Embattled South Sudan official says suspended for resolving major crisis

By Tapeng Michael Ohure

The undersecretary in South Sudan Ministry of Health, Victoria Anib Majur was suspended this week.

While no reasons were given for her suspension which was directed by Health Minister Elizabeth Acuei Yol, Majur said it was in line with her role in resolving a crisis at a national health facility, Juba Teaching Hospital.

“I was not told the reasons but first it has to do with the restructuring that happened during the crisis at the Juba Teaching Hospital,” she told Juba Echo by phone. 

“I was addressing a crisis and I was advised by Vice President Abdelbaggi to do the re-structuring because there was a serious crisis of a strike by health officers.”

Minister Acuei appointed Dr. Samson Paul Baba as Acting Undersecretary for the Ministry of Health and directed him to institute an investigation on Majur.

She called for the formation of a disciplinary board to investigate and report to the minister within 90 days.

According to Majur, the problem arose because she undertook VP Abdelbaggi’s directives to restructure positions of director generals at the Ministry and the main hospital when the minister was not in the country but said it wasn’t an act of insubordination.

“Normally I cannot do anything without consulting her, but as she was not around, we were responding to a very serious crisis at the hospital as doctors were on strike and people were dying in the hospital, we could not wait for the crisis for someone to come back from the US,” Majur said.

Last Friday, Minister Acuei cancelled the restructuring plans by Majur.