By Prof. Simon El hag Kulusika
As a Sovereignty, SSD is made up of ten autonomous political divisions. Referred to as states. The powers, executive, legislative, and judicial, they exercise are limited and below the powers exercisable by a federal political division, as in the USA, Canada, or Switzerland. In turn a state is divided into Counties. And a county is divided into Payams. All these political units are governed by men and women, named them as civil servants, bureaucrats, or administrative agents, on the styles of administrative agencies ordering. The last 40 years have seen the proliferation of administrative agencies. They are classified here as (a) public administrative agencies. (b) private sectors management agencies. All are panacea to administration ills. But, sometimes are contributors to the failure of the administration (controversial claims).
At the top is the President of the Republic, and Governors of states. In the bottom are officials called Messengers (today’s nomenclature is Office Orderly). Their sucesses vary considerably. And in some cases dismal. Hence, the cries of citizens against administrative failure. A topic for the discussions, under.
In this article efforts are made to examine the underlying causes of the failure of administration in South Sudan in the areas of development. As this article sees it, the reader has the last words.
THE ROLES OF ADMINISTRATION
The driving engine of development in any countries the world over is the administration, eg, City operative administrative units. It’s a “management” institution. They are rules making. They implement those rules and other governmental measures for the benefit of the public. They are the creation of the people, and ordinarily enshrined in the constitution, written, or unwritten. The details of what they do are amplified in local government laws, by – laws, regulations, circulars, or occasional papers issued by the power that would – be.
To ensure efficiency and effectiveness, the administration is divided, and sub – divided into departments, sections, sub – sections and various other units. At every levels of administration there are men and women who are in charge of particular parts of the administration. They are tasked to perform specific duties and responsibilities for which they are individually, or collectively held accountable to the highest authorities of the administration, and the State (including federative states authorities).
This shows that the operationalization of any parts of administration involves complex webs and chains of command, referred to as rules, orders, directions, directives, guidelines, guidance, or policy measures. It’s at the stage of operations that difficulties may arise. Due, mainly, to lack of effective control, monitoring and follow – up mechanisms. Some of the difficulties may escalate to the level of problems, or crisis.
MAJOR SOURCES OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS
There are many causes that give rise to Administrative problems. For the present purposes, this article singles out INSUBORDINTION as the most vexing causes of administration failure. Not only in SSD, but also anywhere else in the world.
The word INSUBORDINATION is derived from the word SUBORDINATION. This means inferiority, or secondary status at any institution, or organisation where hierarchy, or ladder of advancement to the top of that institution, or organisation exists, as by the law established. In this case, the subjection of the junior staff members to the senior staff members, in that institution, or organisation, at every stage along the hierarchy, or ladder is deemed essential, practical and the order of things.
In some cases, and this is said to be rampant in SSD, INSUBORDINATION creeps in to upset the order of the orderliness. A junior conducts himself/herself as a senior, superior to the senior, or superior staff members. This is done by ignoring directions emanating from senior officials. Or deliberately declining to carry out policy measures handed down the hierarchy. Or in some bizzar situation, the junior challenges the senior official calling him/her as mediocre, whose direction he/she the challenger could not obey, or comply with. No doubts, such behaviour exhibits the highest degree of indiscipline. Really, detrimental to Administrative efficiency. And may lead to Administrative failure.
Insubordination is characterised by irrationality. Example, a junior, male official refusing to take directions from a senior, female official. Simply due to the gender of the senior official. This is not only a bad attitude of a chauvinist, but a balant violations of the human rights of the senior, female official. Violations that should attract criminal prosecution. Not merely the adoption of punitive, disciplinary actions.
Insubordination can be described by irregularity and irrelevancy. An example is a junior Ma’di defying orders from an Acholi (fiction, but it’s said to occur between Nilotic, Nilo – Hametic groupings and other linguistic groups, not a surprise) from Pa – Jok, saying he does not recognise his Acholi colleague as entitled by law to issue orders to him. The Ma’di claims that he is “Opi ni Ngwa”, that is a son of Opi (king) amongst the Ma’di Clans of SSD. This is an irrelevancy that could lead to fighting in that department, if the Acholi were a pig – headed person. In fact, fighting broke out between the two officials: the Acholi reacted by saying, “nyi lamer” ( drunkard). The Ma’di assaulted the Acholi. They were separated. Both were suspended, for disorderly conduct. The Ma’di was later dismissed from service.
In the final analysis the administrative units suffers, and fails to perform. It’s impeded to deliver services because of insubordination of someone who comes from Arapi – Addavo village, 3 km south of Pa – Geri, on Nimule – Juba road.
Insubordination is the mother of malpractices as far as Administrative functions are concerned. Rules, or directions are overlooked. Authority is undermined by acting contrary to laid down regulations. Chains of command are treated with disdain. This is evaded, where disciplinary measures are threatened, or about to be applied. By the time such actions take place, damages, or losses will have been incurred by the institution, or organisation in question.
The preceding discussions show that the failure of administration to deliver services and implement projects is attributable to Insubordination. But there are other causes, such as, assignment of critical responsibilities to persons who have not gone to school. Or persons who have not been exposed to the rigors of training and research. Or persons with qualification in one disciplines but assigned to implement projects not relevant to that person’s academic qualifications. But has been given that post as political rewards, or because he is “one of us’ basis.
CONCLUSION
The important message of this article is that the success of administration in South Sudan will hinge on trying to curb, if not eliminate certain vices and malpractices as sketched above. An effective administration is capable to deliver services to the citizens with minimal costs. It can also accelerate socio – economic changes, a vehicle to development in all spheres of human endeavors. Let everyone of us do the right thing without looking over our shoulders to see whether the person with whom one is interacting is “one of us”, such as, “Ma Dua Ngwa”: (the son of my uncle, mother’s side). Let us avoid ethnicity, and act as agents of changes in SSD.
The author is a professor of law at Zambia Open University. He can be reached via: simonkulusika@gmail.com.
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