7th, June, 2023. ) The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has Tuesday welcomes High Court decision that ordered for the reinstatement and compensation of four teachers that were arbitrary detained for nearly two months. The five teachers where later dismissed in the Ministry of Education last year 2022 in Lakes State.
The Court verdict passed by the High Court Judge in Rumbek on Tuesday include cancellation of the Ministerial order dated 10 October 2022 dismissing four teachers from education services and order for reinstatement of dismissed teachers into their previous positions with full payment of arrears from the date of dismissal. The verdict also decided for compensation for 38 days of malicious arrest in military barrack
CEPO urge State Government to respect and uphold to the pronouncement of the High Court to immediately reinstates and compensate dismissed teachers into their previous positions according the verdict. This victory is a great message to the rest of the citizen who are longing for their rights legally.
We have been observing destructive culture of impunity that must end now in order to allow rule of law and good governance in Lakes State. Democracy is premised on separation of powers between the three branches of government –Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
Our government need to respect citizens’ right to peaceful protest as stipulated in the Constitution of South Sudan. We are also urging the state government to unconditionally release the recent five teachers that arbitrary detained in unknown location.
This continuous arbitrary detention and intimidation is not a solution to Ministry of Education crisis; there’s a need for a dialogue between education managers and teachers in order to address their grievances in administrative .
