National parliament sitting. September 20, 2024 (Photo: Eye Radio)

The Transitional National Legislative Assembly will summon government ministers to explain the decision to allocate land from Rumbek National Secondary School to Rumbek University of Science and Technology.

The decision follows a briefing to the Speaker of the Assembly, Joseph Ngere Paciko. Lawmakers raised concerns about the proposal after it led to debate among the public.

Oliver Mori Benjamin, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Information Committee, stated that the Assembly Business Committee views this matter as a priority. He noted that reports of the school being converted into a university required intervention from Parliament.

The issue will move to the committees for higher education and general education. These committees will call the ministers to provide details on the plan.

Rumbek National Secondary School was established in 1945. It is one of the oldest institutions in South Sudan. The dispute began after a government directive to give the school premises to the university.

Last week, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol stated that President Salva Kiir approved the plan. The Vice President said the government would build a new secondary school as compensation.

The Office of the Vice President stated that the move will not displace the school immediately. The government plans to build a new campus before any relocation, use the current site for a university health sciences faculty, use the site because it is near Rumbek State Hospital.

The government stated that building a new secondary school is more affordable than building a new university.

Despite these statements, some citizens and leaders, including Laat Maker Riak and Gai Mayen Luk, oppose the plan. They argue that the history of the school must be protected. Parliament will now review these concerns to determine the next steps.