Futuyo points fingers at education officials over corruption, calls for audit

The governor of Western Equatoria state has accused former education officials in Mundri West and East counties of embezzling education funds and called for a general audit to hold culprits to account.

Alfred Futuyo Karaba made the remarks during the inauguration of a maternity ward in Mundri West this week.

He accused some unnamed education officials from the former 32 states and the current government of having siphoned the public fund.

“I am asking the Director-General of Education in Mundri West and East Counties to inform us where and how they spend the 6 million pounds that have been transferred to them every month,” Futuyo said.

Governor Futuyo testified that he had repeatedly summoned “the cashiers of the defunct states for auditing, but they kept refusing to come.”

In January 2022, the national Minister of Education, Awut Deng Achuil accused Governor Futuyo of squandering 100 million South Sudanese Pounds.

The governor was accused of using the money to pay commissioners of the ten counties in the state.

According to the January report from the national ministry of education, each commissioner had received 10 million SSP.

The State Minister of Education, Grace Apollo Musa had complained that her ministry was not involved in the process.

But Futuyo has since denied misappropriating the money.

Speaking in Mundri on Thursday December 29, he called for general auditing of the state government activities to allow justice and accountability.

“This time, we are going to general auditing with them in the ministry of finance, to see where the money has been transferred and spent. It’s clear that the money wasn’t spent on education.”

Futuyo promised to resign if found to have participated in corrupt practices.

“If it is proven that I, as governor, misused this money, then I am ready to resign.”