NBGs Governor Simon Ober Mawut. (Photo: Courtesy).

Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor has suspended the state Minister of Finance and the Director General of the finance ministry following allegations of misappropriation of civil servants’ salaries as 120 million South Sudan pounds went missing.

In a Gubernatorial Order issued on November 7, 2024, Governor Simon Ober Mawut suspended Finance Minister Hon. Andrew Lual Buolo and directed Dominic Kang Deng, the state Minister of Housing, Land and Public Utilities to act in his place until further notice.

In another order, the governor suspended the Director General in the Ministry of Finance Angelo Atuer, and the Director General in the State Revenue Authority, William Kur Makur.

Makur was then appointed the acting Director General in the Ministry of Finance, while Moses Akok Kuol, takes his place as acting Director General in State Revenue Authority.

“I Simon Ober Mawut, Governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State do hereby issue this order for the indefinite suspension of Andrew Lual Buolo as State Minister of Finance, Planning & Investment,” Mawut’s order read.

NBGs Minister of Information Zachariah Garang Lual said the suspension in the finance institution’s leadership came after nearly 120 million South Sudan Pounds (SSP) were unaccounted for.

Garang said the issue surfaced when civil servants were unable to receive their November 2023 salaries due to insufficient cash availability at a bank responsible for salary payments in the state.

The minister said the missing money was discovered upon reviewing the monthly financial summary of state salaries, which revealed discrepancies in previous months’ records.

He said while some ministries have not received their November 2023 payments, the Ministry of Finance did receive its funds, raising further concerns about fund distribution practices.

“Indeed, the Minister of Finance and the Director General of the ministry were suspended by the governor over misuse of fund. According to the report I received, the amount missing is 120 million South Sudanese pounds,” Garang said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“When the salary of November 2023 salary was sent from Juba, the civil servants couldn’t get their salaries because Ivory Bank where we received our salaries says it does not have enough cash in the Bank.”

“When there were looked at the file some discrepancies from the previous month’s summary of state salary where they got some money is missing and they suspended the minister and director general of the state ministry of finance.”

The suspended officials were not immediately available to respond to the allegations.