Activist Slams Lawmaker Over Statement Condoning Corruption Tendencies

A civil society leader in South Sudan has slammed a lawmaker for sentiments that tend to shield and promote corruption in the country.

By Okech Francis

A civil society leader in South Sudan has slammed a lawmaker for sentiments that tend to shield and promote corruption in the country.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said the statement unravels the ineffectiveness of parliament in the fight against corruption.

According to a report on Eye Radio quoting Member of Parliament John Agany, any move towards fighting corruption will encourage rebellion.

“While we have sufficient laws, the current government’s primary duty, as we all know, is to establish peace, not to pursue accountability,” Agany said as quoted by Eye Radio.

That statement has not gone down well with Yakani.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my disappointment and also I feel so disturbed when I came across the media article quoting our hon MP,” Yakani said in an audio statement issued to reporters in Juba yesterday.

“Any action that is amounted to access of power not in a peaceful manner is corruption, anybody that wants to put her or his finger in public funds unlawfully is amounted to corruption, any action that denies freedom of expression is corruption, any action that uses tribal violence as a ladder to power is corruption,” Yakani said in a statement in Juba yesterday.

“All these are required that we need to fight and you are telling us that if we are fighting corruption, with an action that is described as anti-corruption, we could fuel revolutions?” Yakani asked.

“We have seen how much corrupt actions have made our country suffer today with political instability and economic instability,” he said.

“I would like to really appeal to him with high respect to withdraw that statement because the statement is telling us that our legislation for fighting corruption which was passed by the parliament is meaningless, is useless, it’s of no importance.”

Yakani urged the leaders whom he described as “political class and gun class” to take a primary responsibility of creating peace and stability as “citizens are tired of the power greediness that you have that is holding the country from time to time” and making it “face political instability and economic instability.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *