Part of my daily life now days is to check for the country news and updated. I did subscribe to a Google alerts as it fetch related news to my g mail inbox. This news caught my attention.
"www.newsudanvision.com January 31, 2009 (Khartoum) - Southern Sudan is faced with problem of underdevelopment since colonial period through post independence and during the independence era in the Sudan. The economic backwardness and inequitable distribution of wealth is also contributing to the underdevelopment of the Southern Sudan. The word ‘underdevelopment’ is defined as an economic situation in which there are persistent low levels of living in conjunction with absolute poverty, low income per capita, low rates. Another definition for underdevelopment is the state of an organism or of an organization (e.g. a country) that has not reached its maturity.
When we read the above two definitions; it's totally worse in Southern Sudan although economic because imbalances have caused the South 21 years of civil war with the Khartoum Government which ended in Nairobi, Kenya on 9th January 2005. The above definition also shows that we are still under absolute poverty and total low income per capita though the county hasn’t yet reached its maturity.
The CPA is now nearly four years and nothing has been achieved so far with exception of roads network to the rural areas which have also contributed to reduction of transport cost throughout the country. The economy during these four years is still doomed when quoting from one of the early Economist Dewett as he argues that an economy will be considered underdeveloped when: a} if its per capita is low, b} if the natural resources and manpower in the country remain un-utilized or under-utilized on account of lack of economic development. When viewing Dewett’s argument regarding our economy for the last four years, it tells us that our people in the South are not utilizing the resources they have, but depending on 50% of oil revenue from Khartoum (dominated Oil Commission).
The underdevelopment in Southern Sudan has been subjected to high levels of corruption which has affected the proposed developmental projects in the entire country. The world now recognized corruption to be one of the world's greatest challenges. It is a major hindrance to sustainable development, with a disproportionate impact on poor communities and is corrosive on the very fabric of society. The impact on the private sector is also considerable - it impedes economic growth, distorts competition and represents serious legal and reputational risks.
The historical review of corruption for the last four years shows that SPLM as a ruling party in the Southern Sudan is losing popularity it had gained for the last 25 years. The majority of the people are subjected to embezzlements of funds from their GOSS in the few ministries.
A hungry man is an angry man. The corruption has caused the citizens in the Southern Sudan to be subjected to hunger which has contributed to its insecurity in various states. When also looking at the gap between the poor and the rich within four years, it's so wide.
The day when corruption is stopped in Southern Sudan will be the day we shall say goodbye to poverty, conflicts, crimes, etc. The question shall always ring in our minds that if corruption is stopped because the people who are supposed to create awareness on corruption are the people practicing it. The poverty created by corruption in the South has really affected the citizens in one way or another. The dream of achieving the independence of the South shall remain in quotes to its citizen unless civic education is provided in the entire nation.
The corruption and the underdevelopment of the Southern Sudan may take another century even if we achieve referendum for independent entity in the South Sudan in 2011."
