The Northern Bahr el Ghazal parliamentary affairs minister William Lual Lual is hospitalized at the Aweil Civil Hospital after he was knocked by a motorcyclist on Wednesday evening.
He told Radio Tamazuj Friday that he was footing from a clinic to his residence when the accident occurred around 8 pm on Wednesday.
“On Wednesday evening I was coming from Mathar Clinic on my home in Malou Aweer residential areas and was knocked down by a motorcycle from behind,” Minister Lual narrated. “The people who were around rushed and helped me and the rider and after that, an ambulance came and took us to the hospital.”
He said many government officials do not have vehicles and foot anywhere they want to go.
“It is an issue because I was appointed on 14 March and until now I do not have a vehicle. Even colleagues who were appointed on the same day with me do not have vehicles, no transport for government officials at all,” he added.
Major Yai Ater Malith of the traffic police said the accident was caused by speeding.
“Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lual Lual Agau was involved in an accident but his condition and that of the motorist have improved,” Maj. Ater said. “The cause of the accident was that the rider was overspeeding so he left the road and knocked the minister at the roadside.”
The state’s information minister, William Anyuon Kuol, said they have applied for funds from the national ministry of finance to be used to purchase 35 cars for the state officials.
“We requested 35 vehicles but up to now there is still no response,” he said. “The crisis of civil servants’ salaries has now become a challenge to all the governments, including the national government. So, we are still waiting for when they will respond.”
Meanwhile, the head of the state anti-corruption commission, Anei Rok, said Governor Tong Akeen Ngor told him that some vehicles were on the way to the state.
“I asked the governor last year and even two months ago about the cars and he told me that the cars are on the way coming. I asked the secretary-general yesterday and he told me they do not have cars,” Rok said.
He said there are a lot of resources from two border points where taxes are collected plus around USD 300,000 from personal income taxes which could be used to buy needed items.
“If the governor intends to give us the cars, we have the resources but now I do not know what is going on in the government. We have a lot of resources here in Northern Bahr el Ghazal; we have two operating border points in Aweil North and Aweil East Counties,” he added.
Rok claimed that some USD 300,000 is contributed monthly by humanitarian agencies through Personal Income Tax (PIT) plus other local revenue which he said can be used to purchase vehicles for government officials.