Memoscar Lasuba, Author at Eye Radio

Governor Adil calls for budget discipline as govt kicks-off fiscal year

Posted on November 2, 2022November 2, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The governor of Central Equatoria has called for budget discipline as the state government kicks off the 2022/2023 fiscal year.

Emmanuel Adil Anthony assented to the 16-billion South Sudanese pounds state budget yesterday, paving the way for its disbursement.

According to the budget, five-point-one billion pounds will be spent on salaries for civil servants and constitutional post holders, and 6.7 billion pounds for delivery of goods and services.

While capitation and conditional transfers to the County, Payam and Boma levels constitute around four billion pounds.

Addressing the Cabinet Ministers Tuesday, Adil called on them to stick to what they have planned and budgeted for.

“My guidance on this new budget is we need to be a serious government. We need to maintain budget discipline meaning sticking to what we have planned for and budgeted for unless there is an emergency then we can spend outside of the budget…” he told his ministers.

The governor said he is going to relieve himself from any paperwork to do with the budget and directed those with concerns to the ministry of finance.

He called on his government to build a reserve to deal with unforeseen situations such as natural disasters.

“You will discover the issue of floods, these are crises – even the IDPs and so on that we have not planned. We need to have a reserve so that we will be able to respond. That’s why budget discipline is the key.”

Meanwhile, governor Adil instructed the ministers to submit quarterly accountability reports and ensure local administrators account for their expenditures.

Foreign Affairs says yet to receive report on Dr. Chol’s death

Posted on October 27, 2022October 29, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Seven years on, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is yet to receive any report regarding the death of a British citizen, Dr. Ding Chol Dau. Continue reading “Foreign Affairs says yet to receive report on Dr. Chol’s death”

Even nuns watch porn, Pope says, warning of risks

Posted on October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Pope Francis has warned priests and nuns about the dangers of watching pornography online, saying it “weakens the priestly heart”.

The Pope, 86, was responding to a question about how digital and social media should be best used, at a session in the Vatican.

Pornography, he said, was “a vice that so many people have… even priests and nuns”.

“The devil enters from there,” the Pope told priests and seminarians.

As to how to navigate social media and the digital world, he said that they should be used but told them not to waste too much time on it.

“The pure heart, the one that Jesus receives every day, cannot receive this pornographic information,” he said.

He advised the group to “delete this from your phone, so you will not have temptation in hand”.

Church teaching sees pornography as an offence against chastity.

GBV court convicts man, associate for kidnapping campus girl in ‘forced marriage’

Posted on October 26, 2022October 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Gender-Based Violence court in Juba has sentenced a man to 18 years imprisonment, and another to eleven years for aiding him to abduct a University of Juba girl in a forced marriage.

32-years-old Ring Deng will spend 10 years in imprisonment for kidnapping, 7 years for attempted rape, and another year for causing hurt to the 26-year-old campus woman.

“Ring sentenced to ten years imprisonment for kidnapping survivor to compel her marriage in contravention of section 273 of the penal 2008, ” Judge Amun shared the verdict with Eye Radio’s newsroom Tuesday.

“Two; Ring is sentenced to seven years in prison for attempted rape in contravention of section 247 rate together with section 63 of the penal act 2008,”

“Three; Ring is sentenced to one year in imprisonment for voluntarily causing hurt to the survivor in contravention of section 233 of the penal act of 2008.”

While his associate, Yak Ring Tong, 27, is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for aiding the victim’s abduction.

“Yak is sentenced to ten years imprisonment for the joined act of kidnapping the survivor to compel her marriage in contravention of section act 273 read together with section 48 of the penal act of 2008.”

“Yar is sentenced to one-year imprisonment for voluntarily holding hurt to the survivor without provocation in contravention of section 232 of the penal act 2008.”

Both convicts, according to the court presiding judge Francis Amun, committed the crime in March this year.

Prime culprit Ring Deng is fined two million South Sudanese Pounds while Tong is fined one million pounds as a reparation to Victim Jane, not her real name.

The court gave the convicts 15 days to appeal against the verdict.

The Gender-Based Violence Court, supported by the United Nations Development Program – UNDP has so far convicted dozens of men since its establishment in 2020.

