Alfred Futuyo, Governor of Western Equatoria during the 5th Governors Forum in Juba. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye radio - 29th November 2021

Western Equatoria Governor Alfred Futuyo said on Friday the national government often remits less annual budget to his bankrupt state in comparison to other states.

Futuyo was responding to recent allegations that he misappropriated the 2022/2023 state fiscal year budget.

Speaking at the 7^th Governor’s Forum, Futuyo said when his government proposed a budget of eight billion pounds, it only received 12 percent of the budget – a billion pounds.

The governor said he wonders why the national parliament should summon him, and not the Minister of Finance and Planning for remitting less budget to the state.

“Yesterday (Thursday), I heard here when Central Equatoria State presented, their budget is 11 billion SSP and they were given the money, and they are working in the state.”

“But for us in Western Equatoria, our budget ceiling is 8 billion SSP, and from the 8 billion, when we discuss our budget to be passed, the national government sends us only 1 billion [SSP], how can we pass a budget with only 1 billion?”

“If the financial year ends, they say governor stole the money, let him be summoned by the [national] parliament, is this really true, does it even make sense, is the parliament supposed to summon me or the person who took the rest of the money?”

He said the state is broke and the national government should meet its obligation by releasing all the state transfers as passed by the parliament.

The governor also claims that there are individuals – that he declined to identify – who are against his administration.

“We the people of Western Equatoria we don’t have money, I don’t know whether they don’t want us or what is it exactly.” Could it be that they don’t want my state, or it is me that they don’t want? I know it is me they don’t want.”

In September 2023, furious Futuyo said he would not appear before the national parliament, describing it as politically motivated.

He was responding to a motion raised for his summon on allegations that he misappropriated the missing salaries of civil servants in the defunct Amadi, Maridi and Tombura States.

He later honored the summon and appeared before the national parliament where he vehemently denied stealing the fund.

Following the summon, the national legislature directed the national Minister of Finance to produce remittances made to Wester Equatoria State government in 2022.