South Sudan's minister of public service says the government is going to vet all qualifications of its employees and those found with fake academic credentials will have to make room for genuinely qualified citizens.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj in an exclusive interview Minister Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro said there are increasing concerns that individuals are using fake certificates to get employment in the public service.
“First of all, when someone is found with a fake certificate, it affects them on promotion. Secondly, we will revise the files of each employee. We are aware that this will take a lot of time. But now we have begun. We still have a lot of work to do in this regard. We want to see that those who are qualified to get the job but those with fake certificates leave these vacancies to others,” he said.
Bakosoro confirmed that many new applicants for government jobs were found to be holding forged academic qualifications by the ministry of education.
“Yes, I heard that the ministry of education has found many fake certificates from those who applied for employment in the ministries. They are about to open a court case about this,” he added.
Asked about how his ministry and the government will handle the cases of forged academic certificates, Bakosoro said there are laws and regulations in place to address the issue.
“We have our laws and regulations at the ministry and if we suspect any certificate for being fake, we refer them back to the ministry of education so that they revise it because they are the mandated ministry. They should verify each certificate that comes from abroad whether they are real or fake. This is the procedure,” he said.
According to the minister, the law stipulates that any certificate issued locally should bear the stamp of the ministry of education to prove that it has been certified, “While those which have been issued from outside the country should bear the stamp of the foreign affairs ministry. So, if your certificate doesn’t bear these two stamps it is questionable.”
He warned government employees from using forged academic credentials and advised those in lower grades to further their education to be eligible for promotion opportunities.
“There are people who have been employed in lower grades such as 14, 12, and 10. That means they don’t have a diploma or degree. I would encourage them to go back to school and that will help you be promoted into grade 9. This will be better,” Bakosoro suggested.
The minister said technology is now advanced and the government can check back universities or colleges to verify staff qualifications and certificates. Those found culpable will face legal action.
Last month the ministry of general education cautioned employees in possession of forged academic documents and promised that they would be fired when found out. This was after a court in Juba convicted and sentenced three men, Khalid Baballa, Ladu Lawrence, and Kenyi Mark to four years in prison for forging academic certificates.