The National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has blamed the Northen Bahr el Ghazal State of mismanaging the Aweil Rice Scheme assets donated by the President.
Addressing the launch of the scheme’s annual harvest on Thursday in Aweil town, the National Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Lily Albino Akol, said she was surprised to learn that some equipment meant for the scheme were being used for other purposes.
“The funding that we received is not enough to address all the challenges that Aweil Rice Scheme is facing, especially the infrastructural ones, but we are trying our best and hope that in phase two, we will do something meaningful,” said Akol.
“When the President brought 1,000 tractors, Aweil Rice Scheme was given 20 and Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State was given 60, but last year when we came here for the launch, I was surprised to learn that the scheme was hiring tractors from the private sector,” said Akol.
She noted though the tractors hired were said to be from the private sector, they were from Belarus, from where only the South Sudan Government could procure.
The Deputy Minster also challenged the State Government over the disappearance of the bulldozers and the caterpillar machines, which were meant for the scheme and were currently abandoned in the bushes.
She warned any individual illegally owning investments within the Aweil Rice Scheme to vacate or report to the National Ministry of Agriculture for possible consideration.
The National Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, Pol Mai Deng, emphasized that the Aweil Rice Scheme is a national asset.
“This scheme is a national asset of the Government of South Sudan,” said Deng.
The Minister said the National Government had taken note of all matters facing the Aweil Rice Scheme.