Council Of States Security Guards Ate Drugged Food Because They Were Hungry!

By Deng Kiir Akok

The public learned on the news on Monday, July 4, 2016 that the Upper House of parliament (The Council of States) was robbed in the hours of Sunday morning resulting in the loss of 200,000 South Sudanese Pounds. These thugs were believed to have used four local girls (South Sudanese) to feed the security guards with drugged food.

The security guards were thought to be empty stomaches since they accepted to eat from the strangers' food which left them unconscious. One is said to have died later in the hospital. This was not the first time for criminals to give the guards drugged food to make them sleep and so they do whatever they would want to do at that institution.

The question is how do these robbers always feed our security guards with drugged food? It's because they always find them hungry. I wish There's day such culprits are caught while bringing drugged food to the security guards.

What we always get when listening to the news is that, " security guards ate drugged food then they felt in deep sleep and the robbers took advantage". I wish these criminals are caught one day with their drugged food and be fed on their own food to experience incapacitation security guards undergo when they eat their food.

But what made security guards to eat food in the first place from unknown sources? One would ask him or herself this question. Well, it's with simple answer like this, they were hungry, full stop.

No any other reasons that made them ate up the strangers' food. If the guards were not hungry, they wouldn't eat that drugged food. What if these guards were given a tiny amount of money for their dinner from that 200,000 South Sudanese Pounds which robbers took after feeding the guards with drugged food.

The fact was that this huge amount of Pounds was sleeping inside the office while the hungry security guards was spending sleepless night protecting the money and building. It would have been a wise decision if the house gave little money for the dinner of its guards, instead of giving robbers opportunity to fool the guards with their drugged food that took one life and cost the institution hundred of Pounds. This was unfortunate moment for the nation.

In conclusion, the author of this article doesn't want to hear of such stories again that security guards  have eaten up food from strangers and fell asleep leaving  robbers to carry on with their plan. These robbers' practices have become recurring incidents in Juba city, let all security guards learned from the past incidents.

Our Country Needs More ' Lukaks '

By Deng Kiir Akok

On June 14, 2016, Jubek State primary and secondary school teachers  warned and said would go on strike should the state government didn't meet their demands within three days time. Their demands include payment of two months' salary, rents and clothing allowances.

But, before things could had gotten out of hands for Jubek State and for the ministry of education in particular, a prominence businessman and patriot called " Ladu Lukak " helped the situation by giving loan of 5.5 million South Sudanese Pounds. He meant the loan to pay teachers and medical staff, citing that he values the student's future of a better South Sudan.

To look at what Mr. Lukak did, I as a parent of a child, he got back to school by making teachers' salaries be paid, congratulated him. He showed his solidarity by making salaries payment for state's teachers and medical staff possible. Yin ca leec (in Dinka meaning, I thank you) Mr. Lukak though the state government will pay you back with this money, you have helped a lot. Our children are now in schools because you have done something. These children are the future leaders of this country and we as parents should not hesitate in giving thanks to such an individual that helped the nation.

Although Jubek State has done with its teachers and medical staff by paying them two months salary, it's not the case of the other states.  And will be good if the tool used in Jubek State is used in other States. There's a need for you guys (businessmen) to do something for the other States whose their schools teachers are still on the strike that left students without schools. Perhaps they are demanding for their salaries for two and now three months.

Nobody out there to rescue the situation in these states? I meant if there're good-hearted people like Lukak had better to help teachers' salary issue. It's becoming a curse to  their parents because when you see your child not going to school, you find yourself not doing enough for the future of this child.

Don't we have other successful businessmen in South Sudan like Lukak? Or maybe they see it as a waste of their resources to giving loans to states' ministries of educations or healths. Since these are the only vital ministries a  nation can't stay without them.

I am happy and satisfied with what Mr. Lukak did. One would otherwise encourage Lukak's colleagues to repeat this excellence decision to help states' governments and nation at large to meet part of its obligations. if patriotism is something to do with a devoted love, support and defense of one's country, then why other businessmen are not doing the same as their colleague did for this nation. To help when there's a need for a nation shows one's concern with one's country.

A Buyer or Seller, Blackmarketers Don't Know Their Customer

By Deng Kiir Akok

According to Investopedia, black market is an economic activity that takes place outside government-sanctioned channels. In the financial context, the biggest black market exists for currencies in nations with strict currency controls, the website added.

Last week, a friend of mine told me he had $100 USD (United States Dollar) and he wanted to sell it. He was busy with his office and couldn't make it to Juba town where he can get a dealer in dollar to buy his item. Since he himself could not come to town, he told me he would send someone with that money so I could sell that dollar for him.

But before I do anything about his dollar, I have to tell him the exact price on that day black market exchange rate who later I didn't do so. After he instructed me what to do and what not, I left a certain place I was taking tea and rush to black marketers that used scatter around Ivory bank, Buffalo bank, Jubadit store, just to mention the few. I was there to acquaint myself with how much $100 USD can be sold.

While I reached the place, the members of shadow market engulfed me hoping I will either buy or sell to them any dollar. It's their usual practice to come and round around any person passing by them in those listed places. I could not know how many of them were around me by then because the number was so big and can't count them. That environment confused me and didn't know what to do then.

Good enough, one from the group told me to be normal and name myself  with them whether I was a buyer or Seller in which  they assured me they were ready at any side (buyer or Seller).

Despite the fact that I was in the dealers' circle, I asked one short guy among them whom seem to be 16-year-old boy that later I was told by his colleagues to be even older than me, to tell me how much was $100 USD in South Sudanese Pounds. " Are you a buyer or Seller? " Asked one dealer whom I didn't ask. I have $100 USD, how much would you buy it for me, I asked him " It's 4,700 Pounds, " he said. Because I doubt them since they are in black market, I quited them for another group nearby our side.

And again asked them and was even lowering than the one before which was 4,600 South Sudanese Pounds.

Because I wanted to know how much they would sell that $100 USD after leaving them, I pretend to be a buyer and asked if they could sell for me $100 USD and they said it's 5,300 South Sudanese Pounds. A thing that would make one wonder on this huge amount differences between buying and selling.

No matter what you would persuade them to make a discount for you while buying, they will never drop even a coin on that price. That is one thing I have learned about this mono-sex business in which males are the only participants. Thank God for not letting South Sudanese women to take part in black market business.

I am afraid that in the nearest future, one would look for a porter or wheelbarrow operator to carry such huge amount of pounds when one is in position to buy or sell dollars.

Last but not the least, we are  just waiting for black marketeers to tell us how much we would buy $100 USD tomorrow, nothing can prevent them to sell $100 USD at 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds or more than that amount. The amount at which one hundred dollar can be sold in South Sudanese Pounds can't be estimated at coming days if good economic measures are taken by ministry of finance and economic planning to jumpstart the ailing economy.