Gabriel Changson Chang says this will create a conducive environment of learning for students and staff.

He made the statements during inauguration of the renovated administration block and other facilities at the University of Juba.

“The road projects are being funded with oil money, why not also put something small for the transformation of our public university,”Changson said.

“We are also tasked with developing qualified human resources, how do we develop that human resource when the environment is not conducive for studies? That is a big challenge. So there must be a conducive atmosphere where the students, the teaching staff are well placed in that environment.”

For his part, the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Akec says his administration has developed a master plan on how to upgrade the standard of the university.

But the concept remains on paper due lack of funds to implement the project.

“We are also developing a concept or we have already developed a concept and provided costs of University of Juba International School that includes Pre-school, Primary and Secondary school,” Professor Akec said.

“We are facing challenges of financing it and we are interested in talking to development partners, financiers and people of good will to actually help us bring this dream into existence.

“With the new development at the custom area, the only thing that is imposed by the University in the Technology City is to give us the percentage of the income that is generated and to adhere to the harmonious looks of the whole construction master plan.

“We will also accept donations or soft loans for some of these facilities depending on the interest of the donor or creditor.”

Responding to the concerns, Vice President for Service Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi says the government cannot address the challenges in a day.

He says their priority now is to ensure civil servants are paid on time.

“The government is aware of other challenges facing the University of Juba at the moment. They include inadequate lecture halls as more students are enrolled in the University,” VP Abdelbagi said.

“Few laboratories, lack of teaching equipment and inadequate staff accommodation. Regrettably, the government cannot address these issues at the same time.

“The government is making efforts to ensure that those civil servant salaries are paid on time. Together we will make the University of Juba a world class University no matter how long it will take.”

Earlier, the government approved the usage of crude oil for infrastructure developments in the Country.

In 2019, it increased the crude oil for infrastructure development construction to 30,000 barrels per day.

The additional 20,000 barrels is an increment on the 10,000 the government earlier approved for Chinese companies to build roads linking the national capital with rest of the states.

This came after the government and Chinese signed an agreement for the construction and upgrading of major national and interstate highways.

These include a 392-kilometer road from Juba to Rumbek, upgrading roads linking states of Bahr el Ghazal region to Equatoria and Upper Nile, and from Juba to Nadapal on the Kenyan border.