Activist warns of growing theft of public school lands

JUBA – A prominent activist has warned that lands belonging to public schools are being stolen and sold, saying traders have already begun building shops on those lands with the activist calling of the ministry of general education and Central Equatoria state parliament to take action.

In a statement, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani said the civil society watchdog has recently observed negative developments including building of shops around schools in Juba.

“CEPO has recently observed negative growing developments that are directly impacting negatively basic secondary education learning environments. The growing negative development is the construction of trading shops around school compounds and allocation of school lands for traders in Juba,” he said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

Yakani called on the government and the parliament to take action in order to stop the illegal distribution of public schools’ lands to private individuals such as the traders and cited recent examples where the illegal activity has taken place.

“The government as well as lawmakers need to urgently take immediate steps of stopping the trend of traders occupying schools because building or construction of shops on school lands is illegal. Most recent example are Malakia Primary School, Juba One Primary School, Mahad Primary School, Juba Commercial Secondary, and teachers’ accommodation space,” he said.

“This trend of shops around schools has great impact on student schooling life style,” Yakani stressed.

“Recently, the Juba GBV court judge said 95% of the GBV violence are school girls. For strong evidence, we urge our lawmakers in Central Equatoria to and the national parliament to commission a proper investigation for this matter and take immediate action to stop the continued building of shops on school lands,” he added

Yakani further said the minister of general education and instruction is “trying her level best to address this negative development around school lands which is being given out to traders amid this growing number of shops being built on public school lands.”

“Therefore, CEPO will be petitioning the law makers at central Equatoria state and national parliaments to take quick action on this matter,” he revealed, adding that the civil society watchdog “is urging the services and education legislative committees at Central Equatoria State and national parliaments to intervene on this matter.”