The management of Radio Jonglei 95.9 FM has reinstated three of the four employees who were suspended last week.
Last Thursday, the Radio Jonglei Chief Executive Officer Tijwog Aguet suspended the station’s director, John Achiek Mabior, manager Majok Guet, finance manager Matuor Mabior, and chief editor Deng Gai.
The suspensions were instituted on the same day the state information minister, John Samuel Manyuon, issued a ministerial order suspending the operations of Radio Jonglei 95.9 FM for what he described as “supplanting and superseding the government protocols and undermining the state leadership in an on-air news bulletin.”
After the shutdown of the radio station, CEO Tijwog came out to apologize to the state authorities and described the issue as a mistake. He then suspended four of his staff members.
The suspension was protested by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan which called on Tijwog to lift the suspension or risk being sued in court.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the Director of Jonglei 95.5 FM, John Achiek de Mabior said the suspended staff have been reinstated except the news editor who is still being investigated.
“We have been reinstated but only one person is left out because he is in Juba for exams and when he comes back then he will be reinstated,” he said.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Tijwog Agwet confirmed that the radio station resumed operations on 24 May.
“We investigated them and then we finished with investigations with exception of one person who has not been here since,” he said.