Official says detained teachers in Lakes state intimidated cashiers

The Minister of General Education and Instruction in Lakes State has admitted arrest of 12 teachers after they threatened and intimidated cashiers.

Nelson Makoi, told The Juba Echo on Thursday that the teachers arrested disrupted public order when they forcefully accessed offices in the ministry of finance.                  

“Disregard the fake news for not paying teachers with the new salary structure, In fact there is no any other salaries increment in Lakes state apart from what was announced as 100 percent increment for all civil servants across South Sudan,” Makoi said.

He disclosed that the government of Lakes state has already implemented this new salary structure since 2021.

Makur Nyot Marol, a member of the committee selected by teachers to follow up their salaries on Monday confirmed the detention of his colleagues by government soldiers.

Marol said that the teachers were detained on orders of Makoi for refusing to receive two months’ salary without increment.

However, Makoi said the teachers were arrested for forcefully storming into the department of finance in the ministry of education and threatening cashiers.

“This act by the teachers was a criminal act and I ordered their arrest because they went beyond their mandate, nobody has right to block anyone in receiving salaries,” Makoi said.

He disclosed that seven of the detainees have already been released.

Makoi said that the budget of the state ministry of education is separate from the ministry of finance, adding that all teachers in the state will receive their salaries from the ministry of education and not finance.

 “We should spend budget in consultation with the State Governor and Council of Ministers, while Governor Rin Tueny Mabor was away in Juba, I was left in dilemma on whether the ministry waits for the Governor in order to add allowances for teachers to their salaries?” Makoi quipped. 

“This wasn’t a good idea since people (teachers) are hungry due to salaries delay, then the ministry decided to release salaries first and thereafter we will calculate allowance based on grades,” he added.

Makoi said that teachers’ salaries and allowances are directly transferred from national ministry of education to the state ministry of education as a package to pay salaries, pay OCs, and allowance 

“This policy was implemented recently in the transfer of two months salaries which is January and February respectively,” he disclosed.

He added that they are in consultation with the state ministry of finance to compute work allowance (chalk allowance) in the electronic payroll.

Makoi said that this work allowance will only be paid to teachers who turn up in classes.