Ruweng is one of the administrative areas. It is located in the greater Upper Nile region

Former government officials of the defunct Ruweng state are urging the area administration to clear their “peace arrears”.

Ruweng state, now Ruweng Administrative Area, had nine ministries, seven technical advisors, eight county commissioners and fifty one members of independent commissions.

Since they lost their positions in mid-February 2020, after President Salva Kiir reverted the country to ten states, the officials say they have not been paid what they call their peace salaries.

According to the arrangements, all former state constitutional post holders were supposed to be paid off a pay equivalent to three-month salaries based on an emolument act.

“It is in the emolument act that if you are relieved, you are entitled to three-month payment,” said Abraham Ngor, former information minister.

But the officials claim the area chief administrator, William Chol, has not offered them their benefits.

Ngor went on to say all those officials including the ex-governor and his deputy have not been paid.

He said they consulted with other states and found that the money has been paid by the national government and most former officials in the other states have received their arrears.

“The money was paid in some states and there is no signal that we will be paid, yet it’s our right,” the ex-minister continued.

When asked about how much money they expect to receive, Ngor stated that it is a huge amount of money covering all the constitutional post holders.

He revealed that each cabinet minister was earning about 160,000 SSP a month including operational costs.

But the ex-governor and his deputy were earning much higher than theirs.

According to the ex-information minister Ngor, they met with the chief administrator and the area SPLM Secretary General Victoriano Ngor Chuang on Tuesday, but they did not resolve the matter.

Contacted to comment on the allegations, Ruweng Secretary General Victoriano Ngor Chuang denied meeting the group.

“Well they have not brought the matter before us yet. It’s too early to say anything. I’m just hearing it as a rumor; there is no official report or official communication,” Chuang told Eye Radio.

The Ruweng chief administrator is yet to respond to the allegations as several phone calls to him went unanswered.