From Left: Denay Chagor, the Governor of Jonglei State and Joseph Bakosoro, the Minister of Public Services addressing the media after briefing President Salva Kiir on the issue of salaries and allowances of civil servants in Jonglei State - credit | OPP | Thursday 16th December 2021

The governor of Jonglei State has requested civil servants in Bor Town to refrain from holding further protests and seek for dialogue with the state government.

Hundreds of civil servants, mainly teachers, have taken to streets since Monday last week in the Jonglei state capital, demanding execution of the 100 percent salary increment and other outstanding arrears.

In July, President Salva Kiir directed the Ministry of Finance and Planning to immediately increase the salaries of civil servants by 100 percent in its 2021-2022 budget.

But teachers there reportedly rejected the July pay and announced state-wide protests over their unpaid allowances.

Governor Denay Chagor now called on his citizens to shun demonstrations and seek an alternative solution to resolve the matter.

“If you don’t understand something, talk to somebody who understands it and they can help you, going on the streets is dragging us behind,” Chagor said after meeting President Kiir and the Minister of Public Service in Juba.

“You cannot achieve anything by bringing misunderstanding and trying to persuade others to believe that it is something that is real. It doesn’t work that way.

“We are asking all our citizens to come to an understanding that if there is something that you don’t understand with the issues of salaries, talk to the people who understand it, they will help you.”

For his part the minister of public service Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro said the civil servants misunderstood the 100% increment.

“There is a bit of complication that we went to the president to clarify and brief him and we need also to clarify to the public,” Bakasoro said.

“When we talk about increment of salary it was based on the council resolution that we have to increase the salary of all civil servants by a 100%. 100% doesn’t mean you multiply your salary a 100 times, it means you double your salary.”

On Wednesday, an activist in Bor Town blamed the ongoing crises in Jonglei State on the absence of key members of the executive including the Governor.

Garang Goch asked Denay Chagor and his deputy Antipas Nyok to return to the state and resolve the ongoing crises.