R-TNLA ‘overwhelmingly’ re-passes controversial constitution-making bill

Posted on October 24, 2022October 25, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The national parliament has re-passed the final reading stage of the disputed constitution-making process bill, 2022.

The draft constitutional bill was passed for the second time after it was recalled when the peace parties resolved the rift among members of the August House.

In July, a section of the parliament unilaterally passed the bill in the absence of SPLM-IO lawmakers who were boycotting sittings at the time.

But Monday’s sitting has endorsed the constitutional-making bill to the final stages.

John Agany, the spokesperson of the transitional legislature said the bill is only awaiting the signature of president Salva Kiir Mayardit to pass it into law.

“The bill has been passed into its final reading and it will make the way to the president where it will be passed [ ascended] to law. So, congratulations to the national legislative assembly for passing this important bill which has been called for by the agreement,” he said.

“It is one of the bills that will prepare the nation of South Sudan to have a working permanent constitution. and it is one of the important bills that will invite the grassroots to participate in this important constitution-making process.”

The Constitutional Process Bill was submitted to the transitional parliament by Justice Minister Rueben Madol in April this year.

According to the peace deal, the draft bill is expected to guide the establishment of a legal framework to govern the permanent constitution-making process.

It also aims to guarantee good governance, constitutionalism, rule of law, human rights, and gender equality as key benchmarks for the conduct of general elections by the end of the transitional period.

The National Constitutional Amendment Committee was established in line with the 2015 peace deal to spearhead constitutional amendments in the country.

Presidency instructs governors, commissioners to open political space

Posted on October 22, 2022October 22, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Presidency instructed state governments and administrators not to obstruct parties to the peace agreement in their spheres of influence.

The Presidential Affairs Minister Friday said all the parties are working under one government through the 2018 peace accord, and the presidency ordered free political space.

The peace parties have been faced with hindrances by the other in areas that are not under their control.

“It’s clear that now, there is only one government. So, the instruction to all governors, all the commissioners of the counties, they should allow all the parties that are members of the peace agreement to conduct their political activities without obstruction,” Marial said.

Each political party has accused the other of harassing and intimidating their agents for establishing their offices and conducting political rallies and campaigns.

In August, the SPLM-IO Secretary-General Regina Joseph Kaba said her members had faced continuous” harassment of its fellow party members and supporters across the country.

She raises the concerns after the recent detention of some SPLM-IO members by security forces in Lakes State, an SPLM stronghold.

Kaba had led a delegation to Rumbek town for a political event last week when some of her team members were arrested upon their arrival in the area

She said their supporters were wearing an SPLM-IO blue T-shirt when they were apprehended, an allegation Lakes State government spokesperson denied.

The Chairperson of the state Human Rights Commission, Malok Makol Bol was among those briefly detained.

On the contrary, the SPLM Party also has often time accused the main opposition SPLM-IO of blocking it from campaigning in some counties under the control of its commanders, an accusation Machar’s party refuted.

At the weekend, the SPLM interim secretary general, Lamb Both accused the SPLM-IO of obstructing the party from establishing the bases in its areas and called for free political space

She called on the SPLM-IG to allow freedom of expression and open political space, as enshrined in both the revitalized peace agreement and the interim constitution.

However, the presidency on Friday directed all levels of government to open up the political space for the peace parties to conduct their activities freely

“This is a clear message, to open space to all political parties. There are no close areas or certain parties, it is now open to all,” Mariel said.

South Sudanese are expected to go to polls in 2024 by the extended peace agreement to usher in a democratically elected government.

However, the implementation of the key provisions of the peace agreement such as making a permanent constitution, registration of political parties, and conduct of a national census are fundamental to the process.

Weapons mandatory for next batch of unified forces -Barnaba

Posted on October 22, 2022October 22, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The unity government has declared as mandatory for the second batch of soldiers from the various peace parties to report with their weapons to the cantonment sites.

The decision was reached during the presidency meeting on Friday.

According to the Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the presidency resolved that the soldiers expected to report to cantonment sites must carry their guns.

Failure to do so, the individuals will be turned back.

“Those who are going for the second time to join the cantonment sites, those armed groups from various parties, should be sped up,” Mr. Marial announced.

“Those who will be going to the cantonment sites will only be accepted when they come with their weapons,” he added.

