By William Garang
The long-awaited Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) is scheduled to take place at the end of October, according to an announcement by UJOSS Secretary-General Majak Daniel. The cash-strapped union had not held the meeting for three years, citing financial constraints, a delay that drew sharp criticism from some members who accused the executive of using it as a tactic to avoid accountability.
“We are informing our members about the upcoming General Assembly Meeting that will be held in Juba at Crown Hotel on October 30 and 31, 2024,” Majak said in a statement.
In a notice addressed to journalists across the country, Mr. Majak said the meeting would explore progress and challenges and open avenues for members to contribute their input.
“The meeting will offer the opportunity to learn more about UJOSS’s progress, challenges, and future, as well as ways your members could contribute positively to our professional union,” he added.
Agenda includes. Presentation of UJOSS narrative, financial reports of activities conducted, audit reports, the UJOSS strategic plan, and the Union’s constitution, 2008 (draft 2021).
However, George Ruot, a journalist and former Program Coordinator for UJOSS, has accused the current leadership of corruption, mismanagement of funds, altering the union’s constitution, and failing to convene a general assembly for three years.
This forced President UJOSS Patrick Oyet to acknowledge, in September 2024, that his administration had not fulfilled its constitutional obligation to organize an Annual General Meeting (AGM).
He explained that when he assumed office three years ago, UJOSS had only US$300 in its account and no office. UJOSS refuted the claims, maintaining that they were working to address the financial and organizational issues.
“General Assembly Meeting is a genuine call and we totally agree with those calling for it. According to our constitution, we are supposed to have a general assembly every year,” Oyet said.
“We failed to do so because, when we went to UJOSS, we only had $300 in our account. We didn’t even have an office. So, you can imagine if you don’t have an office, what is going to be a priority: is it the AGM or having an office? Our priority has been establishing an office, having offices across the country, and then moving to things like the AGM,” he explained.
Oyet further mentioned that UJOSS relies on donor funding, which has yet to be forthcoming.