compared to the huge chunk who had only mastered English alphabets neatly.
Mr. Maduot Parek, the gentleman in charge is a person who likes to go for professional work. Nobody has notified his office of all these messes that are taking place. Let our Arabic language learned brothers and sisters first polish their English language before they take up crucial positions which need occupants to be linguistically literate enough so as to minimize errors. Of course, forms were designed in the English language to conform with the constitutional requirement, and there is no way you can be denied that inalienable right to work in this republic but you have to do some dos before you apply in such a public scrutinized position.
Our passports and national ID cards have to spell our names correctly. Time has gone expired for when Arabs use to tell us that African names are difficult to pronounce and write. Besides that, there should be a reduction in those northern practices of standing with a witness before one qualifies for issuance of any of the national documents. Am sick of being asked to present a birth certificate or its equivalent before I can apply for any other documents. First of all did our lawmakers really pass such foreign procedures of doing things? It is absolutely not and where did we find it, it was acquired from the North.
If up to now there is still only one health clinic in my county of over a hundred thousand inhabitants, no single hospital, where do you logically think I was born in or if I had passed the whole of my childhood age without a single sign of immunization or vaccination, do you reasonably really expect my mother to produce a birth certificate for herself and me.
In addition to that, I might be the only person from my family residing in Juba, probably the other person is in Wau or serving in the army in Torit, can the lack of a relative to witness the procession of my documents be a barrier? Yes, there could be a few of us who really need cross-examination to establish their true identities or foreign persons of origins wanted to capitalize on a legal lapse to get registered, such are rare cases and they can be handled by the experts assigned in the process.
Issuance of national documents is the birthright that needs nobody to represent me in any case. Am truly objection to all the rigorous processes that do not have legal bases or even culturally in the context of South Sudan as a nation. We need to do a simple thing in South Sudan and that is to desist from the northern way of doing things unless it is legally anchored in our law. Representing me to acquire my nationality right is not a legal affidavit at all. Laws of every country or land are derived from their customs, cultures, and practices.
Atok Dan is a media expert residing in Juba. He can be reached at atokbaguoot@gmail.com
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Does the cabinet’s decision to halt oil production require us to tighten our belts once more?
Atok Dan Baguoot
As a matter of brute facts, the decision taken by the cabinet to halt production of oil through its executive decisions is indeed the right step which would have gone far earlier than this given the magnitude of mistrusts and breaches of several accords by the NCP in partnership with the SPLM.
It goes without remembering a saying that goes “if a man deceives me once, shame on him, if twice shame on me”. At the onset of everything, SPLM was quite aware of the political dishonesty of its partner NCP and how sluggish it was to execute national projects relating to CPA and the unity of the country. Theft of oil is as old as the lifetime of the CPA started when Global Witness gave a tip on differing figures in the share between the two antagonists.
NCP had excelled in political molestation. It had teased several political parties in the arena and quite handsomely won the battle. SPLM was the litmus test it also failed in the same tricks. It had denied SPLM the portfolios of Energy and Finance at the very beginning of the accord. The giants of the NCP only persuaded SPLM to settle for Foreign Affairs, a position which almost set SPLM ablaze. Protecting and rejuvenating the image of a country ruined for decades became a daunting task for the SPLM especially standing as a representative of a president known for war crimes internationally. Of course, a minister is an employee of the boss Mr. President.
Now that the cabinet of South Sudan has pulled off the lid on Pandora's box on the economy of Sudan and South Sudan, something is touchy and nervous for both nations. This late decision means a lot to Sudan likewise South Sudan whose daily livelihood depends on oil. To Sudan of course the only exit is to mobilize the north against the South, especially in areas of still shared interests, the Heglig and Abyei oil fields. It is the only applicable strategy in healing this economic septic wound the South has inflicted upon it. Mobilizing ragtag militias along chaotic borders seems to be immediate on its table, while South Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan state rebellions are sacrificial lambs in the economic mess.
