By Bida Elly David
An activist has slammed the directorate of migration for the illegal sale of passport booklets to citizens at a black-market rate while claiming lack of the document, in the office.
Executive director for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani, told the media that reports revealed the illegal sale of passports at $200 plus.
“Months ago, our directorate of migration ran out of passport books. We have seen a disturbing practice. Some citizens in the directorate access passport books and sell on the black market,” Yakani said.
He termed the illegal practice, a discriminatory act against the national constitution, which threatens civil rights or citizens’ rights to equal access to possess a document to exercise their freedom of movement.
“South Sudanese have the right to access passports equally to exercise their freedom of movement outside the country to pursue opportunities that may contribute to societal and human development in the country,’’ he added.
Yakani demands an immediate explanation from the ministry of interior on why the directorate of migration gives access to employees to conduct passport black marketing business.
“The big question we have is where the citizens under the directorate of migration get those passport books that they sell to South Sudanese at a black-market rate. This is a very bad practice,’’ he said.
He urged the political leadership to quickly intervene in such unauthorized activity that is centered on egoism and despotism before it gets out of hand.
“I want to bring to the attention of the political leadership, in particular the Hon. Minister of Interior, Police IGP, and Director of the Directorate of Migration and Passport, that this issue should be brought to the attention of the president for quick solution because this issue is disturbing,” Yakani hinted.