Embattled minister: Chagor suspended me because I suspended his brother

BOR – The suspended Jonglei State minister of labour and public service John Bany Kuek has claimed that Governor Denay Jock Chagor suspended him in retaliation for his decision to suspend the director-general of his ministry.

In an interview with Sudans Post on Saturday, the suspended minister expressed dissatisfaction with the governor’s decree, stating that Chagor acted against him for disciplining the director-general, whom he identified as the governor’s sibling.

According to suspended minister, the director-general of the ministry of labour and public service was suspended due to misconduct, citing allegations of unlawful recruitment of around 460 people into the government payroll which he said violated a decision by the state council of ministers to reduce the workforce.

“I suspended my director-general for his misconduct; he recruited 464 workers, and we were told from the Council of Ministers that we are going to reduce the workforce,” he said in an interview at his office in Bor.

“Before the dissolution of the defunct 32 states, there were around 6,970, and now it is over 14,000 workforces, and it was decided from the council that we are going to reduce that workforce,” the senior state government official stated.

Kuek also revealed alleged malpractices by the suspended director-general, including the removal of deceased individuals from the government payroll, the improper employment of 464 relatives, and the approval of the appointment of 50 consolidated staff.

He also accused the director-general of taking a large-screen television from his office to Juba and denied corruption allegations as stated by Governor Chagor’s allies.

“Jany has removed deceased names from the government payroll, illegally employs 464 relatives, and approved the appointment of 50 consolidated staff,” he said.

“Lastly, he took a big-screen television from his office and took it to Juba, and when I gave him an explanation letter, he was denying them; he is telling me that this is the corruption of the defunct Jonglei state; there is no way to execute this money to the deceased,” he added.

Kuek was suspended in a gubernatorial decree on November 4 by Governor Chagor. Apart from powers accorded to him by the transitional constitution and the revitalized peace agreement, the governor did not cite reasons for the action.

In reaction to the governor’s decision, the Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan and Chairperson of Jonglei State Civil Society, Bol Deng Bol, criticized the governor’s actions as unwarranted interference in the ministry’s internal administrative matters.

The prominent Jonglei civil society leader further called for the unconditional reinstatement of Minister John Bany Kuek, urging Governor Denay to allow him to freely exercise his ministerial prerogatives without constraints.

“Governor, suspending the Minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development simply for having suspended his Director General pending investigation is an unwarranted interference in the minister’s internal administrative measures,” he said.

“This is a clear case of intimidation by Chagor, intended to influence the investigation against the Director General; this case is in the public domain. I am urging Governor Denay to unconditionally reinstate Hon. John Bany Kuek and allow him to freely exercise his ministerial prerogatives without restraints,” he added.