The minister of general education and instruction in Lakes State on Monday issued a ministerial order sacking four teachers who were arrested in June for demanding their enhanced salaries but later acquitted by the court.
The four were part of 39 teachers who were initially detained in Rumbek’s Panda Military Barracks on 20 June for 65 days before they were remanded to Rumbek Central Prison and later arraigned in court.
Rumbek County Court Judge Akel Alex on 23 August dismissed the case against the teachers and awarded them SSP 20 million each as compensation.
Education Minister Nelson Makoi Makur’s order listed the terminated teachers as Alfred Ater Ariau, Emmanuel Mapuor Mabor, Ater Samuel Ahou, and Ruben Majak Nhial.
While speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Emmanuel Mapuor Mabor, one of the dismissed teachers, confirmed receipt of the termination letter.
“It is true that we were terminated. We do not know why he (Minister Makoi) terminated us and yet we defeated him in the court,” he said. “The issue between us and the minister is about the compensation for being arrested falsely and a defamation case in which he described us as criminals and rebels and other issues plus 15 months’ salary arrears from July 2021 up to September 2022. We also called for the unification of our salaries.”
“We are in the process of taking legal procedures and I think by Monday you will be informed that the teachers have sued the minister,” he added.
On his part, Alfred Ater Ariau, another dismissed teacher, said he did not know the reason for their dismissal because the court acquitted them.
“The next step for us is still to go back to the court of law to find out the reason why we were dismissed,” he said. “We are not political appointees. We are civil servants and there are procedures to remove a civil servant from the service.”