Upper Nile University to Remain Closed For Lack of Funds
The Director for External Relations at the Upper Nile University has said that the institution will remain closed as there are no funds available to cattle for the food and accommodation. 27 January 2013 - Teddy Dr. Peter Adwok Otto, Upper Nile University Director for External Relations. [Ariik Atekdit ] By Ariik Atekdit MALAKAL, 27 January 2013 [Gurtong] - Dr. Peter Adwok Otto said: “the students’ accommodation budget is badly affected by the austerity measures in the country.” >From 2005, the government used to provide free food and accommodation to all the students in South Sudan universities until 2012 when the country’s economy faced difficulties. “The Ministry of Higher Education stopped availing accommodation for the students,” Dr Adwok said. In late 2011 South Sudan claimed that the neighbouring Sudan stole the new nation’s oil which travelled through Sudan’s territory to Port Sudan for international market and South Sudan responded by closing down their oil well which was the backbone of its economy and the leadership was forced to declare austerity measures in the country. Adwok said students cannot manage to study in the university without any accommodation support. “Other students come from very far places to Malakal for studies. They have no relatives to accommodate them. And they might be children from poor families, nevertheless they need to study. This means there can be many problems to face them. If their needs are not addressed, it will be a threat to the university and the state stability,” Adwok said. Adwok revealed that the university administration has already approached Upper Nile state government to support fundraising for students’ welfare to avail food accommodation for the students in hostels. Since October 2012, the students have been for long break whose deadline is not known update. “We don’t want to start something which will break down somewhere. We will not start the supplementary and substitute exams too, because we are not near to opening. The university is closed indefinitely. We are doing this so that we can base the opening of the university on things which are concrete till the end of the academic year,” Adwok added. Upper Nile state government has responded positively to the request made by the University to create Students’ Welfare Fund. The state minister for information and broadcasting, Philip Jiben Ogal said they will work closely with the university administration to address some of the issues facing the tertiary institution. “The state government will take one South Sudanese pound (SSP) monthly from every employee working for the government or civil societies to make the university stand,” Jiben stated. Jiben added that the contribution will include constitutionals who are sons and daughters of the state to also support the infrastructure and internal roads inside the Upper Nile University campus. “We have already formed two committees, the fundraising committee and information and mobilization committee. The two committees will work towards the success of the program,” Jiben said. William Mabior Deng, a student representative, said that the accommodation of the students is very important and hoped the two committees will sensitize the citizens to support the university operate again. Mabior thanked the University for trying hard to offer the accommodation to the students as well as struggling for better infrastructure in the university. “I hope if all mobilization and sensitization is done successful and funds are available we should re-open very soon may be in February,” Mabior suggested. Upper Nile University was founded in 1991. Due to the Second Sudanese Civil War, some of the university faculties were relocated to Khartoum, Sudan, for safety of staff, students and infrastructure. Following South Sudan's independence in July 2011, the university is consolidating all activities to its main campus in the city of Malakal, Upper Nile State. Posted in: Home, Education, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