For our case here in the South, the decision means tightening our belts harder, reducing daily volumes of our baskets on the market, especially amongst the used-to-be well-off families. Reduction of executives and legislators benefits with their aimless foreign daily traveling on public expenses. The decision would mean strengthening and boosting the roles of foreign diplomats representing us in foreign countries. This is curtailing the number of staff accompanying them on foreign trips.
This could be summarized into a very serious austerity measure where the government would be forced to reduce the number of redundant workforce leading to an automatic reduction of the cost of maintenance. In this round, the resourceful loose hand government will embark on tough measures in controlling its worthless daily expenditures. The already government on piped projects would be withheld in order to preserve cash in areas of imminent threats like border security.
If we are to survive with less economic pressure, taxes on goods and commodities would also follow the same trend of reduction so as to impact market exorbitant prices. GoSS needs not to be told this time round that the importation of worthless “V 8” cars are less important to the public. In other parallel security sectors, like the army, police, wildlife, and fire brigade, it is a sure deal that capable, manageable, and sizeable force is what we are going for. If up to now SPLA has not to sort its poor money management of carrying money in boxes by the cashiers, this is a late call to refrain from that. SPLA general headquarters also needs to give accurate numbers of their soldiers who shall be payable through the issuance of service identity cards to avoid paying none existing officers. In regard to this former minister of Labour, Hon Awut Deng Acuil had belted hard on civil servants sometime back. Fictitious names on payrolls were weeded off.
To our brothers still engage in the battle of cattle in Jonglei, we either bury our hatchets earlier because the season would be a bad season where no neighbor minds of his neighborhoods. Already the government has got enough problems in its basket to solve with money. Maintaining huge displaced persons with together with our luxurious foreign houses or families would amount to conflicting decisions. Remember that cost of building a pipeline to rescue our potbellied stomachs is a serious bottleneck that the government would never afford to go without, likewise feeding our auxiliary machines (the auto machines and mobiles) needs the government to be on its toes.
Another area where the government needs a serious curtailment is foreign training in the name of capacity building. The government should be keen enough to shut that corridor down completely unless it is of great immediacy or unless it is sponsored by our development partners. A huge amount of money has gone to training that is fruitless at the end of the day. Example paying on scholarships and costly foreign examinations which do not have benefits even to people that they are meant for.
Atok Dan is a media specialist residing in Juba. He is reached at atokbaguot@gmail.com
As a matter of brute facts, the decision taken by the cabinet to halt production of oil through its executive decisions is indeed the right step which would have gone far earlier than this given the magnitude of mistrusts and breaches of several accords by the NCP in partnership with the SPLM.
It goes without remembering a saying that goes “if a man deceives me once, shame on him, if twice shame on me”. At the onset of everything, SPLM was quite aware of the political dishonesty of its partner NCP and how sluggish it was to execute national projects relating to CPA and the unity of the country. Theft of oil is as old as the lifetime of the CPA started when Global Witness gave a tip on differing figures in the share between the two antagonists.
NCP had excelled in political molestation. It had teased several political parties in the arena and quite handsomely won the battle. SPLM was the litmus test it also failed in the same tricks. It had denied SPLM the portfolios of Energy and Finance at the very beginning of the accord. The giants of the NCP only persuaded SPLM to settle for Foreign Affairs, a position which almost set SPLM ablaze. Protecting and rejuvenating the image of a country ruined for decades became a daunting task for the SPLM especially standing as a representative of a president known for war crimes internationally. Of course, a minister is an employee of the boss Mr. President.
Now that the cabinet of South Sudan has pulled off the lid on Pandora's box on the economy of Sudan and South Sudan, something is touchy and nervous for both nations. This late decision means a lot to Sudan likewise South Sudan whose daily livelihood depends on oil. To Sudan of course the only exit is to mobilize the north against the South, especially in areas of still shared interests, the Heglig and Abyei oil fields. It is the only applicable strategy in healing this economic septic wound the South has inflicted upon it. Mobilizing ragtag militias along chaotic borders seems to be immediate on its table, while South Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan state rebellions are sacrificial lambs in the economic mess.
