By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The residents of High Referendum, Gudele and Mia Saba, have initiative plan to sue the Juba City Council, the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry over negligence.
In an interview with this outlet on Wednesday, Mario Maker Majok, an advocate and lawyer at Reign and Consultancy Firm, said the residents raised a legal notice to Ministry of Justice with an intention to sue the government institutions.
“We initiated a legal proceeding or legal notice to the Ministry of Justice with intention to sue the Juba City Council, the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for failing to fulfill their constitutional mandate to provide services to the people, especially in the residences that are residing in High Referendum, Gudele, New site and Mia Saba,” Maker said.
Maker stressed that the areas are flooded with poor road and no access to health facilities that violated the residents’ constitutional rights.
“So, it is normally right to start with the Ministry of Justice, the National Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, so that the Ministry of Justice will call these institutions to talk with them and see how they can, if they can address or if they are willing to address the issue, the case will not proceed. It will not proceed to court. So, what we did is just a legal notice for them to know that there is a legal proceeding coming if they don’t do something about it,” Maker assured.
An advocate stated that the situation had led to missing of lessons and lectures from various students that attending classes.
“Everywhere is water. Everywhere is flood. The students that are schooling in that area don’t go for their classes. Professors teaching in starford International University. you know, Starford in this side of the island, they are missing classes, especially when it rains,” Maker noted the situation.
According to Sylvia Aya Salafino, the resident of Gudele, gave a concern view about the situation they had been endured, stating that Juba City Council had to play its responsibility rather collecting money with poor service delivery.
“we citizens have right to sue the ministries, especially Juba city council, they are always good at collecting money yet they don’t deliver their services accordingly,” Sylvia said.
Aya highlighted that when you looked at Lou and Gudele 1 $ 2, water stuck on the roads. preventing the people from crossing the road whenever it rains.
Meanwhile, Alan Clement, a resident of Munuki, underscored that Munuki is completely isolated.
“Earlier June-July, during the rain, there was heavy destruction of the road alongside Buaba. If you slope down towards Mia saba from the Zain office, it’s completely a mess. Vehicles cannot move. People are literally stranded,” Clement explained.
Clement narrated that whenever it rains the residents got traumatized with loss of properties and displacement in the area.
“So, whenever it’s raining, the only thing people look for is where next am I going to sleep today? Because sometimes beds are submerged. Some of us have to walk. Residential areas, sometimes get difficulty now for them to know how to get out of their houses,” Clement noted.
However, the ministry of Environment and forestry clarifies its mandate in response to legal Notice, that the ministry of Environment and forestry is a National Policy and regulatory institution mandated to develop, implement and oversee policies, strategies, and legal frame work for the protection, conservation, and sustainable management of the environment, natural resources and forestry.
The ministry raised an alarm that responsibility for service Delivery is a crucial role of state government.
“The responsibility for the direct provision of services raised in the petition namely road construction and maintenance, health facilities, water supply, and electricity – rest with state government. local authorities, and line services delivery ministries such as the ministry of Roads and Bridges, the ministry of energy and dams, and the ministry of health” it partly read in a press statement.
“As such as any grievance relating to services delivery in Gudele, Hai Referendum and Mia Saba communities should be directed to the competent authorities responsible for planning and executing this function,” it added.
According to the statement, the ministry is committed to work with relevant service delivery institution to ensure development projects comply with environmental and social safeguard, contributing to sustainable urban growth and community wellbeing.
However, earlier this year flooding had been one of the challenges that affected most of Juba residents.