In a letter addressed to Petroleum Ministry Undersecretary Chol Thon Abel, the union called for urgent government intervention, alleging that funds allocated under the Block 5A sponsorship program were redirected to projects that provided “no benefit” to the oil-producing state.
“It has now become evident that the [Community Development] Manager, under directives from the SPOC Vice President, diverted the Block 5A tuition allocation amounting to $250,000 to unrelated programs,” stated the letter, signed by union chairperson Gai George Danhier Gatluak.
The union alleges the diversion is a breach of trust against students from the region, many of whom rely on the sponsorship to access higher education.
Neither SPOC nor the Ministry of Petroleum immediately responded to requests for comment.
The financial dispute threatens to disrupt the education of students across various universities and higher institutes.
According to the union, university administrations have warned that students with outstanding balances will be excluded from examinations scheduled to begin on Feb. 16, 2026.
“We have been notified that students who have not cleared their school fees will not be allowed to sit for the upcoming examinations,” the letter noted, adding that the uncertainty has caused “significant anxiety” among the affected learners.
The union argues that students officially registered under the sponsorship arrangement should not be penalized for what it describes as an institutional failure by the oil consortium.
The students said they had attempted to resolve the issue through repeated engagements with SPOC’s Community Development (CD) department. The union claims it subsequently approached the company’s vice president and president, who allegedly promised to clear the outstanding fees.
However, the union said those commitments were never honoured.
“Both the Vice President and CD Manager later declared that they would neither pay the school fees nor issue commitment letters to universities,” the union wrote.
Attempts to seek intervention through SPOC’s internal security office also yielded no response, the students said.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions regarding the management of community development funds in South Sudan’s oil sector. Residents of host communities often expect social benefits, such as education and infrastructure, in exchange for oil production activities.
“As the host community of an oil-producing state, it is our rightful privilege to benefit from sponsorship opportunities,” the letter read.
The union noted that the program has historically provided a lifeline for vulnerable students, including those from internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
In their statement, the students contrasted SPOC’s actions with those of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), another consortium operating in the region. The union praised GPOC for clearing its student tuition balances in full.
The letter specifically named SPOC’s Community Development Manager, John Lath Majok, accusing the management of actions that “undermine the welfare” of students from southern Unity State.
The union has demanded an official written clarification from SPOC regarding its financial capacity to continue the scholarship program.
“Such communication is essential for transparency and will serve as formal notice to the State Government and to parents,” the union stated.
The students have appealed to national and state lawmakers, local chiefs, and parents to back their demand for accountability, warning that without swift intervention, the consequences will include stalled education and delayed graduations.
