Corruption allegations mar Yirol East education sector

Trouble is brewing in Yirol East County, Lakes State, after a number of teachers were allegedly denied their salaries by the county education department and that the girls’ cash transfers were not transparently paid to girls.

In an interview with The City Review yesterday, the suspended Lekakudu Payam education supervisor, Mager Achiengwei Agou, who was suspended last month for bringing up corruption allegations, claimed that 81 teachers were denied their incentives and an unspecified number of girls had not received their education funds.

Mager claimed the county education director and his team took advantage of girls who were absent while the cash transfers were being made and siphoned SSP 7.5 million. He also accused the director of selling school bags, and blackboards donated to the schools by UNICEF.

The suspended supervisor accused some headteachers of creating ghost names which they used for getting money as other girls remained unpaid.

“The community contribution fee SSP 7.5 million, contributed as 3,500 per child in the school for the whole year so that it can support teachers when salaries delay. This money is given to the director instead of us the supervisors collecting it,” he complained.

“All these things my brother I am telling you, he is an old man, I cannot just say words which are not happening, I have to tell you the fact. These things are evidence, even anyone who can come can find out these.”

He complained that he had been reporting the case to the state ministry of education but no positive response has been heard.

In response to this, the Yirol County Education Director, Sabino Mabor Aleng, dismissed the allegations claiming that the salaries were paid and the beneficiaries had not complained so far.

He accused Mager of lacking education ethics dating back to the time he was the headteacher of Lekakudu Primary School. He accused Mager of wreaking havoc in Lekakudu Primary School in 2017 and 2018 by impregnating a schoolgirl, embezzling money and stealing learning materials.

Mabor claimed the parents of the girl fell victims as her father ran mad and the mother got lost and her whereabouts are not known to date.

“I suspended him on a disciplinary basis for posting false information on social media. He did not report to the investigation committee after suspension,” Mabor said.

The City Review contacted three teachers who spoke anonymously due to fear of reprisal and said that the salaries in question were paid at the end of November 2022 as well as the girls’ cash transfer.

Some said that most of the girls were paid because the schools’ administrations differ. However, it was discovered that some teachers did not receive their salaries in some schools.

Attempts to reach the director-general were in vain as his numbers could not be reached.

Unpaid teachers

The schools which are said to be having teachers who have not received salaries are Acigor Primary School (one teacher), Tinagau Primary School (four unpaid teachers), Majak-jok Primary School (two unpaid teachers), Alel Primary School (five unpaid teachers) and Pagarau Primary School (four unpaid teachers).

The others are Machuor Primary School (five unpaid teachers), Khap Primary School (four unpaid teachers), Bunangui Primary School (three unpaid teachers), Aruopnyiel Primary School (one unpaid teacher), Majok-ciziop Primary School (three unpaid teachers), and Adior Primary School (three unpaid teachers).

The total number of teachers is 81 with each teacher supposed to receive SSP 21400, thus the total unpaid amount of teachers’ salaries said to have been misused by the county education director is 1,733,400.

Girls cash transfer

In November 2021, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) pledged to support 930,538 girls in phase II of Girls’ Education in South Sudan (GESS).

USAID joined Canada and UK which had been supporting girls for five years. The program dubbed Phase II targeted 930,538 girls and over 5,000 schools in order to transfer cash to meet girls’ needs.

The joint statement released by USAID, UK and Canada pledged continued support of basic education through Phase II of Girls Education South Sudan (GESS) new agreement.

The statement read, “Building on the accomplishments of over eight years of GESS, this expanded partnership seeks to improve the life chances of a generation of South Sudanese, with a focus on girls and marginalised children and youth,”

“GESS places a particular emphasis on girls, children with disabilities, and essential support to the education sector in South Sudan. The activity ensures the provision of equitable, accessible, and quality education.”