John Akec rejects ministerial consideration, blasts ‘family fortune’ politics

JUBA – Former University of Juba’s Vice Chancellor Prof. John Akec has withdrawn his name from consideration for any ministerial post in President Salva Kiir’s administration, issuing a pointed criticism of what he described as the country’s deep-rooted culture of political patronage.

In a candid statement shared on Facebook, Prof. Akec said he could not serve in a system where government appointments are treated as private assets rather than national responsibilities.

“Where ministerial appointments are regarded as family fortune, not an opportunity to serve our citizens diligently,” he wrote. “I am withdrawing my application to ministerial positions in the RSS and remain a mere teacher at large. Hopefully, the next generation will fix it,” he added.

Although Prof. Akec did not point to a specific incident, his remarks touched a nerve at a time when the concentration of political power within a small circle of families has become more pronounced. Several prominent political figures currently have their children or close relatives in influential positions.

In August this year, President Kiir appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as Senior Special Envoy on Presidential Programs. Kuol Manyang Juuk, the Presidential Advisor and Chairperson of the National Transitional Committee, has his daughter, Atong Kuol Manyang, serving as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Similarly, Vice President James Wani Igga—reinstated this week as Vice President and Chairperson of the Economic Cluster—has his son, Kose James Wani Igga, heading the South Sudan Roads Authority as Executive Director.

In another high-profile appointment this week, Mabior Garang Mabior, the son of the country’s founding leader, Dr John Garang, was named Minister of Environment and Forestry. His mother, Rebecca Nyandeng, currently serves as Vice President for the Gender and Youth Cluster.

Prof. Akec’s public stance is not his first sharp confrontation with government policy. He made national headlines in 2018 during the heated debate over dredging the Naam River in Unity State, where he argued that the project lacked critical environmental and social assessments.

At a national economic conference that year, he openly challenged then-Governor Joseph Nguen Manytuil, questioning the purpose and long-term impact of the dredging initiative.

The confrontation escalated into a political storm, with state lawmakers and SPLM-IO leaders calling for his removal. Prof. Akec insisted his position was based purely on scientific and policy concerns, emphasizing the need for evidence-based decision-making.