Signpost for Rumbek University of Science and Technology. (-)

RUMBEK, (Eye Radio) – Lecturers at the Rumbek University of Science and Technology (RUST) have written an open letter to President Salva Kiir urging him to remove the university’s vice chancellor and his two deputies, citing alleged incompetence and failure to pay March 2025 salaries.

The statement urged the President to replace Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Joshua Otor Akol, Deputy VC for Admin and Finance Prof. Isharaka Khamis Abuanja, and Deputy VC for Academic Affairs Prof. Pauline Elaine Riak.

Acting Secretary General of the RUST Academic Staff Association, Mr. Gor Mathiang Kau said the staff took the stance following their concerns about the institution’s stability and progress.

Mathiang decried alleged abuse of power and staff discrimination in the leadership, which he said may affect the institution’s future and the community.

He accused the deputy vice chancellor for Administration and Finance of being divisive, inciting harassment and running the department like private property, while claiming the vice chancellor is indecisive in addressing such matters.

“This is creating disunity and instability within the university. This is something which has never occurred since the establishment of the university in 2010, the staff association’s letter said.

“The academic staff are appealing to you, the Chancellor of public universities and President of the Republic, to urgently intervene in reviving the university from total collapse by bringing experienced administrators who would champion the university towards achieving its vision and mission.”

Mathiang outlined several reasons prompting the call for change in RUST leadership, including lack of effective management, denial of staff the right to accommodation, and illegal withholding of staff entitlements and expulsion of two academic staff from the residence.

Other grievances include “delayed salaries, alleged withholding of March 2025 salaries, abandonment of projects by former vice chancellor, discriminatory allocation of medical loan assistance only granted to relatives/associates of the administration.

When contacted twice for comment, one of the university’s deputy vice chancellors declined to give a statement, saying he has yet to prepare a response.

Gor said they called for the removal of three administrators in charge of RUST for the mentioned reasons, adding that so far, some academic staff members have been expelled and others saw their salaries suspended in violation of the university’s regulations.

The Academic Staff Association has issued a one-week ultimatum for the removal of the three officials, the failure of which will force them to resort to industrial action.

On his part, Clement Thon Marial, a lecturer at RUST, said the staff association and the general assembly held a meeting on May 4 and decided it had no choice but to call on President Kiir to change the university’s leadership.

“We have resorted to calling on the President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, to remove these top administrators based on the fact that they are incompetent in the sense that everything is done in the relationship,” he said.

“You have already learned that Rumbek university has not yet got the salary for March 2025 that was released on the 28th of March on the fact that they have a deal to trade off our salaries. Up to now, we have not found anything about our salary.”