Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State Governor Simon Uber Mawut has suspended Finance and Economic Planning Minister Andrew Lual Buola over corruption claims.
State Minister for Information and Communication Zacharia Lual Garang confirmed the suspension to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday.
“It is true the State Minister for Finance was suspended as you can see in the statement from the Office of the Governor,” said Garang.
The reasons for the suspension, according to the information I have from the state leadership, were grievances in the transactions of the salaries of civil servants last week,” he added.
The Governor also removed the Director General for the Finance ministry, Angelo Atuer, and replaced him with William Kur Makur, the former Director General for State Revenue Authority.
A source from the Ministry of Finance told Radio Tamazuj that the duo were still cooperating with former Governor Tong Akeen Ngor, instead of supporting Mawut.
The source said the suspended officials used to remit monies to Ngor, who was fired on June 24.
“The right decision has been made because these people were not cooperating with Governor Simon Mawut,” said a staff member, who preferred to remain anonymous.
“I have witnessed salaries being disbursed to the former Governor of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Tong Akeen Ngor. I think the current governor was aware about it and that was the reason he dismissed them,” he added.
The Chairperson for the Anti-Corruption Commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Anei Rok Akuei, said the state government accounts were lacking money and the state employees had gone for two weeks without salaries, although National Government had released the payments.
The suspended minister could not immediately be reached for comment.