By Hou Akot Hou
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State government has refuted allegations made by national Ministry of Agriculture officials regarding missing assets from the Aweil Rice Scheme.
A delegation, including Deputy Minister of Agriculture Lily Albino Akol, visited the scheme last week with international partners to assess the year’s harvest.
During the visit, Akol expressed concern over the disappearance of donated vehicles, including tractors, graders, and bulldozers, which she said were essential for rice production.
She alleged that the equipment were sold by influential figures within the state.
In a press release issued on Monday, the state government, led by Governor Simon Ober Mawut, firmly distanced itself from the matter, emphasizing the Aweil Rice Scheme as a national project.
Information Minister Gabriel Deng Yel stated, “we wish to state unequivocally that the current state government…is fully aware of the importance of the Aweil Rice Scheme…and will do everything in its power to protect and safeguard assets earmarked for the resulting projects.”
Upon taking office in June 2024, H.E. Simon Ober Mawut formed an asset recovery committee, underlining his unwavering commitment to recovering lost assets and returning them to their rightful institutions, of which the Aweil Rice Scheme is a part,” Yel explained.
He reiterated the government’s readiness to investigate the matter and emphasized their commitment to supervising and protecting the scheme’s assets.
The government maintains that it is clarifying its position to assure the public of its innocence in the asset loss, given the project’s national status.
Local residents report that the missing assets, including tractors, bulldozers, and graders, were allegedly sold to private businesses, where they were subsequently damaged and abandoned.