Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Western Equatoria State governor Alfred Futuyo has promised to settle the salary arrears owed to the employees of the defunct Amadi State.
Futuyo made the pledge on a tour to Mundri West County, where he absolved himself of the blame by saying that the cashiers of the defunct state had failed to provide proper documentation to the authorities for payment.
He denied rumours that he embezzled civil servants’ salaries, claiming that all development projects in the state were funded through local revenue collections rather than diverted funds.
“People have been accusing me that I have eaten the money and that I constructed the maternity ward with the money of defunct states, which is total nonsense,” Futuyo said.
He dared his accusers with a warning that he knew them by name and would consider dragging all of them to court for prosecution for maligning his reputation.
“This maternity ward was built by revenue collection, not civil servant salaries,” he added.
He emphasised that he has neither received nor used any of the salaries of public employees, although he knows where the money is.
He requested that the former cashiers of the defunct state provide the proper papers in order for them to receive their income.
Futuyo called for unity and cooperation among individuals and groups in order to hasten change.
Uproar over pay
Last year, civil servants of the defunct state accused the Western Equatoria State government of failing to pay their salaries.
According to Peter Black, the chairperson for the civil servants of the former employees, the failure of the state government to pay civil servants’ salaries has made life tougher for them.
Black further appealed to Futuyo’s administration to clear their salaries in order to improve the condition of the civil servants.
In October 2022, the group led by Deputy Governor, Dr. Kennedy Gaaniko, withdrew their participation in the state’s activities, citing a lack of transparency in Futuyo’s administration.
Governor Futuyo’s failure to pay the salaries of the two defunct states of Tambura and Amadi was one of the issues raised in the petition.
The Gaaniko group accused Governor Futuyo of embezzling state money.
The public described the move by his deputy as a mere political game after other officials, who he claimed were with them in the petition, denied being part of the rebellious staff.
Despite this, the fact that the group’s leader, Dr. Gaaniko, claimed it was purely administrative,
“This issue was purely an administrative matter.” “It has nothing to do with party or tribal politics,” Gaaniko said at a press conference.
Governor Futuyo, was appointed on the ticket of Dr. Riek Machar’s main opposition SPLM/A-IO party.
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