President Salva Kiir delivering his Christmas message on 24th December 2023 - Credit: PPU

President Salva Kiir has sacked five government officials including the Minister of Finance Awow Daniel Chuang and the Managing Director of the state-run Petroleum Cooperation, NilePet Eng Bennard Amour Makeny.

In Republican Decrees read on the national TV, SSBC Wednesday evening, Kiir relieved Health Ministry Undersecretary, Ader Machar; Petroleum Ministry Undersecretary, William Anyang Deng and Advisor Mohamed Benjamin Lino.

In another decree, Kiir appointed Marial Dongrin Ater as the new Finance Minister, Eng. Mohamed Lino Benjamin as the new NilePet Managing Director; Harriet Pasquale as Health Ministry Undersecretary and Dr Chol Deng as the Undersecretary Petroleum Ministry.

Ex Finance Minister Awow had served since March 15^th this year when he replaced his predecessor Dr Barnaba Baak Chol.

His sacking comes after the Council of Ministers rejected a draft fiscal budget he presented to the cabinet on Friday.

Institution like Nilepet has had tension after the leadership cut the employees salaries by 50 percent as the staff threatened to strike against the move.