By Theem Isaac Machar Akot
Public positions should not be either permanent or long-lasting. They should be shareable, like public transport, which keeps passengers boarding one bus after another for as long as the distances and destinations require.
When the president then decreed the appointment of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, John Akec Apuruot, it was not the wrong choice. It was one of the best of its kind and one of the most acknowledged appointments ever made. The former vice-chancellor, John Akec Apuruot remains among the most celebrated leaders.
He is appreciated for the tremendous job done. He grew up in a messy era when the University of Juba turned out to be an animal habitat. It was a grazing field, and sadly, a peeing ground. The administrative set-up couldn’t be explained. However, his appointment sparked extreme changes in academic and administrative system areas and, unforgettably, in developmental projects. The beautiful look of the institution came about through hard work, dedication, determination, and perseverance.
Despite a couple of achievements, the tenure of Akec Apuruot was a little challenging and chaotic, particularly from an academic-monetary angle, because every human errs. The Vice-Chancellor got the institution at a favourable level—payment was low and affordable to all nationals. Akec came and raised school requirements, especially the tuition fees. This change caused a lot, to some extent. A quarter of the students who started in 2021 have dropped out.
From his perspective, he thought that anyone could go well with it without considering the orphanage entanglement. South Sudan, a country whose independence struggled for over a decade, has had thousands of lives lost to war. Among them were fathers and mothers, whose compensation pledged to their children was to keep an eye on them and support them in achieving their dreams. Hence, it is at this time that the government should have tabled that considerable sensation. Instead, they were treated as equals to those whose parents were alive.
The vice chancellor failed to take the economic recession into account. A country that has been staggering in economic hardships, a country shackled by destitution despite the abundance of natural resources, has been a challenging place to live. A lot was expected of the government to change. Rather, the government sat on the load so that it became much heavier and heavier. He was also part of the government that failed to recognize who in this wonderful nation couldn’t afford the school fees raised to the highest. With these couple of reasons and those I haven’t talked about, students have been wishing him a go-away. Now that it has successfully fulfilled itself, they are rejoicing, hoping the newly appointed vice chancellor will reconsider the most demandable changes. Otherwise, John Akec remains irreplaceable.
Have a blessed day!
The author is a third-year student at the University of Juba School of Education, Department of English Language and Literature.