By Luke Kuth Dak

January 10, 2008 — Much has been said and written about the so-called wide spread of corruption in the Republic of Sudan, particularly in the South. I command all those who have contributed in this endeavor, to bring this dangerous practice into the fore front of the public awareness.

I do not know about the animal kingdom; but human beings certainly seem to have corruption’s DNA in their systems. It’s a matter of fact that: there is no country in the world that does not suffer from some form of corruption or another. The only difference is that, the level of corruption is often higher in countries like- Sudan- where corrupt officials are being rewarded with even higher positions, instead. Consequently, the level of corruption lowers in countries who try to seal the loopholes and huddle the ways by which it travels.

In addition, the anti-corruption watchdog group, Transparency International, found this year that (corruption persists in 60 of the 140 countries they surveyed). The survey also found out that ( corruption is acute in Bangladesh, Haiti, Nigeria, Sudan and Chad), among others.

But what precisely is corruption? By asking that question, am not trying to belittle or underestimate the reader’s knowledge, but rather it’s critically important, I thought, for all to understand with clarity-myself included- what corruption really is, in order to find the right and suitable solutions as possible, just as doctors must diagnose their patients’ illnesses before issuing a prescription.

Corruption is defined as: “lack of integrity or honesty; use of a position of trust for dishonest gain. And political corruption is the use of government powers by government officials, for illegitimate private gain.”

Sound familiar? I like to believe so. It couldn’t be more apparent, in the light of that most valuable study, that the reasoning behind the so-called wide spread corruption in South Sudan, is clearly due to the lack of preventative measures to protect public properties. However, the study suggests that, to address corruption, “A country must have a good governance. And furthermore, it says, the rule of law, democratic accountability and government effectiveness are essential components to combating corruption.”

The question: Do we have those essential components? Not even close. So how do we go about it, and what are the alternatives to eradicate this pandemic? In my opinion, the ruling party should seek an outside assistance from governments who proceeded us in the (war) against corruption. And there should be no shame in trying to do so!

For example, in the United States of America, there is a law known as the “Open Record Act” (which I think is worthy of emulating.) The law was designed to allow the citizens to monitor their public officials. Any documents, correspondences, e-mails and telephone calls, in any public agency are a matter of public records, and may not be confidential under this act. As a result, a huge number of Chief Executives, Congressmen, and Senators, who might have otherwise gotten away with corruption, wound up in prison cells for lengthy periods of time.

As we can see, to combat corruption in any country, is much easier said than done. It’s particularly even more difficult in countries like Sudan, with weaker or no crafted policies and tougher punishments for corruption’s perpetrators. The South Sudan ruling party (The Sudan peoples Liberation Movement) needs to rehabilitate itself and remember that it’s indeed a privilege to be in a position to serve the people so desperately in need of just about anything and everything. The expectations couldn’t be higher, after half a century long of devastation, and so far the government has not delivered those dire needs as it should have, making life all the more difficult to bear.

More so, Southerners must bear in mind that: the government alone can’t solve the corruption crisis. In my opinion, it will take a collective conventional intervention approach by the government, the legislature, the public, and more importantly, the news media. And furthermore, those who are paving the way for corruption, must be prosecuted and put behind bars, where crooks belonged.

It’s just that time to say, enough is enough.

The author is former Juba Radio anchorman and Sudan Tribune contributor. He can be reached at: lukedak@hotmail.com

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