Northern Bahr el Ghazal minister urges youth to shun idleness

AWEIL – Northern Bahr El Gazal State’s Education Minister, Akoon Diing Akoon, urged the state’s youth to take responsibility for their livelihoods and support their communities, criticising idleness and dependency on government jobs.

Mr Diing highlighted the growing trend of young people abandoning their elderly relatives to seek elusive white-collar jobs in cities like Juba, leaving families destitute and elderly individuals resorting to begging.

“Laziness and the pursuit of urban jobs that rarely materialise are causing youth to neglect their responsibilities,” Diing stated on Tuesday this week.

“We see young people loitering in towns, leaving their elderly behind. This must stop. Embrace self-reliance and create your own opportunities to support your families,” he added.

Diing attributed youth idleness to several factors, including a lack of entrepreneurial drive, over-reliance on government employment, and the allure of urban lifestyles that often lead to unproductive loitering. He encouraged young people to adopt a culture of hard work and innovation to uplift their communities.

The government has a pivotal role to play in addressing idleness among the youths by investing in vocational training, promoting entrepreneurship through microfinance and mentorship, and creating rural job opportunities in agriculture and infrastructure.

These initiatives would equip youth with skills, foster self-reliance, and reduce urban migration, addressing the minister’s concerns about loitering and neglect of the elderly.

However, it is unclear whether the government of Northern Bahr El Gazal, like any region in South Sudan, has effectively implemented such measures.

The minister’s remarks urging the youths to change behaviour without mentioning concrete government empowerment programs indicate that the state must also fully live up to its mandate to proactively tackle youth idleness.

In a separate note, Diing praised the state’s educators for their role in improving academic performance, particularly among girls. Recent Primary 8 exam results showed girls outperforming boys, marking significant progress compared to previous years.

The minister spoke at a 40-day memorial service for the late Sultan Mel Kuol Akol, the father of Vice President and Chairperson for the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, held in Rialdit, Madhol Payam. The late Mel died on 30^th October 2024, with ageing and stroke cited as the causes of his death.

The event drew state officials and dignitaries from Juba. Governor Simon Ober Mawut also addressed attendees, calling for unity and peace.

He urged elders and parents to instil messages of harmony, positioning Northern Bahr El Gazal as a beacon of hope for conflict-affected regions.