Census Officials in Pochalla Want Grievances Addressed Before Handing Over Results

May 6, 2008 (Pochall Count, Jonglei) – Census officials in Pochalla County in Jonglei state are threatening to withhold the county’s census results if the census commission does not address their grievances.

Calling himself a representative of the census supervisors and enumerators in the county, Daniel Awot Ojulu told Sudan Radio Service by phone that because the area was not mapped, their work was extraordinarily difficult, yet they were not provided with any money for transport or communications.

[Daniel Awot Ojulu]: “There was no money for field people and therefore we had to struggle on our own to find out the area or boundary for each enumerator and that took us some days to be familiar with different boundaries. If the things are not brought on time as I speak now, we are not going to release any document or results of the census until the person concerned solves these problems.”

Mr. Ojulu said that there was no transport provided and the enumerators trekked long distances-not only to carry out their work, but also to search for food and water during the day.

He says the Government of Southern Sudan and the Southern Sudan Census Commission must address their issues before the end of the census, which is Tuesday.