Map of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. (Courtesy).

Teachers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal are threatening action over the government’s alleged failure to pay salary arears for November and December 2023 which they said were disbursed to the rest of the state civil servants.

The teaching staff are demanding salaries for November and December 2023, arguing that they were unjustly unpaid for that period which was allegedly paid to other civil servants

According to them, no explanation was given as to why their salaries are being withheld.

In an interview with Eye Radio, the teachers said they have handed over a petition to the state government and other relevant authorities demanding the arrears.

They have given the state government until the end of 2024 to release their salaries or else they will go on strike.

“We are having a claim of a two-month salary of November and December. It’s like the government released the salary for these two months to all the civil servants in South Sudan, except Northern Bahr el Ghazal,” said one of the teachers.

He said the teachers gathered at the Teachers Union office on Monday and wrote a petition demanding the release of these two-month salaries  “by whoever is holding our money, whether the state government or national government.”

“We submitted the petition to the state assembly, the governor’s office and the security organs. And we the teachers say if there is no response, now we are on the way going to take action.”

When contacted, Northern Bahr el Ghazal Minister of Information Zechariah Garang confirmed that the teachers did not received November 2023 salaries.

However, he claimed that they are not alone as all teachers across the country have not received their dues for the same period.

Garang further said all civil servants in the state did not receive the December 2023 salaries.

“I think that is November 2023, which I know the teachers did not receive their salaries, and it is not only for Northern Bahr el Ghazal. I think it is across all Sudan where the education money has not come to state.”

“It’s not only Northern Bahr el Ghazal. And coming to the money of December, it has not come for the whole state, not only for the Ministry of Education. The information I have is that all the states across South Sudan and administrative areas did not receive their salaries.”