Memoscar Lasuba, Author at Eye Radio

Over 60 thousand candidates to sit for CPE mid-February

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The General Education and Instruction Ministry of the government of South Sudan has released the schedule for Certificate of Primary Education examinations for the academic year 2022.

The week-long exams will conclude on February 17.

“The examinations begin on Monday 13^th February 2023 and end by Friday 17^th February 2023″, Minister Awut Deng Achuil announced Wednesday 25.01.2023.

Minister Awut Deng Achuil says despite insecurity and feeding challenges in some parts of the country, the country has managed to register a huge number of candidates.

A total of 60,714 candidates including 34,505 males and 26,209 females have been registered to sit for the exams on February 13 this year.

She calls on the supervisors, invigilators, and security operatives to ensure the integrity of the exams.

The minister says those involved in managing the examinations have been provided a guidebook to read and understand their roles.

“As I wish all the candidates the best of luck in their examinations, I would also like to draw special attention to the supervisors, invigilators, security, and police that the assessment of students and the integrity of the examination process are of great significance to the South Sudan Examinations Council.”

According to the timetable shared with Eye Radio newsroom, the first test is on Religious Education, followed by Science, English Language, Social Studies, and Mathematics respectively.

The Minister says non-candidates, especially in schools selected as examination centers will have to stay home during the examination week

CES demolition committee starts retrieving land from grabbers

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

A Central Equatoria state demolition committee has identified five illegally occupied places and retrieved one within Juba city.

Some of the illegally occupied places belonged to churches while others were playgrounds.

“We have St. Michael Chapel church in Juba-Nabari, which belongs to the Episcopal Church (ECS), we have already dealt with that and retrieved the place and handed it back to the church people,” Fredric Laku Raymundo, the demolition committee head said.

Other premises include the Kenya Embassy at the Wewe Market, Christ the King chapel at Juba-Nabari and an industrial area formally occupied by Sudan Aid at the Mauna area.

Laku said the committee is going to notify the illegal occupants to leave the identified areas peacefully or else they will face forced eviction.

” This is a warning, we will inform them to leave the place,”

“But those who want to cause problems then we also will deal with them violently. We are ready for any eventualities”

Laku added that the exercise marked the state’s efforts to resolve cases of grabbed pieces of land in the state and prevent the occurrence.

Cabinet Minister Dr. Elia seeks UN support in election preparations

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

Cabinet Affairs Minister has asked the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to provide electoral assistance to the government ahead of the upcoming general elections.

In a letter dated January 24, 2023, addressed to Nicholas Haysom, UN chief in the country, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro asked the mission to provide comprehensive support to the government and relevant institutions as the country prepares for elections.

“There is a need to begin planning for establishing the legal framework, reconstitution of the national elections commission, and working with political parties, civil society, and the media to raise public awareness”, Elia said.

This, according to the minister, will also help create conditions for the inclusive preparation of the citizens.

He said South Sudan would be grateful if necessary steps could be immediately taken to work towards the goal through the provision of electoral assistance to the upcoming elections.

Dr. Martin also added that ” the government believes with the continued support of the UN, the country will be able to build its institutions in a sustainable manner and promote transparency, integrity, accountability, and inclusion.”

The UN Mission in South Sudan is yet to respond to the request of the government.

However, barely two weeks ago, the head of the UN mission in South Sudan said he had been engaging the leaders, the National Election Commission, and other stakeholders in the preparations for elections.

The UNMISS boss said a free, fair, and creditable election needs a conducive environment in which people can engage and participate in the process.

Nicholas Haysom stressed this will allow for open dialogue, debate, and campaigns to take place.

The 2018 peace deal obligates the peace government to organize elections sixty days before the end of the transitional period, which the unity government has extended for another two years.

Prerequisite to the election, the agreement expects the permanent constitution to be completed and enacted before a new National Elections Commission organizes the polls.

With the extension of the transitional period, the election is expected to be held next year.

Detained Arsenal fans freed in Uganda

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

Some eight Arsenal fans who were arrested in the Ugandan city of Jinja after celebrating the club’s win against Manchester United in the English Premier League have been released.

They were wearing the club’s red jersey and carrying a symbolic trophy during their arrest on Monday.

Police said they didn’t have a permit to hold the procession which is a public order offence.

