Contributor factors to corruption

The word corruption becomes most widely spread terminology used in South Sudan, it looks like a very strange and unpleasant term for communities that have never experienced such situation previously. Some people argue that it was bad habit that southerners adopted or inherited while living in Diaspora.

 

For me this argument may be partly true, but partly it is a generalization and falsified claim, for there is cultural taboo within some communities in south which never regard stealing as a sin but as strength and bravery. So if we wish to eradicate such phenomenon called corruption, we must be willing to correct this destructive cultural taboo apart from that it will be impossible to reduce this problem in our system.

First contributor factor to corruption in south Sudan nation is individual greediness which influences them to acquire money wrongly, such a person could use every means to enrich himself with public funds in devious and deceptive ways, this is one of reasons you find ghost names in pay sheet. In fact those ghost names might not find their ways into pay sheet if the bosses are not corrupted, because bosses are suppose to check everything before they approve it. Some year's back one accountant in Malakal was sent to Khartoum for course, and unfortunately he authorized his wife to receive his salary, at the end of the month the wife went to get her husband wage. Surprisingly, the woman was shocked to find out that the salary of his husband was very low compared to what her husband used to give her. In unbelievable mood she refused to take that money. In the back of her mind, she thought that the cashier had cheated her. Why? The amount of money she used to receive from her husband monthly does not match with the one she received. Do you know this deception accountant usually fills pay sheet with ghost names which he collected at the end of month. Merciful God reveals his weakness through his wife. This may be good indicator that most ignorance women didn't know how much salaries their husband received and they just enjoyed stolen money with their kids. Wise women must know the income of their husbands and must question any extra money given to them by husbands to avoid curses upon entire family. On the other hand, some wicked women cause their husbands to become thieves as a result of their high demands.

Second contributor factor is having many families which demands more wealth to sustain their needs; this is strong pressure that caused many weak heart leaders to embezzle the public funds for their families. Sadly enough appointed leaders in ministerial positions, started marrying more women, and instead of reducing their burden they add more problems. Indeed, when they lose these positions their financial conditions become more bad than before, and this reduces them into mentality breakdown stage. With sympathy and compassionate understanding some people might not regard them as corrupted because their stealing has  a genuine reason but logical they are corrupted for they had misappropriated the public funds which are not allocated to their families. Although marrying many wives is an individual affair but it has gross effect on public affairs.

Third contributor factor is divided family which is eminent among us, for almost all ministers in Republic of South Sudan and ten states their families are not in the south, some might have genuine reasons for being away, but others have no clear reasons for living abroad. For sure the wages they receive monthly is not enough to cater for abroad families and themselves. Logically, because of financial constraints and difficulties they face, most of them might have been drawn into corruption practices.

Fourth contributor factor is extended families, barely when a person is appointed as minister; most members of extended families become bothering and burdening on them. They look at minister as source of enrichment to the family, forgetting that this minister is only receiving salary like any ordinary civil servant. I think the weakness is not only on extended family member, who came for assistance, but real weakness goes to the minister who failed to clarify to his people his financial struggle. In order to please their relatives for political gain, some ministers usually try to create ghost contracts so that they can feed extended family members. Please you could proof this by yourself by visiting the houses of appointed ministers; you will be shocked to find out that those houses are over congested by relatives. Where such ministers could get needed funds to feed such huge people? You know the answer. Other ministers will try to recruit their relatives and clan in their ministries as way to reduce financial pressure on them; this is why you find some ministries occupied by one clan. So in my opinion the question of nepotism will not die out easily in our nation unless extended families problem is going to be address thoroughly.

Fifth contributor factor is lack functionary law in place, this implies that no true governing law that can question any accused person, who was involved in corruption. Lack of functionary law in our nation, had empowered the relatives of accused minister to remove their members in custody by force, since then the case die a nature death. Indeed, if there are real rules and regulations that govern our nation such example could have not occurred.

