On the resignation of industry minister and censorship

On Tuesday and while they were working on yesterday’s edition, the editorial board of the paper have come to decision that the lead story should be on the resignation of the federal industry minister Engineer Abdul Wahab Osman, who forwarded his resignation to President Omer Al-Bashir after failure to open White Nile Sugar factory, due to unavailability of the operating software as a result of US sanctions against Sudan.

 

While we were discussing on the incident as anew and healthy phenomenon, not only on the Sudanese political scene, but in most of the Arab and African countries, and while we were very happy to see that happen finally, unfortunately it was not last long time when we were shocked by a security officer, who came to the paper premises telling us that we should not publish the story!

The worse than that was a call back from the same security guy saying that we were allowed to publish the prohibited news item if we add a new information says that the President Bashir rejected the resignation offer of the minister, but you know what!? It was after the printing process!!

 

 

What does the story say?

 

 

Industry minister, Engineer Abdul Wahab Osman resigned on Tuesday from his post and forwarded his resignation to President Omer Al-Bashir after failure to open White Nile Sugar factory, which was scheduled to be opened today, Thursday ‘due to the US sanctions against Sudan and due to the embarrassment we have made for the nation and the state by adjourning the inauguration of the factory’. The Sudan News agency (SUNA) reported later that President Al-Bashir rejected the resignation offer of industry minister over the delay of one of Sudan's biggest development projects in the past few years. 

 

The resigned minister, Engineer Abdul Wahab Osman

 

 

The resigned minister said in a statement carrying his signature ‘I announce that the opening of White Nile Sugar factory has been adjourned for a later time due to unavailability of the operating software as a result of US sanctions. The minister added that “due to the embarrassment we have made for the nation and the state by this adjournment I have handed in my resignation to the President of the Republic Omer Al-Bashir accepting responsibility for this embarrassment’.

56 Muslim countries, currently present in Sudan to participate on the sidelines of the meetings of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, which paid $63 million for the cost of the factory, are scheduled to take part in the inauguration of the factory.

A national expert in sugar industry field, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Citizen that the traditional manual system can be used instead of the mechanical control, and consequently the factory can be opened. End of story.

 

Between the lines:

 

What we do not and will not understand is that why such news item should be prohibited from publishing by the National Intelligence and Security services (NISS) and what does such story have to do with the national security!? Why the NISS would hide such information from reaching the citizens? While it should be celebrated by all the community segments as it establishes for the concept and literature of resignation in the country! So as to be a lesson and principle to be followed by the other ministers who did more dangerous things and insist on remaining on their positions!