By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
A member of parliament at Central Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly from Juba town Payam Hon. Paul Lado Bureng has criticized the leadership of Juba City Council over mismanagement of public reserves meant to deliver services to the citizens.
Speaking on Thursday at the Governor’s Peace Dissemination rally in Juba, he said his block which is the Juba Block is the richest block in the country where all businesses are situated, yet lacks basic public services.
“All the businesses are in Juba block, all the riches of businesses, hotels and on the financial part, which is the banks are in Juba block. Now why do we see Juba block even have the dust here …where is the money?” he questioned.
“Kokora bridge, that road is not even taken care of and then what we call Badi bridge is not taken care of. These roads need to be taken care of.”
The state lawmaker urged the leadership of the city council to properly manage the funds meant for the development of the block.
“I think we need a proper management because we can make a very good board to run the Juba block, really it is very rich, even the airport is here, we can even hijack planes with money,” he joked.
“I know how difficult it is to keep something which is call money, money is the most difficult and simple animal… But let us try to do our best.”
MP Lado as well echoed about the alarming cases of land grabbing, most especially some buildings that are built illegally out of their powers to stop them.
“All the buildings here, they are illegal but what can you (referred to themselves)? They are the big people. So, we say malish, we will meet one day, because (God will save us one day),” he said.
Managing public funds meant to deliver services to the community is one of the most difficult elements that most Africa leaders has committed to, most leaders tend to use them for their own personal benefit.
Many business people cry on daily basis on encountering different huge taxes, with some have closed their businesses which became unbearable
In 2019, the deputy Mayor Thiik Thiik accused some office of corruption scandals as the money collected from the traders goes into their individual pockets.
Last year, Mayor Michael Lado Allah-Jabu told traders at the gathering organized by Juba city chamber of commerce that any trader who pays illegal money to its officials, encourages corruption in the country and must be dealt with accordingly.
He urged the traders to report corrupt tax collectors directly to his office.