3 water experts to arrive in South Sudan next week to lecture gov’t on dredging process

JUBA – South Sudan government announced on Friday said it has contracted at least three water experts from the University of Oxford, Canada, and the United States of America to give a public lecture to the government on the river dredging projects.

The Naam River dredging project and the plans to resume the construction of Jonglei Canal by the government together with Egypt has sparked controversy with citizens crying for feasibility study of the projects before the government could go ahead.

But the government, despite contradicting statements between various institutions, seems to be on the road to start the dredging process for Naam River and to also resume the construction of Jonglei Canal after Vice-President James Wani Igga revealed that the cabinet has approved the projects.

Speaking to reporters following a regular cabinet meeting on Friday in Juba, information minister Michael Makuei Lueth said that the ministry of water resources and irrigation will present a report prepared by late minister Manawa Peter Gatkuoth on the projects before his death to the cabinet for deliberation.

“The cabinet has also decided to that the ministry of water resources and irrigation present the presentation which was prepared by late Manawa Peter, that it is presented by the minister in charge so that [the cabinet] deliberate on it in the next cabinet meeting,” Makuei said.

Makuei who is also the government spokesman further revealed that at least three water experts have been contracted by the government and will be arriving in the capital Juba on July 13 to make lecture on water management.

“It is also agreed that a team of experts will be arriving. One expert will be from Oxford [University], the other will be coming from Canada, and another from the United States of America. These are experts on water resources management. They would come and give us lectures on all these. This is in addition to our local experts,” he said.

“So these people will be arriving on the 13^th to brief everybody including the cabinet, the public and the parliament on this issue so that we can start putting it to an end,” the senior government official further added.