Africa-Press – South-Sudan. By Yiep Joseph
The Vice chancellors for the five public universities are expected to meet president Salva Kiir Mayardit to discuss issues related to unsettle six-month arrears.
In an exclusive interview with Juba Monitor yesterday, Prof Deng Manash Mach, Vice-Chancellor of Rumbek University of science and Technology revealed that the Vice-Chancellors are ready to meet the President in order to iron out issues related to the unsettled six months arrears.
“We have not yet met the president, and we are yet to be told by the office of the president because there is this visit of the president of Sudan and the busy schedule, we are still waiting to meet the president,” Deng said. He added that the lecturers are still waiting for the outcome of the meeting with the president.
“Still waiting for this they (lecturers at Rumbek University) have made the ultimatum waiting for the outcome of the president meeting, they have already said if there is nothing definitive, they will go on strike” he revealed He added that the ultimatum given by the lecturers ended this week, and coming Monday in particular remains for the lecturers to decide.
However, in a separate interview with Juba Monitor on ThursdayBekDhuorjangChol, ExecutiveDirector in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Juba who is also the Secretary-General of the Dean’sBoard revealed that the VCs from the five public universities were expected to meet with the president on Wednesday 16 March but it failed due to other schedules.
“The meeting which was scheduled yesterday 16 March with the president did not take place, they did not meet the president and the situation remains the same” Bekexpressed.
He stressed that should the issue of the six months arrears remain unresolved till Monday then the University Administration would be forced to listen to the final decision of the university staff.
“If Monday comes and nothing happens then we will definitely listen to the advice or recommendations of the staff, as an administration we will listen to what the staff are saying” he added
He said that all the five public universities vice-chancellors are together demanding for the six months arrears. “it is not only the demand for the university of Juba, but it is also a demand for all these five public universities, all of them are not paid six months arrears,” said.
They are all together, these five universities are together, they are united and they are saying the same thing” he added “We are all together the demand for six-month salary arrears is not the demand for the university of Juba, it is a demand of Rumbek, it is the demand of Dr John, Bhra el Ghazal, and Upper Nile University,so it is the same thing we have not been paid for the last six months,” he said.
He believes that the Dean Bord meeting would sit on Monday after the ultimatum. “Until Monday if there is nothing happening here then definitely, we will have another meeting and further action will be taken,” he said.
“At the end of six days dean board will sit again and evaluate whether there is progress or not” he added. He added that still there is a hope to meet the president and the Ministry of Finance and Planning in order to iron out the issue.
“Initially the meeting was scheduled for yesterday the sixth but what happen I do not know again why they were unable to meet but there is still a hope to meet the president” he emphasized.
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