Examining the Extent of Governance in Jonglei State, South Sudan

This study was set to examining the extent of Governance in Jonglei State, South Sudan. It was guided by the following specific objectives, that included determining the (i) profile of respondents, (i) To establish the state of rule of law and democracy, (ii) to examine the extent of human security and decentralization and (iii) To establish whether there is a accountability and transparency in Jonglei, South Sudan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design .it used questionnaires, face to face interviews. The target population was 220 from which a sample size of 140 was derived. Findings revealed that respondents between 25-35 year were 32.1%, Female respondents dominated the study (64.3%); married were (53.6%) other marital status category; Secondary Certificate holders dominated the study 50% and on occupation others dominated the entire sample size with 54.2%. The extent of Governance was generally rated high. The findings on Governance revealed that eight items were measured and rated as follows; Public participation and Democracy (Average mean=3.06, std .74603) Legislative branch (Average mean=2.83, std .59523), Executive and rule of Law (Average mean=2.92 std. .70057) Traditional & customary arrangement (Average mean=2.78 std. .68791), Transparency and accountability (Average mean=2.80 std. .72664)  Human Security (Average mean= 2.81 std.  .59522) with an overall mean of 2.87).

Governance reforms that depart from autocracy and monocentric governance must be based on a theory of governance that vests limited authority in several centers rather than centralizing power in a single center. Thus, polycentric governance of local to regional scale is appropriate.  In constituting such order in the Jonglei area, it is important that institutional reforms be made consistent with the nature of the governance challenges that confront the societies of the area. Certain reforms will have to be made on a regional scale and others at local, provincial or national scales. The nature of public goods and services to be delivered must determine the type and scale of institutional arrangements to be crafted. Institutional reform must provide both general purpose and task-specific governance institutions and such institutions must coexist, interact and overlap as necessary to ensure the efficient and equitable provision of such public goods and services (Frey and Eichenberger (1999).

Regarding governance it was recommended that; if power sharing is to be done to the satisfaction of all different ethnic, religious, caste, tribal and linguistic identities, millions of people would have to be accommodated in various state structures. Hence, power sharing does not seem to offer any viable solution at all. Also inculcate regional autonomy and federation into the state system to enable local and regional authorities with a degree of autonomous power and authority. Allow external intervention to find a solution to their internal governances like those of the Nuer tribals, and Dinka. External interventions have two primary effects. Intervention can alter the internal balance of ethnic power and lead groups to moderate their demands. Provide guarantees for new ethnic contracts between the warring parties, at least during an interim period.

Secondly, the use of constitutional governance management tools has the potential to create lasting peace. This was more evident in Jonglei, where the government created the foundation for a thriving civil society, accountability and government transparency.