Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Wau County Administration in Western Bahr el Ghazal State is urging its civil servants to report to the Payam headquarters with their appointment papers in order to receive their salaries.
This call comes as the county is currently distributing payments to its civil servants.
The call follows widespread complaints raised on Wednesday by county civil servants. Many of them, who have been receiving their salaries for the past couple of years, were denied payment by the commissioner.
Speaking to the media anonymously for security reasons, some questioned why they were denied payment despite being on the payroll for years.
“There is a question that I want to ask the commissioner of Wau County. We are civil servants of Wau County, and when we came today to receive our money, we were told that our money is not in the system. I want to ask, what happened? Are we not civil servants of Wau County, or do we not have the right to our salaries as civilians? Let him tell us,” said one individual whose name was missing from the paysheet.
Another individual claimed that he had received his payment last month during a committee payment organized by the national ministry of finance to distribute civil servant payments in the states. However, he stated that his name was not on the current pay sheet, indicating that he has not been paid.
“If you come, they tell you that you are still to be appointed, and the question arises: those who received their pay in the presence of the committee, how did they get paid, and why are names missing this time?” he asked.
“In 2023, I received my pay, and now in 2024, when the salaries arrive and we come for payment, the commissioner is now stating that everyone who applied in 2023 and 2024 does not have pay. We really don’t know what the problem is,” another individual questioned the commissioner.
The county’s civil servants urged the commissioner to expedite the release of their salaries, citing the challenging living conditions exacerbated by the current economic crisis facing the country. “As a resident of Wau County, I implore the commissioner to release the funds to us, considering the hardships citizens are enduring,” they pleaded.
When contacted, Wau County’s acting administrator, Abraham Victor Wudo, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj the ongoing payment to civil servants but refuted any suggestion that the commissioner was not accountable for the confusion surrounding the payments.
Wudo encouraged those experiencing issues to visit the payam where payments are currently being processed, bringing along their appointment documents. “Regarding the discrepancies in names during the payment process, while the salaries have indeed been disbursed, the commissioner issued an order for payments to proceed at the payam. I personally supervised the payment process with cashiers, commencing from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, following the commissioner’s directive to ensure people were paid until evening due to the current challenging circumstances in the state,” Wudo explained.
“We were surprised by some civilians complaining that they hadn’t received their salaries. Instead of accusing the commissioner, they should have approached the administration. The commissioner isn’t responsible for the accounts; he’s an administrator. It’s the administrator who’s accountable,” clarified Wudo Clearfield.
“It’s inappropriate, and those civilians who complained didn’t even provide their names. There are heads of workers and a payam administrator, yet they unilaterally accused the commissioner in the media without involving the county administration,” he added.
“I’m currently travelling to the payam, and if these individuals are there, they should come forward with their appointment documents so we can verify their names on the pay sheet,” he further stated.
Wudo also explained that previously, some individuals were receiving payments on behalf of others, but now the rightful owners are present, and the administration is ensuring payments go to the correct recipients.
“In the past, some people were receiving money under different names due to deaths or other reasons. Now, the rightful relatives are receiving those payments. So, what can we do? Should we stop paying the rightful owners and continue paying the wrong people?” he questioned.
Furthermore, Wudo dismissed claims from individuals asserting they had received payments despite being in the early stages of the appointment process, which began recently. “For those appointed between 2023 and 2024, the administrative processes for their appointments are still ongoing. It’s unreasonable to expect payment immediately after being appointed. There needs to be administrative preparation before appointments, and subsequent payment,” he concluded.
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