The 2018 peace agreement provides for training, graduation, and the deployment of 83, 000 unified forces from the various peace parties across the country.

In a separation resolution, the presidency recommended the deployment of recently graduated forces to mainly hot spot areas in the country.

So far, more than twenty thousand of the unified forces have graduated, pending their deployment in November by the extended peace implementation roadmap.

President Kiir recalls Unity State governor

Posted on October 21, 2022October 22, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

President Salva Kiir has recalled the Unity State governor, Joseph Monytuil days after he left Juba for the state capital Bentiu.

The Presidential Affairs Minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin announced this to reporters following a presidency meeting Friday afternoon.

“His Excellency President Salva kiir recalled the governor of Unity State, Dr. joseph Monytuil to report Juba. He was here of course but went back,” Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin Announced.

The purpose of the urgent call is unclear.

But this has come three months of relative peace in the state after the extrajudicial killing of senior military officers who were aligned to General Stephen Buay .

The summary killing followed the killing of Mayom County Commissioner, Chuol Gatluak Manime in July.

After the incidents, the state was mired in a series of protests by some youths who called for his removal.

Some of the protesting youths were reportedly arrested and tortured forcing others to go into hiding for fear of their lives.

Presidency summons WES governor, his deputy to Juba

Posted on October 21, 2022October 21, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Presidency has summoned the Western Equatoria State governor and his deputy to Juba.

“In the meantime, the governor and his deputy should report to Juba under the instruction of the First Vice President,” the Presidential Affairs Minister, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters Friday evening.

This comes after a week-long standoff between Alfred Futuyo and his deputy, Kennedy Gaaniko who have traded accusations over administrative malfunctions in the state.

Last week, the state government fell apart after deputy governor, Gaanika announced he and cabinet ministers from SPLM-IG, SSOA, and FDs withdrew their active participation in state affairs.

The dissident group accused governor Futuyo of suspending the regular council of ministers meeting indefinitely to dodge questioning over the alleged reduction of civil servants’ salaries.

Gaaniko also claimed that the governor and state finance minister unilaterally cut civil servants’ salary arrears without consulting the director general of finance and the cabinet.

However, members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and former political detainees distanced themselves from the deputy governor’s claims.

Meanwhile, governor Futuyo dismissed the allegations saying, the deputy governor and the director general conspired against him to cover up stealing money from the state coffers.

In response to the feud, the presidency has called the rivaling leaders to Juba for consultations with the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar.

Meanwhile, Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the Presidency has resolved to dispatch a national team to investigate the dispute between the governor and his deputy.

“The government is going is going to send a national team in order to go and investigate WES to find out what is going in that part of the country and that the national investigation team report to the national government.”

The yet-to-be-reconstituted team is expected to submit the final report to the presidency.

Fatal Indonesia syrup medicines banned after death of 99 children

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The deaths of nearly 100 children in Indonesia have prompted the country to suspend sales of all syrup and liquid medication.

It comes just weeks after a cough syrup in The Gambia was linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children.

Indonesia said some syrup medicine was found to contain ingredients linked to acute kidney injuries (AKI), which have killed 99 young children this year.

It is not clear if the medicines were imported or locally produced.

On Thursday, Indonesian health officials said they had reported around 200 cases of AKI in children, most of who were aged under five.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over four cough syrups that were linked to the deaths of almost 70 children in The Gambia.

The WHO found the syrups used there – made by an Indian pharmaceutical company – contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The syrups have been “potentially linked with acute kidney injuries”, said the organization.

Indonesia’s Health Minister on Thursday said the same chemical compounds were also found in some medicines used locally.

“Some syrups that were used by AKI child patients under five were proven to contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that were not supposed to be there, or of very little amount,” said Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

However, he did not disclose how many cases involved toxic medicines.

Indonesian authorities said the cough syrups used in The Gambia were not sold locally.

One epidemiologist said the true death toll could be even higher than reported.

“When cases like these happen, [what we know is] the tip of the iceberg, which means there could be far more victims,” Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist from Griffith University told BBC Indonesia.

Indonesian authorities have so far not disclosed the brands or types of syrup medicines linked to sick children – instead just temporarily banning the sale and prescription of all syrup and liquid medicines.