Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
By John Actually
February 21, 2010 (BOR) – Primary teachers in Bor County closed primary schools on Monday, demanding housing allowances as decreed by council of ministers last month.
A team of teachers’ representatives from the five payams (districts) of Baidit, Makuach, Jale, Kolnyang and Anyidi unanimously agreed to close the schools till their demands are met.
In a letter addressed to the county education office, teachers said most of them received monthly gross salaries of SDG300 (US$114) and that they expected an additional SDG300.
John Malueth Aluong, a member in the team said teachers in the field led difficult lives with basic salaries of three hundred, saying that the teachers have rejected January salaries until they see the additional payment.
The minister of education, Stephen Par Kuol, who recently returned from Juba said he did not know how money was remitted to his ministry, asserting that the complaint raised by teachers in the field is legitimate and should be worked upon.
Kuol said he believed that an error occurred between his ministry and the state finance ministry in remitting money to the employees. He called upon the teachers to remain calm while their grievances are being addressed.
“What matters is who deserve what this month. I have just written the letter to finance ministry here in Bor asking for clarification and soon it will be settled”, Par assured Sudan Tribune.
Kuol acknowledged that is his ministry, among others has a huge number of employees that need to be paid but that there was lack of funds. He also said that housing allowances are something new that needs to be budgeted for.
(ST)
superior Junibi
Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
Athor rebellion as South Sudan opposition parties backbone:
South Sudan newborn democratic system was put to test last April when this nation held one of her first and very crucial election. Those of us who had never had a chance to choose their leaders did it for the first time and as a result, we were overwhelmingly excited. But we didn’t know we were getting cheated. Most citizens smelled hope and future as they prepared for the main event, secession vote. Unfortunately hope sometimes never stands when forces behind it have different agendas and or are devoted to personal interests other than national visions. The contents in this article contain facts that were obtained from legitimate South Sudan sources and author’s opinion. I am going to focus on why Athor rebelled? What did SPLM do to back fire his rebellion? Should South Sudan citizens support George Athor as their voice to change SPLM corrupt, undemocratic, and injustice system/practices?
SPLM Tickets (Monkey Business)
Last April election when well to well-wishers, but in reality was an outright mess. Most of these citizens pay little or no attention to how the SPLM so called Electoral Committee divided the movement and the citizens who gave all they had to protect this country. SPLM started to give endorsement or the SPLM tickets to few, before candidates had the opportunity to convince South Sudan citizens what they can do for them.
Basically they elected candidates by giving them SPLM tickets before South Sudan citizens voted. All the current governors such as Taban Deng Gai Vs Angelina Teny, Kuol Manyang vs George Athor, and Malong Awan vs Dau Aturjong to mention few, were initially elected by the SPLM before we can cast our votes. So our votes didn’t even matter at the time even if we voted for Athor, Angelina, or Dau. So there were two elections, one by SPLM and second by us (citizens) just to show the international community that they let us voted. The current governors within all the ten Southern States were the anointed one!!!! This messy and tricky business came about as a fear factor from SPLM thinking they will loose most loyal SPLM candidates to opposition parties whom they didn’t trust. It was designed to block SPLM-DC candidates whom they expect might run for higher government positions. It turned out most of these candidates including George Athor were SPLM loyalist, most of whom protected the movement from birth. Ironically, they were playing with a double edged sword and they are about to cut their own throats with it. Isn’t South Sudan for all of us?? Does our government have to trust certain citizens and not others when they all did what was expected for them? We fought the NCP for this exact political treatment and God forbid it happened in South Sudan and SPLM did it!!!!!!!
Let me provoke my readers. Put yourself in DAU, ATHOR, and ANGELINA’s shoes and ask yourself if that was you, what would you do??? I know some of you will say they will not rebelled, but let me tell you this fact my friends, freedom or change are not free!!!!!! Freedom or change took Dr Garang and SPLA heroes’ lives, Dr. Martin Luther king, and many more. George Athor might be on the right track. No sound minded Southern citizens could agree April 2010 election was a legitimate system South Sudan should install and use later in 2014 election. Some of you who are reading this piece will run for political offices later and I am sure you won’t want to face the same treatment. So, somebody got to correct this system and George Athor did the right thing.
Politic gone wild
Let’s focus by initially starting to provoke your thoughts on Angelina’s case. To those who don’t know who Angelina is; she is a wife of Dr. Riek, a number two man in South Sudan and in SPLM party. Normally as citizens we know when one of us runs the country; we expect him and his wife united, determined and committed to the party and the country at large. But in South Sudan it’s not like we thought it would hold. Angelina Teny, Dr Riek’s wife could not even get SPLM Ticket or endorsement in April Election from a party where her husband is a number two man in commend, till she had no choice but to ran as an independent candidate!!!!! The above mentioned example should by now have you thinking and raise more questions about who really is running SPLM then?? Are number one man (Salva) and the number two man (Riek) working together to safeguard our new born nation???
