Equitable resource allocation necessary for peace-building

Equity in sharing of resources means equal distribution of resources among the people in consideration of their needs.

This includes assessing the geographical distribution of resources at the population level and the resource-producing communities that also need to benefit.

On Sunday, the Madi community of Eastern Equatoria State demanded the government to give them the 2 percent share of the revenue being collected from the Nimule checkpoint.

The community said that the revenue collected at Nimule was the only resource they could use to develop their area but also encourage the youth to develop themselves instead of hunting for government jobs.

According to the revenue sharing arrangement, as enshrined in the Transitional Constitution (2011) and Petroleum Revenue Management Act (2013); the government allocates 2 percent and 3 percent of the net petroleum revenue to oil-producing states and communities respectively. However, the law remains silent on the needs of the communities at the international borders. Although states at the international borders sometimes do get their share of the revenue collected at the borders.

Fresh plea

The demand raised by the Madi community was at the right time which both the state and national governments need to consider. South Sudan is blessed with numerous resources. They include oil and minerals in their territories but also other communities have none of these resources but they might be in one way or another contributing to the income generation of the country.

Like any other oil-producing state such as Upper Nile, Unity States, or Ruweng administrative area, Nimule is equally contributing to the survival of the country’s economy.

As the country’s life-linking border that links Juba with Uganda, Port of Mombasa in Kenya, and other member states of the economic regional bloc East Africa countries, Nimule borders has always been the largest general non-oil revenue-generating point in the country especially at the time when oil production was disrupted by the conflict.

The point is not only about the Madi community but it should be to all communities that lie at the international borders because that is their entitlement.

And, this could be the reason why he located them at the borders that they should be able to benefit from it. There should be better services for the citizens especially those communities that earn government income.

In human life, the experience has taught that lack of equity in sharing of resources has always been the source of conflict and instability in society. The same problem does exist in our families.

In a family where you find one who is contributing more than the rest and person is not benefiting or being undermined despite his contribution, that person is likely to have complaints with other family members and sometimes may lead to quarrels and separation of the spouse.

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