Catholic Bishop in South Sudan Decries Nepotism in Job Recruitment Locally, Nationally

In November last year, a section of youths in South Sudan’s Aweil County took to the streets to demand for a fair recruitment process by Non-Governmental Organizations. 

The youth blamed the state Relief and Rehabilitation Commission for interrupting the interviews of eight candidates with the Norwegian Refugee Council.

In his July 3 address, Bishop Remijio underscored the need to end the vice in the world’s youngest nation saying, “We need to fight this nepotism when hiring staff because we cannot get security from our relatives, our families and tribes at work.”

The member of the Comboni Missionaries who has been at the helm of the South Sudanse Diocese since January said that employers in the 10-year-old nation have “to use the principles that can allow our country to develop.”

The principles entail hiring qualified personnel regardless of their origin, he said, explaining, “One can’t be employed because he/she is my nephew or my cousin to be in that place. When we ignore those who can make things better, (that) is pulling down of the country instead of developing it.”

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The practice of nepotism, the South Sudanese Bishop noted, is also finding its way in the Church. 

“We are going to stop all these kinds of sicknesses. This virus should not penetrate in the place of God,” the 49-year-old Bishop said, and implored, “We ask the Lord to help each and every one of us to be committed and follow principles.”