Civil Service: Where is my money?

Since its inception as a state, the South Sudan government has not honoured its commitment when it comes to the treatment and payment of its civil service employees. At the same time, the "civil service is the prime mover of state machinery and must be founded on efficiency, justice and equal opportunity. The civil service has been bedevilled by a lack of employment criteria which has manifested in regional and ethnic segregation in labour where particular jobs became the preserve of certain socio-cultural or ethnic backgrounds.'' In South Sudan currently, you get a job based on your connections and not your qualifications. This leads to the deterioration of quality work that the state employees are supposed to deliver to enhance the workings and dealings of the state. The current situation of civil service employees has made many employees upset with the government. 

According to Voice of America news, two South Sudanese civil service employees were interviewed. A 53-year-old civil servant Fouzia Lukadi, who lives in South Sudan's capital Juba relays her ordeal. She states to VOA that she wakes every day to go to the market to buy groceries to re-sell in her home to make a living since her paycheque doesn't come in time. A man Abdullah tells his story, "Our salaries are off and on, and life keeps on becoming hard each day, so I have decided to buy a motorcycle so that I can work as a boda-boda man, to provide for my family. People's livelihood in Juba is getting tough, especially for the civil servants." 

The government of South Sudan has the money to pay its workers on time, but they refuse to because this country is not functioning as a sovereign state with rules and regulations, but it has become the playground for employers. Employers who are the branches of the government are free to do so as they please at the moment because there's no authentic accountability for their behaviour. They pocket the money their civil employees deserve and use the nation's political and economic instability as an excuse to not pay people on time. Similarly, the same funds that could have been used to pay overdue salaries are used to do frivolous things. 

In conclusion, we need a restructuring of the whole civil service sector in the country. New rules and regulations will be implemented to ensure we have the best of the country properly serving in the state. We need a civil service sector that is run and operated based on merit alone. This sector of the country is in control of the operation of the state day in and day out. Employees must have verified qualifications, be competent and have experience in the industry they are applying for. All civil service jobs must be available to any South Sudanese citizen who meets said job requirements. 

References:

https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_south-sudan-no-money-pay-civil-servants-overdue-salaries/6195903.html