A senior Juba lawyer on Monday said he had notified the Justice Minister of his intention to sue the Central Bank over staff recruitment dispute dating back to 2020.
Counsel Gabriel Kuot Akok, who is representing 83 candidates who had applied for jobs at the Central Bank but were not recruited, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that they were seeking compensation because they were never hired despite passing the interviews.
The lawyer narrated how the dispute started in 2020, when the Central Bank advertised the 94 vacancies in Juba, Malakal, Bor and Rumbek. Yet again in 2021, the Bank advertised the same positions.
He said in 2023, the Central Bank called those who applied in both 2020 and 2021, during which they contracted a Kenyan firm to conduct the recruitment fairly. Some 585 candidates did the written test and only 83 attained the 50 percent pass mark.
Akok said that since last year, the candidates have been waiting to be hired, but to their surprise, the Bank invited new candidates earlier this month for interviews to fill 94 positions.
“They have been waiting knowing that they were already taken, but in July, the Bank of South Sudan contracted a new company to conduct interviews and the successful 83 2023 candidates were ignored. Fresh interviews were conducted on July 11 and 15, the results of which were published,” Akok said.
He said they were seeking compensation from the Central Bank for wasting the time of the 83 candidates, including the costs incurred on travels and hotel accommodation.
The lawyer said he had written to the Justice Minister to stop the new recruitment or the matter be taken to court.
The central bank public relations manager could not immediately be reached for comment.