The University of Juba Vice-Chancellor Professor John Akec has threatened to resign from his job and start trading in forex and currency trading if the finance ministry fails to pay him and other academics the new improved salaries approved by the government.
Akec who is also an avid anti-river dredging crusader and protector of the Sudd, took to his Twitter handle on Sunday morning to make his declaration.
“Let it be known: My monthly salary of SSP 770,000 is merely equivalent to $855,” he tweeted. “Of the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MoFP) fails to pay me and staff a new improved salary by 26 April 2013. I am going to give up my job and join ranks of unemployed youth selling currency on our streets.”
“Education has no value,” Prof. Akec added.
Last Wednesday, a meeting of the extended Senate of the University of Juba, which included deans and representatives of workers’ unions, resolved that the offer by the finance ministry to pay universities the old salary from February 2023 to June 2023 and pay the differences between the old and new pay later was not good enough.
“The Minister of Finance and Planning is given two weeks (from 12 to 26 April) to pay the Approved New Salary Structure from February and March 2023 to the university,” the resolution read. “The finance minister to agree with the university on the modalities of paying the arrears of July 2022 to January 2023.”
The meeting of the extended senate also resolved that the Deans’ Board is empowered by the senate to take any necessary action, including industrial action, should the finance minister fail to comply by 26 April.