Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The National Minister of Roads and Bridges, Simon Mijok Mijak, has visited Eastern Equatoria State to inspect the construction of the Juba-Nadapal highway.
According to the Eastern Equatoria Press, the minister said the visit was to enhance the mobilisation of resources for construction. He appreciated President Salva Kiir for the equitable distribution of resources across the country.
The minister added that the Narus-Raat road and the Kivala-Mogiri road were in the plan to be constructed in the soonest time possible.
“[I] am delighted that we have now realised the initiative of using the crude money to spur infrastructural development, particularly the road sector”, the Minister asserted.
The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State, Louis Lobong Lojore, pledged security to road construction workers as he lauded President Salva Kiir for properly directing oil money on infrastructure development in the country.
The governor commended the work saying it had encouraged the people to rally behind the government as the construction work reaches their areas.
“The people of Eastern Equatoria are very happy about the development on the road,” Lobong said.
Lobong advises the workers to deliver quality services. He further appealed to the government of Central Equatoria State to construct feeder roads in highly populated areas.
The representative of the construction companies, Simon Akuei Deng, urged the government to ensure that funding is increased to enhance speedy road construction.
“The issue of cash flow is a challenge to us. We appealed to the leadership to ensure there is effective flow of cash for speedy construction of the highway,” Deng said.
Slow pace
President Salva Kiir issued a directive in May 2019, to allocate 30,000 barrels of oil daily to fund road construction projects.
In November 2020, Key Weas, the managing director of the Winner’s Company, announced that the construction of the 420-kilometre project had begun and would be completed in five years.
“Work has started on the highway and the community along the highway is positive about the ongoing work,” Key said.
“The road is one of the infrastructures that is very important for all countries, not only for South Sudan. If the highway is for goods, the country’s development will also grow faster.”
Norman Gideon, director-general of the Eastern Equatoria State Ministry of Roads and Bridges, said the road—which will be the major route to Mombasa port— would create employment for the youth.
“The citizens are very impressed, and everybody is impressed because of the high speed of the construction, which they have never expected before,” said Gideon.
“We feel that we are seeing the development and we feel that the expectations of the citizens are being met.”
In May 2021, there was an outcry from companies involved in construction that the funding gap was dragging the construction work on Juba-Kapoeta road.
In October 2021, the government also met with Moroccan contractors to discuss the construction of the Kapoeta-Boma-Ethiopia road.
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