Advisor to the President of Southern Sudan Gen Joseph Lagu during the graduation of 32 diplomats from Southern Sudan in Mombasa. (Photo credit: Daily Nation)

The son of the special advisor to the President, Joseph Lagu, says the ministry of Justice has notified him to vacate the government house.

Sebit Joseph Lagu recently received a letter titled “vacation from public premises”, requesting him to leave the house.

However, the letter does not explain why the family of Joseph Lagu should vacate the house.

This is one of the buildings that were constructed by the Yugoslav government as its contribution to the then autonomous Southern Sudan Regional government after the signing of the Addis Ababa agreement in 1972.

According to Sebit Joseph Lagu, the house was offered to Joseph Lagu by President Salva Kiir in 2012.

It is situated near UNDP compound, at Juba commercial residential area.

Sebit spoke to Eye Radio today afternoon.

“The minister of Justice and constitutional affairs addressed the letter to me to vacate the house and I told him the house was never given to me but given to my father general Joseph Lagu. So I cannot vacate a house that was not assigned to me and my father has gone on medical leave. The house was given by the President to my father to live in when he was appointed the special adviser, so he was given that house through governor Clement wani. So if there is anything it should come back through the Presidency.”

When contacted by Eye Radio, the press secretary in the office of the President Ateny Wek said..

“I have not been informed, I don’t know. I cannot talk about something I don’t know, I will not be able to investigate this. Let the ministry of Justice talk to you.”

Efforts to reach the ministry of justice for a comment were not immediately successful.

However, the minister of information and government spokesperson has questioned the move by the ministry of Justice.

Michael Makuei expressed doubts over the matter.

“You are talking to me on something I don’t know. I’m not in charge of houses and it is not everything that is done in every ministry comes to the ministry of information, no. Why is Joseph Lagu being asked to leave a house at a time when he is a Presidential advisor?”

In 2015, the National Legislative Assembly summoned the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Housing over the failure to build houses for government officials.

In 2012, the Ministry proposed to construct low-cost housing units for civil servants.

However, the project has not been implemented. Some lawmakers said the failure has cost South Sudan millions of pounds to settle hotel bills for government officials.