Hon. Otto Joseph Ben, a member of parliament in the south Sudanese students union Uganda, was hosted on Equatoria online television to discuss the, Challenges affecting South Sudanese students who are currently stuck in Uganda.
He said that, the dangers these South Sudanese students are gradually being exposed to during the current lockdown is real and quite overwhelming, he elaborated that, many of these students are currently stuck in their university hostels and rentals, living in a deplorable condition.
Some are living in hostels which have no utility such as running water and electricity, so as if that is not bad enough, they lack basic needs such as daily food on the table and other basic needs for their daily consumption which is really an alarming situation our students are stuck in.
Several attempts were made by the students leadership in Uganda to raise these concerns to the relevant authorities, Like the South Sudan Embassy in Uganda and in particular the office of the Education attache’ and also various government offices in Juba, to bring to their attention these concerns but we have not yet received any substantial response.
We read on social media that, there was some funds allegedly released by the South Sudan ministry of Higher Education to be embarked towards stipends and upkeep for these students but the whereabouts of the alleged funds is up to date unknown to the student’s fraternity.
The student leader, Otto, states as follows;
“Given the above circumstances, the future is indeed a bleak to these students and we are not sure how much longer these students will continue to soldier on with nothing at hand until the government comes for their rescues ? I am personally afraid that, these difficult situations our situations are currently being expose to may cause various health hazards such as, depression, psychological tortures leading to suicidal tendencies, it may also encourages prostitution among the female gender leading to unwanted pregnancies, sexual transmitted infections and even lost of lives.
It is therefore, the lamentation of the south Sudanese students stuck in Uganda is a matter of life and dead that the government of the Republic of South Sudan and other stakeholders should pay attention to expediently.
BELOW ARE SOME OF MY OPINIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS:-
The South Sudanese students’ fraternity stuck in Uganda should know that, we their leaders are doing whatever is humanly possibility within our constitutional powers to address their issues and we shall never give up until we get the help we need.
The government of the Republic of South Sudan should consider studying the possibility of repatriating some of our students, especially those on self/private sponsorship who are stuck here in Uganda. Even if learning is to resume, these students are already financial incapacitated to meet anticipated financial obligations which shall be required by the universities and tertiary institution to ensure continuity of their studies.
The government should consider sending financial assistances to our students who are stuck in Uganda, many of these students have accumulated debt which they’ve been borrowing bit by bit to cater for their basic needs, and other cost such as hostels and rental accommodations fees is accumulating day by day as we speak. I fear some of our students shall end up imprisoned by the landlords or the real estate management when the bill for their rentals accumulates to an amount they can no longer afford to clear.
Our government needs to know that, and I quote “the best way to predict the future is to create it” . In that light, our government should during this turbulent situation harness our demographic dividends by investing in the students who are the human capital and leaders of tomorrow in South Sudan , we cannot afford to pay deaf ears to the concerns of those who still have a future. If we forget the student then we are forgetting our own future.
My message to all the political parties in South Sudan is that, leadership is not and should not be centered in power sharing ratio and positions but is about finding solution for the problems affecting your people, and at the moment, we the students stuck in Uganda needs your urgent intervention, advocacy and support, I kindly implore you to do the needful.
Finally, as far as the students fraternity are concerns, I think, the biggest problem now is not the Corona virus but the effect of the virus, the effect of the lockdown, it’s the effect of this virus that will kill us before the virus does.
Thank you.
Hon. Otto Joseph Ben
Member of Parliament, South Sudanese students’ Union-Uganda
Rt Hon. Speaker, Electoral commission-Equatoria student Union-Uganda.
Former Guild President, Makerere Institute for Social Development.-Uganda.”
