By Joseph Akim Gordon
The world is full of ups and downs. At one moment you are in a leading position, and at a later moment you become the last. You should not be surprised if at one moment you are a wealthy person and the next day you become poor. In a war situation like Sudan, some wealthy people have become poor to the extent that they cannot feed themselves as their wealth got robbed and they became poor. In addition, as a person with good health, occurrences of diseases and accidents can cause disability to people who are able, so do not assume that you are planted permanently in an attractive position. This is true with government employment, which used to be prestigious and lucrative, much better than employment with NGO’s and development partners. Govt. employment used to be prestigious and lucrative, but getting a job with the government used to be difficult because the candidate must meet all the required criteria, including educational and training qualifications and other relevant requirements.
Once you get employed by government institutions, the employees are very much respected, be they teachers, police officers’ inspectors, directors, or other professionals respected by the community. They are paid decent salaries on time and provided with facilities for the job. In the past, government employees were paid salary arrears because of the differences between the new and old salary structures. At the time, some government employees were able to invest in businesses, others constructed new concrete buildings, and others decided to marry second wives.
Those who have reached retirement age are paid a lump sum retirement package, and in addition, the pensioners receive a monthly payment of pension. As the system is good, there are those who have not reached retirement age but do apply for early retirement. Once approved, they are paid an attractive amount to encourage more to join or create vacant positions for new graduates who are seeking employment. Thus, the pensioners start new businesses and will create job opportunities. In other countries, pensioners are known as senior citizens because of their contribution to the national economy.
Govt. employment has changed greatly for the worse; salary paid is no longer enough to cover family expenses; civil servants are no longer being facilitated to do their work; fewer people are now ready to work in government institutions. Once a new graduate because of a shortage in employment was doing business as a boda-boda rider for many years, but one day he was able to get a job with a government institution. He succeeded in the interview and was invited to start work. He inquired from the head of the directorate as to get his pay. He was told that his monthly pay will be four thousand SSP per month, which includes transportation to work and back home. He rejected this offer in that, as a boda-boda rider, he gets four thousand at a time, so he declined to take the offer. Because of the declining salary structure of government institutions, now that the clock has changed, job seekers are flocking to seek jobs with NGO’s, Development Partners (DPs), and other investors who are paying well. But the competition to get NGOs, DPs, or private investors is so high that you must have a good connection to secure jobs with the NGO’s, DPs, and other investors because they pay their staff with hard currency that, when converted into Sudanese currency, is a good amount. A middle cadre official gets between 3,000 and 5,000 US dollars per month, an amount even the undersecretary in the government cannot earn.
To get employed with NGO’s and other investors, you must speak good English, which means you need to talk well with the person who has connected you. This is a reach country with plenty of untapped natural resources. With total peace prevailing in the country, employment opportunities will increase, the problem of food and nutrition security will decline, and there will be more investors that will create employment opportunities. We must improve our economy. In the past, teachers were respected, but now many of them have gone for greener pastures. Because you cannot teach when you are hungry and standing before the class poorly dressed, students and others will not have respect for such a teacher. Let us work hard for peace because peace is development, and development is peace.
The author can be reached through e-mail: akimgordon222@gmail.com