By Yang Ater Yang
The Minister of General Education and Instructions in Lakes State Nelson Makoi Makur, has ordered for the arrest and detention of two teachers from Pacong secondary School branded as ghost school for withdrawing whopping 1.9 million South Sudanese Pounds, part of capitation grants meant for the free education campaign declared by the president.
Lakes state education authorities said all public schools, both primary and secondary schools, have received their capitation grant.
However, the state education minister, Nelson Makoi Makur warned against fake/ ghost schools and vowed to continue cleaning fake schools / teachers which are not eligible to receive the school capitation grant.
On 12th April, the minister went to Rumbek East County for the inspection of three suspended ghost secondary schools, Pacong secondary School, Marial Manasseh memorial secondary School and Aduel secondary School.
Sadly, two teachers of Pacong secondary school which was damned not eligible for the free education grant withdrew a reported whopping 1.9 million SSP which unfortunately took them behind bars after the education authority crackdown on them.
Minister Makoi revealed that Pacong secondary with is said to be operating within Pacong primary school with only three learners and no class room withdrew the month without consultation with the ministry of general education and instructions in Lakes State.
The 2 teachers arrested on Monday are being detained at Rumbek Central county Police.
Minister Makoi told No.1 Citizen daily newspaper on Monday that the matter is in the hands of police authorities for investigation.
“The matter is in the hands of the police and the police will be the one to do their own investigation and when they are done with the procedures” he said
He termed Pacong secondary school as just projects in the ministry of education in Lakes State.
“I just inherit them when they existed as just a project in the ministry of education. So, when I came in as a minister, I have to ascertain and assess functional schools and schools that are not functional” Makoi explained.
“The schools were just exist (ing) as project and then when we really developed this project and built class rooms, the school will be opened but as a project they are not entitled to receive capitation grants. That’s why I said before if they received capitation grants from the account. They have to come back to have more consultation” he added.
Minister Makoi said they (teachers) should not just go straight to the bank to withdraw money without verification from the education authorities.
“It is very clear because they received the money and they went and spent the money without consultation with us”
A civil society activist in Lakes State, Daniel Laat Kon identified the two teachers who are arrested in Rumbek Central police custody over the alleged misappropriation of school capitation grants as headmaster of Pacong secondary School, Nelson Mabor Aliap and his deputy, Abraham Mabor Maker.
He said the 2 detained teachers are alleged to have misappropriated 1.9 million South Sudanese pounds.
“I went to them in Rumbek Central police custody to find out why they have been arrested, and they confirmed to us that the reason was due to the withdrawal of 1.9 million South Sudanese pounds in which they spent 1.4 million to motivate teachers ,and buy some scholastic materials”, he said”.
Activist Laat said the matter has led the minister of general and instructions in Lakes State Nelson Makoi Makur to close down three (3) secondary Schools of Pacong, Marial Manneseh, and Aduel secondary Schools in Rumbek East County on Monday.
“We are even confused whether the misappropriation of capitation grants is the cause of closure of the 3 schools, making them none existing schools or it is because of no learning premises and enough learners in those three schools” he said.
He appealed to the minister of education and instructions to release the two teachers or produce them in the court of law for them to be proven guilty by the court.