For our case here in the South, the decision means tightening our belts harder, reducing daily volumes of our baskets on the market, especially amongst the used-to-be well-off families. Reduction of executives and legislators benefits with their aimless foreign daily traveling on public expenses. The decision would mean strengthening and boosting the roles of foreign diplomats representing us in foreign countries. This is curtailing the number of staff accompanying them on foreign trips.
This could be summarized into a very serious austerity measure where the government would be forced to reduce the number of redundant workforce leading to an automatic reduction of the cost of maintenance. In this round, the resourceful loose hand government will embark on tough measures in controlling its worthless daily expenditures. The already government on piped projects would be withheld in order to preserve cash in areas of imminent threats like border security.
If we are to survive with less economic pressure, taxes on goods and commodities would also follow the same trend of reduction so as to impact market exorbitant prices. GoSS needs not to be told this time round that the importation of worthless “V 8” cars are less important to the public. In other parallel security sectors, like the army, police, wildlife, and fire brigade, it is a sure deal that capable, manageable, and sizeable force is what we are going for. If up to now SPLA has not to sort its poor money management of carrying money in boxes by the cashiers, this is a late call to refrain from that. SPLA general headquarters also needs to give accurate numbers of their soldiers who shall be payable through the issuance of service identity cards to avoid paying none existing officers. In regard to this former minister of Labour, Hon Awut Deng Acuil had belted hard on civil servants sometime back. Fictitious names on payrolls were weeded off.
To our brothers still engage in the battle of cattle in Jonglei, we either bury our hatchets earlier because the season would be a bad season where no neighbor minds of his neighborhoods. Already the government has got enough problems in its basket to solve with money. Maintaining huge displaced persons with together with our luxurious foreign houses or families would amount to conflicting decisions. Remember that cost of building a pipeline to rescue our potbellied stomachs is a serious bottleneck that the government would never afford to go without, likewise feeding our auxiliary machines (the auto machines and mobiles) needs the government to be on its toes.
Another area where the government needs a serious curtailment is foreign training in the name of capacity building. The government should be keen enough to shut that corridor down completely unless it is of great immediacy or unless it is sponsored by our development partners. A huge amount of money has gone to training that is fruitless at the end of the day. Example paying on scholarships and costly foreign examinations which do not have benefits even to people that they are meant for.
Atok Dan is a media specialist residing in Juba. He is reached at atokbaguot@gmail.com
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Life past the glimpse of hope
By Atok Dan Baguoot
For the first time in a score of years,
when the sun, the moon, and the galaxies of stars
turned away from the orbit.
It was a day doomed to end life, soul, and oxygen
Life past the glimpse of hope,
For the first time in a score of reasoning,
smile, frown, and laughter of happiness
turned into a mere cry of babies
life and soul mesmerized by the events of the day
a day doomed to an end of breathing oxygen
it was when the abdomen of pregnant mothers aches
but no neighborhood helps
It was when no glimpse of hope seems to guide tomorrow
For the first time in a score of years,
a bride and groom tend apart in anguish.
It was a day when twelve hours of the night add up in imagination
It was a night when couples drop the duty of caressing touches
The bitterness of no glimpse of hope
Life and hope were yoked under the merciless burden of time
Life past the glimpse of no hope
For the first time ever,
fathers and mothers began abandoning their loved angels
in the quest for new hope.
Life was doomed to an end
Ordinary oxygen tends into hot carbon dioxide,
seas of waters melted into a swarm of fires,
mirages of savannah lands eroded into ashes,
and the soft germinating buds protruded into thorns
It was a day of curses and regrets, an unforgettable day
Life was with no glimpse of hope
For the first time the traditional astronomers
failed to name seasons,
to differentiate between January and December,
June and July.
It was a season of no harvest, no planting.
Men and women of high integrity bent their traditional norms
in survival.
