By Philip Buda Ladu
Gloria Nyoka Joseph has with effect from Thursday, June 19, 2025, officially resumed her duties as the Executive Director of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS).
This reinstatement follows a swift resolution of an “administrative matter” that led to her indefinite suspension just six days prior.
The SSNBS Administration, in a public notice issued by Mr. Ruot Doubol Duop, D.G for Administration & Finance, confirmed Nyoka’s return.
The notice stated that the issue, which arose on June 13, 2025, was “resolved by the concern authority of the Government of South Sudan.”
Nyoka’s suspension last Friday, initiated by Minister of Trade and Industry Atong Kuol Manyang through Ministerial Order No. 12/2025, had sent ripples through government and consumer protection circles.
The order cited “mismanagement of resources, unprocedural, divisive politics and undermining the Minister” as reasons for her temporary removal. Senior Director General Aldo Upiou Juady had been appointed to act in her stead during the investigation period.
The move was particularly perplexing given Ms. Nyoka’s recent and highly publicized efforts to safeguard consumer safety.
Under her leadership, the SSNBS had achieved notable successes in combating substandard and counterfeit goods entering South Sudan.
Early this month, the SSNBS made headlines for intercepting and re-exporting five trucks of unfit grains at the Nimule Port of Entry.
This included sorghum infested with live insects and maize flour containing dangerous levels of aflatoxin, preventing significant public health risks.
The SSNBS had reiterated its commitment to enforcing national quality standards, stating, “Our mandate is clear: to ensure that only safe, high-quality, and standard-compliant products enter the South Sudanese market.”
Furthermore, Ms. Nyoka had recently mandated a comprehensive Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) program, announced on May 23, 2025.
This stringent regulation requires a valid Certificate of Conformity for all imported goods, aiming to combat the persistent entry of substandard, adulterated, and counterfeit commodities.
This policy shift followed a series of successful interceptions, including 11 trucks of substandard fuel in May and 1,800 bags of non-compliant maize flour and damaged grains in April.
The rapid resolution of the administrative matter and Ms. Nyoka’s return suggest a swift intervention by higher authorities within the government.
The SSNBS, in its public notice, reiterated its commitment to its core mandate: “protection of consumers, safeguarding the health and safety of all citizens and the national economy against substandard and counterfeit goods.”
The details surrounding the “administrative matter” and its resolution remain undisclosed. However, Nyoka’s reinstatement signals a continued focus on the SSNBS’s critical role in consumer protection.