By Yang Ater Yang
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has welcomed the High Court ruling in Rumbek.
The High Court ordered Lake state education ministry to reinstate and compensate, unlawfully detained and dismissed teachers who demanded for their rights.
CEPO urged the State Government to obey the Court’s decision and implement it accordingly.
Last year, four teachers have been arbitrary arrested and detained for nearly two months on the orders of the state education minister of education Nelson Makoi.
The teachers were eventually dismissed from their duties and names scrapped off from the Ministry of Education payroll.
Daniel Laat Kon, CEPO coordinator in Lake state commended High Court’s verdict in Rumbek which cancelled the 10 October 2022Ministerial order.
The verdict also resolved for compensation of the teachers for the 38 days of arbitrary arrest and detention in a military barrack.
CEPO now urges State Government to respect and uphold the pronouncement of the High Court ruling and to immediately reinstate and compensate the victimized teachers.
“This victory is a great message to the rest of the citizens who are longing for their rights legally,” Mr. Laat said.
“We have been observing the destructive culture of impunity that must end now in order to allow the rule of law and good governance in Lakes State” he continued.
CEPO’s state coordinator noted that democracy is premised on the separation of powers between the three branches of government –Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
“Our government needs to respect citizens’ right to peaceful protest as stipulated in the Constitution of South Sudan”.
Mr. Laat is also calling on the lakes state government to unconditionally release the other five teachers that were reportedly arbitrarily detained in an unknown location.
“This continuous arbitrary detention and intimidation is not a solution to the Ministry of Education crisis,” he stressed.
He said education managers and teachers need a dialogue in order to address grievances in an administrative manner.