Memoscar Lasuba, Author at Eye Radio

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.

Abyei intellectuals, UN envoy separately met President Kiir over Ngok status

Posted on October 20, 2022October 20, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

President Salva Kiir held separate talks with Abyei intellectuals and a UN envoy on the status of the disputed South Sudan-Sudan border area.

The Abyei intellectuals who were invited by President Kiir included Ambassador Dr. Francis Madiing Deng and Dr. Luka Biong Deng.

Speaking to the state-run TV, SSBC Wednesday evening, the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin said, the meeting was to gather views of the Abyei leaders.

Dr. Marial added that the consultation was also meant to clarify misinformation on social media about the status of the contested region.

“They had a long conversation with the president on the issues related to the status of Abyei, this was a great meeting, it brought views especially with a lot of misinformation in the social media, to be brought so that there is some clarity in the unified position and sticking to the final status of Abyei as reflected in the Abyei protocol and the other areas that added to finding a permanent solution to the crisis that is happening, sadly in Abyei were a lot of people are dying.”

For his part, Ambassador Dr. Francis Mading Deng stressed the need to restore stability in the area, saying the people of Abyei are desperate for peace with their neighbors.

“In the meantime, the people of Abyei are in disparate needs for security and stability, services, development ro running their affairs, having good relations with their neighbors, stabilized the situation,”

“And when the relations between the Ngok Dinka and neighboring communities are stabilized, the result will be positive in the relations between the two countries,”

“The committee that has been reconstituted by the president with a sub-committee that is dealing with resort development in Abyei is critically important because our people need some evidence to bring them security, and stability for them to return to those areas where they have been forced to leave.”

However, in a separate meeting Wednesday, President Kiir also discussed with the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Serwa Tetteh ways to resolve the final status of Abyei.

She said she came to explore what has changed since South Sudan and Sudan reconstituted joint committees and the opportunities to resolve the status of Abyei.

“I very much looking to continuing to work with the government of South Sudan under the leadership of His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit doing my turn in this particular position. and I look forward to also being good to share his participation to brief colleagues within the UN system,’

“And also the UN Security Council on the development that has taken place recently. I particularly note the reconstitution of the Abyei committee, as the establishment of the sub-committee, and what that changed. And what opportunities are provided.”

Last month, President Salva Kiir said achieving the final status of Abyei is a top policy priority for the government of South Sudan.

He called for patience among the Abyei residents, saying the policy of the government has not changed the status of Abyei as stipulated in the 20005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Kiir said the issue will require an amicable solution that will benefit South Sudan and Sudan including the bordering communities.

Mentally ill Nzara man hacks trader to death, injures another

Posted on October 20, 2022October 20, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Authorities in Nzara county of Western Equatoria state are holding a man for allegedly hacking to death a foreign trader and wounding another in the town.

37-year-old, Zaiko Patrick who is believed to be mentally disturbed, used a machete to cut Mohammed Abdulrahman, 35, and another trader identified only as Adam.

“This person died yesterday [Wedhnesday] is by the name Mohammed Abdulrahman, who is well known by the name Mohammed Shab. So he was cut to death,” Nzara County Commissioner, Zizi Richard told EyeRadio.

“The other, Adam is still now in the hospital for treatment.

The motive of the assailant is not clear, but Commissioner Richard said the suspect had psychiatric problems in the past and he was improving.

“There is not a particular issue to be mentioned, but he had a psychiatric problem,” he said.

“It was yesterday [wednesday] when I came to discover that this particular Zaiko killed his own brother some years back when his brother was taking care of him [while ill].”

The incident in Nzara town market at around 1:30 PM on Wednesday.

Eye Radio could independently verify the suspect mental health.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in power

Posted on October 20, 2022October 20, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned as UK prime minister in a statement outside Downing Street

She said she could not deliver the mandate on which she was elected as Tory leader and had notified the King that she was resigning

There will be a Conservative leadership election to be completed within the next week, she said

“I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen.”

Her departure after 45 days in the office makes her the shortest-serving PM in UK history.

Truss’s premiership has been in turmoil since her mini-budget last month, which rocked markets and was later scrapped by her new chancellor

The resignation of her home secretary on Wednesday and a chaotic vote in the Commons sealed her fate

Zimbabwe approves long-acting HIV prevention drug

Posted on October 19, 2022October 19, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Zimbabwe has become the first country in Africa to approve a long-acting injectable drug that prevents HIV transmission.

The first two injections of Cabotegraviror CAB-LA are administered four weeks apart, followed by an injection every eight weeks.

The drug has received regulatory approval in two other countries, the US and Australia.

Zimbabwe will begin rolling out the drug after regulators approved its use. The authorities say it will provide a crucial layer of protection for risk groups.

Large-scale studies of the drug showed a 79% reduction in HIV risk compared with oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, according to the World Health Organisation.

Zimbabwe approved a long-acting HIV-preventative vaginal ring earlier this year.

While African countries have dramatically reduced the number of new HIV infections, adolescent girls and young women remain at risk accounting for 63% of new infections last year.

R-TNLA spokesperson fumes over MP Tong’s $15K health allowance donation

Posted on October 13, 2022October 13, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Chairperson of the Specialized Committee of Information in the National Legislature has criticized his colleague Deng Tong Kuol who donated his medical allowance to his community.

John Agany hails from the same area as lawmaker Tong.

On Tuesday, Tong, a national lawmaker representing Aweil North County in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, donated his 15,000 US dollar – medical allowance to flood-affected victims.

The medical allowances, approved by the parliament and disbursed by the finance ministry, have so far received mixed reactions from members of the public.

Some members of the public have commended the lawmaker for the gesture of generosity.

But Parliament spokesperson John Agany criticized the move saying generous Tong acted outside the August House business code of Conduct.

“He does not even know the conduct of business and he is by the way claiming to be a lawyer. I describe it as one way of blindfolding the public in his donation of the money.”

“If I were to take fifteen thousand US dollars and give it to my Payam which is constituted to be less than seventy thousand inhabitants, what help does it do to my people? Will it build a school? Will it build a road? Will it build even the Payam headquarters,” Agany asked.

The medical allowance was disbursed last week barely two months after the national legislature passed a SSP 1.4 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022/2023.

300 S. Sudanese who abandoned passports in Uganda to face law

Posted on October 13, 2022October 14, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Directorate of Immigration and Passports says it is considering opening a criminal case against 300 South Sudanese whose passports were recovered by the Ugandan Authorities.

The 300 passports and 174 nationality identity cards handed to the immigration office last week, were collected since 2015 from different locations in Uganda.

Leutenant General Atem Biar Marol who is the Director of the Immigration and Passport Department told reporters in Juba that some of the documents were used as payment guarantees for hotel owners.

“Others go to stay in hotels and prove their passports, and at the end of their stay, they leave their passports and run away,” Biar said.

Others were abandoned at border points in Uganda.

General Biar threatened to register the names of the individuals and sue them in court.

He also warned that the Immigration and Passport Department will not issue those implicated new passports.

“We will register their names and open a criminal complaint against them, and we will stop anyone who submits the procedures for obtaining a new passport if his name appears on the list.”