SSLA: Prof. Barri Wanji recognised for competency

Juba – The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) has given awards to some individual members of parliament and committee leaders. The way the awards were offered had nothing to do with tribal or political differences but reflected a true diversity of political parties.

The Juba Post Newspaper had a dialogue with Professor Barri Wanji, the Chairperson of the Committee of Economy, Development and Finance, which competently handles finances. His committee has been eyed as the best by the SSLA.

Prof. Barri considered it as the best and proudest moment of his contribution. He thanked the members of his committee who overwhelmingly supported him and hence have to share the achievement with him. This committee has contributed to the theoretical development of the economy of Southern Sudan. As it is the instigator of the Constituency Development Fund, he says the CDF idea was conceived, given birth to and nourished in this committee.

How professor Barri Wangi got the award is astonishing. He went through all forms of challenges in his academic struggle as it was fragmented with political scenarios. The great love for the freedom of his country men nearly made him not to enjoy school life. According to him, success is never achieved on a silver plate but by participating immensely irrespective of the problems.

In 1965, he was recruited as a teaching assistant in the University of Khartoum. “I did my Masters Degree research the same year but left in 1966 and joined the Anyanya war”, as he narrated. “I was made to be the Minister of Defense and later the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Liberation struggle”.

In his own words he says: ”In 1972 through the Addis-Ababa agreement the war ended, yet the objectives we fought for were not fully fulfilled because the South had not yet fully attained the principle of self determination. But I did not return to Juba where the autonomous government was established. I went to Makerere University in Kampala where I completed my Masters Degree and joined the teaching carrier. Meanwhile I registered and became a PHD candidate.

“But due to the instabilities in Uganda, after three years the political situation in Kampala was so bad I moved to the University of Zambia for two and a half years. It was in Zambia that we started organizing for the war which broke out in 1983. Staying abroad was useless but to come back and prepare for the war while inside Sudan. I started teaching in the University of Juba and this gave us an opportunity to prepare for the war to be waged by the SPLM/A. The security soon found out what I was doing and then I got dismissed from the job.

“After leaving I went to Daressalam University in Tanzania to continue with the preparations of the war which ended in 2005. So while in this university I continued with the PHD studies waiting for the war to break out in 1983. It was here that the late hero Dr. John Garang summoned me to join him in Addis Ababa. He appointed me to return to Tanzania to be the movement representative in 1983-1984. In 1985, I was called to join Bong Military College. After this I became one of the trainees for two years in this institution. Two years later I had to go to the field and fight. My assignment was the first attack on Kapoeta in 1986.

“In 2005 I was appointed to come to the parliament because the SPLM wanted some of its experienced member to be MPs. It is amazing that we started from scratch, we never had reference books nor did we have tables. But we sat down and in no time we were able to raise the committee to one of the most effective one in the parliament.”