Juba, Central Equatoria State, August 20, 2024 – The Office of the Central Equatoria State Minister of Finance, Vianna Kakuli Aggrey, has strongly refuted claims made by Derick Derrickson, former press secretary to ex-governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony. The dispute stems from a report published by incumbent governor Augustino Jadalla Wani, which addressed his first 100 days in office and highlighted concerns about revenue collection practices.
In the report, Governor Jadalla emphasized the importance of revenue-collecting institutions remitting state revenue to designated bank accounts, suggesting that the previous administration under Adil failed to comply with this mandate. This assertion prompted a sharp response from Derrickson, who defended his former boss and challenged the claims made in the report.
“In my immediate reaction upon seeing this circulating on social media, I contacted the minister of finance to clarify if she was indeed mismanaging revenue remittances,” Derrickson said. He claimed that during their conversation, Kakuli expressed embarrassment over the allegations and labeled the report as “misleading and politically motivated.”
However, Minister Kakuli has categorically denied ever having such a discussion with Derrickson, calling his statements baseless. Victor Khamis, the press secretary for Minister Kakuli, described Derrickson’s comments as “concocted falsehoods meant to score fleeting political points.”
The escalating tension underscores the political friction within Central Equatoria State as the new administration aims to implement reforms and strengthen the integrity of state revenue management. The ongoing developments will be closely watched for their impact on governance in the region.