SPLM and its electoral committee divided up its own members by appointing those they like and create a term for those they didn’t want as independent candidates. This plan was very tactical since they knew our population is not so far gone when it come to understanding politic. SPLM calculated that our uneducated citizens/voters will automatically assume independent candidates as none SPLM loyalists or traitors (Anyagats) coming from a character deformed SPLM-DC party of Dr. Lam Akol. Citizens took it exactly as SPLM expected and only informed few vote for independent candidates. In addition to that, they ridged the result to fully secure the anointed candidates. Their prediction combined with dirty hands made them won by 99.9%. I have never seen a country where human candidate can win with 100% if dirty hands were not counting the votes. This duress action was motivated by power hungriness. SPLM Elites have a very naïve thinking about Southern citizens that, we are the dumb majority and they are the smarter few who can manipulated us and lie to us so they can stay in power till they die.
Some thugs within the SPLM party who are conspiracy theorists use SPLM powers to carry on their personal hate. Gier Chuang Aluong is a good example in this situation. This thug had carried out several stage executions of innocent citizens in Panyido, in Ethiopia. He was just in the came hunting for food and shooting people he don’t like in front of these kids so called Lost Boys while Goerge Athor was fighting the Arabs. That was a mere child abuse, and a crime against humanity. Now, he still has the same mentality and wants to use his personal hate against Gen Athor by using SPLM forces.
Solution
Well George Athor is proving them wrong. He will be known in our independent South Sudan history as a first person to challenge SPLM corrupt and undemocratic system. He will be known as the voice of opposition and a father of multi-party system in South Sudan. South Sudan should not have one tribal SPLM party who is run by one man and his gangs. I argue all the Jonglei people, NUER, DINKA BOR, DINKA NGOK, MURLE, and ANYUAK to support General George Athor as a father of all the opposition parties. Let’s put tribalism aside, and let’s look at this opportunity as a future change for our kids and yours. Governor Kuol Manyang is a close relative to me, but I am not going to chose family over South Sudan future. I am not arguing anyone to use force to support Gen Athor, but to rally for peaceful settlement and joined his new born to be political party. Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile States could be categorically the best states to have overwhelming support for new South Sudan Democratic party. These States are very diverse and contain larger population. SPLM party need someone to force them provide services to the people or else get voted out of offices come 2014 by SSDP candidates.
George Athor needs to cease hostilities and joint the government of South Sudan but not the SPLM. South Sudan Democratic party (SSDP) His new political party will act as the main largers opposition party to SPLM .It will be supported by DINKA NGOK, NUER, DINKA BOR, MURLE and many Southern citizens who have a democratic will. Those who belief in a full participation of all the Southern citizens should joint hand for peaceful settlement of Gen. George Athor rebellion. All the opposition parties should joint Athor’s up coming SOUTH SUDAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (SSDP). By doing so, Southern citizens who want to run against SPLM candidates will have hope and run as SSDP candidates. They will never be send away as independent candidates. They will debate with SPLM candidates till citizens pick them.
Long live Democratic change with in South Sudan
George Athor Did not attacked civilians he was attacked by the SPLA. Why would SPLA troops attacked Athor within the Civilians???
Ajak Johnson
Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
Dear readers.
The payment of teachers all over southern Sudan is low, but the government is not taking action to solve problem. The teacher is always busy. He have no time to do other bussiness.
Compare, if messager is paid with Five hundred pound why not to pay a teacher with 500 Sdg than paying them with 300 Sdg.
Willsonyoung
Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
114 US Dollar is not enough
These teachers have right to increase their salaries like Mps.
I believe that teachers all across the country should get least $600 US Dollars.
Thanks
Jeti
Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
What’s wrong with Kuols in Bor-Town? The governance of Kuol Manyang and Par Kuol is marred by corruption. Every time there are chaotic cases in Bor-Town. Why not pay teachers that meager salaries of SDG300 they have been suffering while educating the nation. Jonglei State governance needs to be reshuffled from the top to the bottom. Shame on you, Kuols.
Malek Maker
Bor: teachers strike, demanding housing allowances
Bravo, Bor teachers
You Pretty well know that “Action sounds louder than words”. Your State Governor, State Minister and the rest will work over it quickly because you’ve shown your problems in an organized and an educative way. Congratulations!
The same thing might as well happen in Rumbek sooner or later. To assure you, you are far better than the teachers in Rumbek, Lakes state – getting 200 SDG per month. Yet there’s no any additional they are hopping to happen.
Show them how commit you are in your work after you got your housing allowances!
Malek