 celebrated the African Anti-Corruption Day on Tuesday in Juba){kind=link}
The South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission in collaboration with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) celebrated the African Anti-Corruption Day on Tuesday in Juba.
The day was commemorated under the theme: “Dear African leaders, let us put our hands together and Say No to Corruption, your No Counts.”
The African Anti-Corruption Day highlights the rights and responsibilities of everyone, including the states, government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, media representatives, civil society, and academia to tackle corruption and reflect the benefits of ratifying this convention.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director General of State Coordination at South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission, Jeremiah Ater says they are ready to combat corruption.
According to Ater, corruption has taken away the liberation goal and mission in the Republic of South Sudan.
“As Anti-Corruption Commission, we are committed to fighting corruption together with the African Union and other relevant international agencies,” he stated.
For Jeremiah, this day reminds us of when South Sudan joined the rest of the world to combat corruption in the continent.
Ater pointed out that the mission of the commission should not be to benefit from the position but to deliver services to the people as mandated.
Jeremiah expressed that one of the biggest problems in this South Sudan is the poor payment of the civil servants which hinders the work of the commission.
He said when civil servants are poorly paid, they will not perform their job very well because they are hungry.
He said, “Independence should mean good services; like roads, hospitals, and good salary but for us here poor salary and economy. So, one may not fight corruption when you are hungry.”
Jeremiah calls on everyone to join in the fight against corruption for the sake of the South Sudanese people.
He said the fight against corruption does need many people but only a few who are committed to the course of combatting corruption.
The occasion was a call to action for everyone to tackle corruption and work towards a more transparent and accountable society.
Transparency International also urged African Union leaders to act on anti-corruption commitments to guarantee basic rights.
According to the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released in January this year
by Transparency International, South Sudan scored 13 out of 100, indicating a high level of corruption in the country.
The African Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated every year on July 11th to reflect on anti-corruption progress in communities and what is working.