They tried unexpected; they steal from others’ farms
Life was doomed to an awkward ending,
mothers cry the cries of babies
and babies sing their own lullabies like wallabies
It was life short of hope, no glimpse of hope
For the first time in life,
peaceful tribes locked horns in bitterness,
for the first time sound of the horn of dangers locked doors of peace.
It was a time of no mercy but mercilessness reigns the region
It was a region in ruinous shape.
Silence reigns the confusion
It was time for an end to hope, not even a glimpse of hope
For the first time in a score of years,
when the sun, the moon, and the galaxies of stars
turned away from the orbit.
It was a day doomed to end life, soul, and oxygen
Life past the glimpse of hope,
For the first time in a score of reasoning,
smile, frown, and laughter of happiness
turned into a mere cry of babies
life and soul mesmerized by the events of the day
a day doomed to an end of breathing oxygen
it was when the abdomen of pregnant mothers aches
but no neighborhood helps
It was when no glimpse of hope seems to guide tomorrow
For the first time in a score of years,
a bride and groom tend apart in anguish.
It was a day when twelve hours of the night add up in imagination
It was a night when couples drop the duty of caressing touches
The bitterness of no glimpse of hope
Life and hope were yoked under the merciless burden of time
Life past the glimpse of no hope
For the first time ever,
fathers and mothers began abandoning their loved angels
in the quest for new hope.
Life was doomed to an end
Ordinary oxygen tends into hot carbon dioxide,
seas of waters melted into a swarm of fires,
mirages of savannah lands eroded into ashes,
and the soft germinating buds protruded into thorns
It was a day of curses and regrets, an unforgettable day
Life was with no glimpse of hope
For the first time the traditional astronomers
failed to name seasons,
to differentiate between January and December,
June and July.
It was a season of no harvest, no planting.
Men and women of high integrity bent their traditional norms
in survival.
They tried unexpected; they steal from others’ farms
Life was doomed to an awkward ending,
mothers cry the cries of babies
and babies sing their own lullabies like wallabies
It was life short of hope, no glimpse of hope
For the first time in life,
peaceful tribes locked horns in bitterness,
for the first time sound of the horn of dangers locked doors of peace.
It was a time of no mercy but mercilessness reigns the region
It was a region in ruinous shape.
Silence reigns the confusion
It was time for an end to hope, not even a glimpse of hope
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A little journey of learning
By Atok Dan Baguoot
Mine is as little as any other little journey,
A soul-searching journey,
Started on the foot of a tall house of pride
As a lonely little boy herding cattle in the swarm of Upper Nile,
Squarely faced by realities of the long struggle,
Disciplined by a bitter sense of death
The core concept of every struggle,
seen and tasting the nastiness of war
What did I learn in that little costly journey?
It is none other than bitterness,
A remorsefulness of losing loved ones,
moving barefooted on thorny and rocky grounds,
walking distances taller than my childhood ambition
nodding and napping while trekking
trans-nights like nocturnal
It is a life rashly spent aching,
a life spent etching with lice and lies,
echoing on the egos of gilts-edge,
full with boyish recklessness
Doomed to death,
but on the mercy of nature,
we emerged alive and well
Mine is as little as any other little journey,
A soul-searching journey,
Started on the foot of a tall house of pride
As a lonely little boy herding cattle in the swarm of Upper Nile,
Squarely faced by realities of the long struggle,
Disciplined by a bitter sense of death
The core concept of every struggle,
seen and tasting the nastiness of war
What did I learn in that little costly journey?
It is none other than bitterness,
A remorsefulness of losing loved ones,
moving barefooted on thorny and rocky grounds,
walking distances taller than my childhood ambition
nodding and napping while trekking
trans-nights like nocturnal
It is a life rashly spent aching,
a life spent etching with lice and lies,
echoing on the egos of gilts-edge,
full with boyish recklessness
Doomed to death,
but on the mercy of nature,
we emerged alive and well
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