We shouldn't be blind to assume that the corruption is simple issue that could be handled easily, if you observed careful, you will come out to conclusion that most of us are involved in it, in one way of another knowing or unknowing. Here let me give you true story narrated to me by a friend that ‘'one Diaspora fellow visited capital Juba and his own funds got finished because market was very high compared to where he came from, and he beg his friend with who he resided for assistance. The fellow did not ask how much this bankrupt Diaspora wanted, he just put his hand under his bed and bring out sum of money and give it to  the man without accounting it'' The Diaspora was terrified and upset of the way our people handled the money in the south . How could he claim back such money without knowing how much he loaned to him? If this Diaspora received that offering without question, he became involved in corruption. Indeed, if we received unusual funds from relatives or friends without question, we have participated in corruption. For me many people preach about corruption but in first place they are most corrupted people under the sun.

Do you see why the government seems inept to fight against corruption, the obvious reasons could be argued that everybody was infected by sickness called corruption; surely it is impossible for sick person to educate another person about deadly disease he suffered from. Even though some voices were raised about seriousness of corruption in the new state, but the process to root it out is completely inertia. For it could argue that the corruption and bad governance are inextricably linked. What make war against corruption so difficult in south may be majority of leaders holding ministerial positions came from cultural background which never regards stealing as a sin? Enhance the corruption is not a problem or embezzlement of public funds is not an issue, for it is full right of the leaders in positions to take whatever they wish. Today this cultural taboo and wickless seem to be incorporated in our system. Indeed, wide spread corruption in south Sudanese is normal to people who come from that culture that, the only people who are frustrated and disturb, are people who come from cultures that never promote stealing. Presumably the corruption became inflexible phenomenon in our new nation, because it has it root in some cultural beliefs within some communities. We could agree that this misconception called corruption had introduced mischievous attitude in our nation Republic of South Sudan. Therefore, war against corruption must be precedence by all citizens, if we wish to have healthy nation, if the government of Republic of South Sudan failed or mishandled this killing virus, for sure we will have terrible night mare as the consequence in near future to come.

In fact ‘'five critical steps'' which our President Kiir declared two weeks ago, made me to question myself, how will President Kiir be determined to accomplish his promises in statically system? Failure to fulfill his promises will make people more skeptical about the system.

President Kiir pledged to fight corruption is good news for the south. This pledge includes investigating the diverted funds and passing new laws to regulate government contracts. Hopefully for his decision to be implemented may demand courageous stand from President Kiir because many members of his government are involved in corruption. How will it be possible for President Kiir to deal with corrupted people he considers as qualified people to run his government? I wonder if this will be attainable easily in south Sudan, believe me or not for any accused person as corrupter by Anti-Corruption Commission, his supporters and members of his family will take it negatively and accused the government of targeting their member, and they can argue that the President is against their family, clan, tribe or against their entire community and this decision could make situation more problematic rather than being a solution to the problem. To avoid conflict and unrest in the new formed government in the south, I would suggest the followings points to be considered:

1. The law must be implemented but after systematic awareness to the people about the impact and implication of the law on individual or community that may mean the government must educate its people through the media. When citizens become enlighten it becomes easy for state to endorse those laws.

2. The state must stress that all appointed ministers or high official public servants must declared their assets before they hold any given positions.

3. The state must close dirty unbalanced sheets of the past six years and term it as wilderness period, whereby people were operating in vacuum of no law. The people whom we are suspicious should not be part of new system, this will restore the hope of people. Specifically I don't support pardoning sins committed intentionally or unintentionally, but my point here is that we must be willing to open new chapter and try to minimize the tension which is mounting today in Juba that may destroy our new born nation.

4. Unless the leaders remove the logs in their eyes, it will not be possible to endorse any law in this newly independent Republic of south Sudan. We will continue barking like mad dogs but nothing will materialize. If you want transformation and transference it must begin with the leaders and automatically will influence people to change dramatically.

5. President Kiir your'' five critical steps'' will have great impact on your subjects if they see your actions, because character and conduct matter more than words.