By Mading De Manyok
August 23, 2013 (SSNA) — Everyone does promise and promise always makes you a person who keeps promise. When the lean government was form last week but one after dissolution of huge government in July 23, 2013, all the appointed national ministers makes their promises base on their priorities of what South Sudanese people urgently demand. The National Minister of Finance, Commerce and Economic Planning Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, has promise to raise non-oil revenues upto 90 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) within 100 days of taking office as a minister. Hon. Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, the national minister of Defence and Veteran Affair promise to keep the discipline within the SPLA forces, Hon. Aleu Ayieny Aleu National minister of Interior and Wildlife Conservation promise to keep laws and orders within organizing forces and the rest made their promises after they were welcome by the respective undersecretaries ministries.
It is not bad to make the promise, but when the promise is not well calculated when and how to achieved that promise, it make citizens to lost hope when the time frame for that promise bound. To calculate one hundred days in simple mathematics of nursery/primary schools. One hundred days are equivalent to two months of thirty two days and two months of thirties days to make it seventy two day plus twenty eight days -all can make up five months in total. Making one hundred days an ending point is vital indeed. It gives us proper accountability of what we are supposed to do when we are assigning for a duty.
However, there are several implications involved in doing work within one hundred days. We are aware of them. In the independent occasion day of July 9, 2011, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit declares his promise within 100 day when sited in office as head of state which he said and I quote "To provide more opportunities for our children to learn, we have invested in teacher training. The teacher training institute in Aweil has been handed over which is the first step in the plan to train 7, 000 teachers in the next three years,” I believe President Kiir promise had widen our eyes clearly whether the citizens can receive another one hundred days promises or not. All the public universities operations in the country are not functioning due to lack of implementing President 100 days promise.
Not that promise alone, there was also promise of peace and security within South Sudan for 100 days, combating corruption, eradicating nepotism and tribalism in all public institutions with those promises remain unresolved and we still keep reminding our citizens of all the promises we made. It will be hard to convince people whose expectations were in high demand but remain hijacked. Thus, none of the promise mentions by the president had ever been achieved; cattle raiding are in high number in all ten States of the Country, child trafficking which is biggest crime, insecurity, corruption is rampant in public offices, tribalism, nepotism and other form of misconduct in public offices are continuing.
So, where is the 100 days promise President was talking about?
South Sudan is not the only country to make one hundred days promises. US President Barrack Obama for instance promise several facets during his first 100 days in office 2009. After completing his 100 days in office, President Barrack tries by all mean to keep his promises alive. After reviewing his achievement within 100 days in office, President Obama said…..We are off to a good start, but it is just a start, “I am proud of what we have achieved, but I am not content. I am pleased with our progress, but I am not satisfied”. “Even as we clear away the wreckage of this recession, I have also said that we cannot go back to an economy that is built on a pile of sand — on inflated home prices and maxed-out credit cards, on overleveraged banks and outdated regulations that allowed the recklessness of a few to threaten the prosperity of us all,. “We must lay a New Foundation for growth — foundations that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century,” It was very clear promise by promising what he can though some promises remain unfulfilled but American can believe in him because implementing three-quarter of the promise he made. Well, President Barrack make all American people to believe in him because of implementing what he promise though some promises were not accomplished. He deserves a credit in his 100 days promises.
Still, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during his presidential campaign as Jubilee candidate, he promises Kenyan citizens to believe on him when he is elected as president; President Uhuru Kenyatta Promise to do many things in his first 100 days in office as president of Kenya. President Kenyatta promise to abolish maternity fees; provide access to public health centers to all Kenyans and ensure that all school publics joining class one in public schools next year will receive laptops. Though President Kenyatta wins an election in hottest seats from his challenger Mr. Raila Odinga, some promises had never been achieve since he assume the office.
I think the new government has now implementing their 100 days promise. Interior and Wildlife Conservation Minister Hon. Aleu Ayieny Aleu has begun implementing his 100 days promise by making an order of banning all foreign Motor riders. That order was made for security reason and I support Hon. Aleu for implementing that promise. Though security remains great challenge within the country, it needs more effort.
As we all know that the country is under austerity measures, the new Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economy Planning Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni need to double his effort by controlling all the non-oil revenues to achieve his 100 days promises of collecting SSP 90 Million. Our non-oil revenue is big enough to benefits the country but due to eroded system within, it only make individuals to benefit most then the entire citizens. Resources are being misused by individuals, for instance Personal Income Tax (PIT) Funds, Passport and Immigration money, Custom and others non-oil revenue are being mismanage by individual, and if well manage, then our country economy can’t longer depend on oil revenue. Promises are for records, and if well done, your names will continue, but if opposite, then your generations will be blame for your promises until the end. So make the promise and do mine for your linage generations to come otherwise I will end with this favorite quotes from Paulo Coelho
“In the first place, you shouldn’t believe in promises. The world is full of them: Some people think they can promise anything, others accept whatever seems to guarantee better days ahead, as, I suspect is your case. Those who make promises they don’t keep end up powerless and frustrated, and exactly the fate awaits those who believe promises.”
Mading De Manyok Live in Juba, South Sudan, and He can be reached via email: [email protected]