You are to blame for graft: Lobong tells citizens
The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State, Louis Lobong Lojore, has said South Sudanese citizens are to blame for corruption among government officials in the country.
Lobong made the comment while speaking to thousands of worshipers at Wau’s St. Mary Cathedral. He urged South Sudanese to work so that the government could collect tax from them and render services to them in return for the revenue remitted to the taxman.
‘‘You are the ones who leave politicians to be corrupt. You are the ones who destroyed the country. It has been said that the government and its people are hungry, poor, and corrupt and that the government is not good,’’ said Lobong in his speech to the congregation.
He added: ‘‘The government will be good when you are strong, satisfied, and have money. The church will also be strong when you are satisfied and have money to support the church in order for it to carry out development, he further added.’’
He noted that when citizens are happy and wealthy, they will farm, do business, work, and open factories, generating money, and the government will collect tax from them, which will be used for development.
‘‘So the government and the church depend on you, and we want you to be good people, strong, satisfied people who will work. Anyone who has nothing to do in Wau town, he or she is supposed to go to the village to farm and bring food to here (Wau Town) for sale, ” Lobong stressed.
In the recent annual report by Transparency International, South Sudan was ranked as the world’s most corrupt country out of 180 countries. South Sudan scored only 11 per cent out of 100 per cent.
The report revealed that in the two years of COVID-19, the level of corruption had increased worldwide, and it also noted that in where corruption is high, human rights and democracy have been abused.
‘‘Despite commitments on paper, 131 countries have made no significant progress against corruption over the last decade, and this year 27 countries are at historic lows in their corruption perception index score,’’ the report indicated.
Accompanied by three cabinet ministers from Eastern Equatoria State, Governor Lobong travelled to Wau last week to participate in the regional fifth South Sudan Great Run for Peace in the country.
Meanwhile, Sarah Cleto, the governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, called on the people of Wau to cooperate with the government to achieve the goals.
“We in the government will not deceive the people into believing that we will do something for them [then] we won’t do it. We want to move close to the people and everyone should also know they have a role,” she said.
