A section of Supiri Secondary School leased and built by investors. (-)

A document provided by the National Ministry of General Education and Instruction reveals that 13 primary and secondary schools in Juba have been sold or leased to business persons, private companies and individuals since 2005.

The education ministry made disclosure on Thursday in response to Central Equatoria education minister’s remarks denying that he sold out a piece of land at Supiri Secondary school.

A document availed to Eye Radio, implicates current and formers state Ministers of Education, Finance, Cabinet Affairs and Director Generals as well as individuals.

According to the National Ministry of Education, the leasing or selling of school lands dates back to 2005 – when then education and finance ministers first started the deals at Juba One Boys.

Initially, National Minister of Education Awut Deng Acuil accused Minister Cirisio Zakaria Lado of having sold out part of Supiri Secondary school.

Ms. Awut threatened to sue Mr. Ladu in court, alleging he turned the public schools into a private-like schools, sending student home after four hours of classes.

In a joint press conference on Friday, Minister Lado said, he did not sell the school land but leased it to investors.

In response on Friday, David Lowella Lodu, the Acting Undersecretary of General Education and Instruction at the Ministry of said there is a definitive proof of a rampant sale or lease of school environments.

“The reality is that some government schools’ lands are sold or leased to business persons, private companies or individuals,” he said.

“There are documents indicated that. However, the state committee formed by gubernatorial order number 20 August 2023 date 17 to assess all school lands belonging to state ministry of education.”

Lowilla went on to disclose some of the schools where lands have been sold or leased out as found in an August 2023 Gubernatorial order for assessment of the school properties.

The investigation found that parts of Juba Commercial Secondary School have been leased to nine investment companies by the state ministers of education and cabinet affairs in 2017.

More schools affected by the scheme include Malakia Primary School, Juba One Boys and Girls Primary Schools, Supiri Secondary School, Mahad Primary School, and Hai Malakal Primary School.

Others are Libya Primary School, Mayo Girls Primary School, Dr. John Garang Girls Secondary School, Juba Day Secondary School and Salam Primary School.

In June 20, 2024, Central Equatoria Minister of General Education, Cirisio Zakaria Lado, denied allegations that he sold out portions of land on several schools in Juba while admitting he only leased it to investors.

This comes after a tour of the schools on Friday by National Education Minister Awut Deng Acuil and Governor Augustino Jadalla found construction taking place at the Supiri Secondary School.

Minister Awut and Governor Jadalla said they would take Minister Cirisio Zakaria Lado to court on accusations that he sold several public schools to investors.

However, Minister Lado said, in a press conference, that he did not sell the land but leased it to investors to improve the environment of the school by building a fence and a standard library.

It is not clear if the leasing of school land by an education official amounts to a criminal offences and to what degree.

According to Lado, the decision to lease 25 meters by 30 meters portion of the school for 25 years was approved by the different stakeholders in the state.