But on Tuesday a joint security team agreed to free them with a caution, said James Mubi, the regional police spokesman.

One of the fans told journalists that they would “seek for permission [to celebrate] if Arsenal wins the premier league”.

“We shall have the celebrations in Bugembe stadium,” the self-proclaimed ambassador of Arsenal in Uganda added.

The police spokesman claimed the fans did not know the basics about the club – that they didn’t know which year Arsenal had their unbeaten run and had named a former Ugandan goalkeeper as an Arsenal player.

Canadian govt avails $4.1m in school feeding program

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Canadian government has contributed over 4 million US dollars to support the school feeding programs in three states in South Sudan.

The 5.5 million Canadian dollars which is equivalent to $4.1 million shall be implemented by World Food Programs in 79 schools in Bentiu, Unity State; Kuajok in Warrap State and Rumbek in Lakes State.

Julius Egbeyemi, the Chargé d’ Affaires at the Canadian Embassy in South Sudan said the funding is part of his government’s support towards improving quality education in the country.

“Canada is very pleased to be able to support World Food Programs in South Sudan and Somalia with 11.2 million of which half of it, 5.5 million will contribute directly to the school feeding programs in South Sudan”, he said.

“This contribution is well aligned with Canada’s existing contribution of over 40 million in education programming to improve quality education and school attendance especially for girls,” he added.

For her part, the Minister of General Education and Instruction welcomed the support saying, it will help in the retention of children in school.

According to Awut Deng Achuil, a data from the 2021 education census indicated many schools under feeding program had good attendance.

“Therefore, if we want to address the problem of 2.8 million out of school children in South Sudan, We must provide feeding in schools to retain our children and especially those who are vulnerable.

School feeding program is a strategy designed to improve school attendance and enhance the production and purchases of food within the country.

The program was suspended in April, 2022 due to funding shortfalls where about 178,000 children were affected.

According to the Ministry of General Education and the children-agency, UNICEF, there are about 2.8 million children out of school across South Sudan.

Disunity biggest threat to SPLM, party S.G warns

Posted on January 24, 2023January 25, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The new SPLM Secretary-General has called on the members to guard the party against what he describes as “overzealous political elements Continue reading “Disunity biggest threat to SPLM, party S.G warns”

BoSS directs commercial banks to close all govt bank accounts

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Bank of South Sudan has written to commercial banks to close all government bank accounts. Continue reading “BoSS directs commercial banks to close all govt bank accounts”

Uganda starts drilling first oil well

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

Uganda on Tuesday reportedly started drilling its first oil well in the Kingfisher oil field, the state petroleum agency said.

It is hoped that by 2025 the first of a potential 1.4 billion barrels of oil will be pumped from wells across the mid-western region.

“Today we mark another milestone and move a step closer to first oil with the launch of the drilling of development and production wells for the Kingfisher oil fields,” the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) said on Twitter.

President Yoweri Museveni is due to officiate the event.

The Kingfisher oil field is operated by China’s CNOOC, while the second Tilenga oil field is operated by France’s TotalEnergies.

Judicial Review Committee renews plea for mandate extension

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Judicial Review Committee has again appealed to the Unity government to extend its mandate as it will expire by Friday. Continue reading “Judicial Review Committee renews plea for mandate extension”

AMDISS calls on NSS to open space for media

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Association of Media Development in South Sudan has called for cooperation between the National Security Service and journalists ahead of the Papal visit due early next month.

Pope Francis, the Archbishop of the Canterbury Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland will arrive in Juba on 3 February after spending two days in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, AMDISS called on the National Security Service to re-review to convene a meeting and review the media space in the Country ahead of the visit.

In a statement shared with Eye Radio newsroom, the association said it has noticed with great concern, some media institutions were recently blocked from covering events in the country.

“Such cases and others, translate into the uneasy relationships between the Media and government security organs”, the statement partially read.

“Some of these emergencies brew mistrust among journalists and security organs and threaten a such for vibrant and pluralistic media in South Sudan is South Sudan”, it added.

AMDISS stressed that the media play a vital role in connecting the people with the government through disseminating crucial information and appeals for cooperation between the media and the security apparatus.

However, the association called on journalists to strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct for the practice of Journalism in South Sudan.

It has advised the media to register and obtain accreditation for the coverage of the Papal visit.