Upper Nile state trains 30 establishment officers to control corruption

The state ministry of Labour and Public Service in Upper Nile conducts three-day workshop for 30 establishment officers in various government institutions.

The workshop begins from 22^nd – 24^th Oct under the theme:  “building honest and effective public service.”

The training was opened by Governor Simon Kun Puoch this morning.

The training was organized to prepare the participants for better layout of pay sheets, recruitment of new employees and how to organize files for workers.

The establishment officers will also keep an eye on how promotion system is done in the state.

Simon Kun told the participants to organize the system of files keeping and better salaries presentation to the government employees.

Kun said if there is an improved system corruption can be easily controlled. He told the officers to curb the complained of losing files in the state

The minister for Labour and public service, Aban Makol, said the officers will look into payrolls to discover cheating names in various government departments in the state.

Aban told the participants to give accurate information and public service regulations to their ministers so that they cannot recruit new employees without vacancies.

Upper Nile University Graduates over 2, 500 graduate

The Vice chancellor said, the university is graduating about 2, 572 graduates.

The graduates are a six-year generation who accomplished their studies in the university from 2006 to 2012.

The graduation ceremony was the first of its kind in South Sudan since independence under theme: “Upper Nile University graduates for Quality education, prosperity and development of the new nation.”

The Vice Chancellor Bol Deng Chol, congratulated students and their parents and relatives for the achievements they have reached.

Professor Bol said, “The University has managed to arrive to the end of the academic year passing through many challenges being lack of teaching staff, infrastructures, students’ accommodations, reference books, laboratory equipment, electronic libraries and scientific research centres.”

He asked the government of South Sudan to avail scholarships and training opportunities to teaching staff so that they become more qualified.

Like any other universities in South Sudan, Bol said the Upper Nile University is badly affected by the austerity measures declared by the government after the closure of oil wells.

“The cut of housing allowances in salaries if not address, may affect the interest of teaching staff and workers in the university,” said the vice chancellor.

Though the Ministry of Higher Education has said that there is no students’ accommodation in the universities Upper Nile University has continued supplying students feeding on its own.

The contractor has not paid student feeding for a yearlong but the university shoulders it.

Bol said, the issue of student feeding is very sensitive and it needs to be looked into by the government of South Sudan.

“If this issue is not treated well the opening of the next academic year will be threatening,” he said.

He appealed, to the government to struggle for the sustainable stability of higher education in the country.

The Graduation was attended by the chairman of the University Administration Council Pagan Amum Okic

Amum called for education promotion across the country especially higher education to cope with development in various sections in the country.

Amum pointed out that taking care of university environment is fundamental to ensure bringing up competent generation that will be capable to work and deliver good services to the country in upcoming period.

Amum said it is a responsibility of graduates to transform the traditional knowledge of our people into the modern ones.

“It is not possible that the country keeps its position of becoming the last to get its independence and also the last in development forever. We must change it,” said Amum.

Amum said the country is rich in resources so it needs qualified workers who are nationals so that they work for the good of their country.

He asked the local communities and leaders in greater Upper Nile to support the university.

Upper Nile University academic registration starts

The new academic registration for Upper Nile University has started on Monday Jan., 16.
The University Secretary of the Academic Affairs, Dr. Wani Anthony said the institution has formally reopened.
“We came out with the resolution of the Dean Board on 3rd of this month that the university is officially opened on the 5th of Jan and the registration and interview of the new students start on 16 respectively,” explained Wani.
Upper Nile University academic activities got closed earlier last year due to the South Sudan referendum arrangements and did not resume very quickly because of lack of teaching staff and infrastructures according to the academic secretary.
Wani exposed that most of the lecturers in the university used to be Northern Sudanese but as a result of South Sudan independence they went back to their country.
“We are starting in spite of the difficulties the institution is facing but we have decided that our students cannot stay away for one year again.”
However, Wani revealed that the difficulties differ from faculty to faculty.
“The faculties of Education, Animal Production and Human Development have no problems. We have 90 percent of their teaching staff.” Citing out that the problems are in Human and Veterinary Medicine faculties.
Regarding faculty of Human Medicine according to Wani, it will operate in Khartoum at Bahri University with all its senior students from 3rd up to sixth year except for the new admission of 2011/2012.
“We have signed a memorandum with Bahri University in Khartoum to allow our medical students to complete their studies in Sudan,” said Wani
Wani said though northern students were asked by Khartoum to go back, some Darfur and South Kordufan students decided to continue in Upper Nile University. According to him they will be given normal consideration.
Dr. Wani said the institution has enough space of lecture rooms that can take 600 students. He added that students’ hostels are arranged two months ago and ready to be used if the students come in. “The contractor is there on ground to give students the needed services in their hostels.”
Dr. Wani Anthony asked the Government of South Sudan to give salary of the university staff on time in order to attract new employees to come from abroad to work in South Sudan universities.