Bor, South Sudan
July 16,2021 — Students at Dr. John Garang Memorial University in Bor town of Jonglei State have taken it to the street to expresses their long time frustrations in attempt to get some of their problems addressed by the state and national governments.
According to the information received by Nyamilepedia, the students of Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology in Jonglei State capital Bor went on protests yesterday demanding the authorities should reopen the University so that they can resume their studies after nearly two years.
The University has remained closed for more than a year despite the lifting of lockdown that was imposed during covid-19 in April.Â
In response the University administration decries that there is no money to feed students and to pay staff salaries.
According to Deng Gai Deng in Bor, Hundreds of University students went to the streets shouting and carrying slogans that reads “Education is our right and the University must reopen without condition”
Some students said they were tired of waiting for nearly two years to return to the class and cannot understand why their University remain closed months after most other public Universities reopened.
Samuel Machar, a fourth year student at Dr. John Garang Memorial University, says the delay in reopening of University has negatively affected him as he should have graduated a year ago.
” It is two years let me say two years without operating so we are demanding the ministry of finance and higher education to pay the arrears of our contractor so that we resume our studies, other universities are operating why not John Garang we are not an exceptional of other universities so we need to resume our studies we need to learn “, Machar said.
Another student, Ayuen Garang, urges the government to immediately intervene by supplying foods to the University so that it can reopen and students can return to classes.
” We are not happy, inside we are not happy we cannot circulated inside the compass we want to show to the whole country that us the University of Dr. John Garang are facing a lot, actually education is our right and we have right to education”, Garang emphasized.
Ajith Solomon Awan, the head of University Students Union, says the students are protesting because their administration has gone back on its words to reopen the schools.
” We have sent the students representatives on several occasions to negotiate with university about the reopening but since they have giving empty promises which have not materialized up to now that’s why we have called on this demonstration to bring it to their attention “,students leader Awan clarified.
Professor Kuil Maluel, the University Deputy Vice Chancellor said the institution remains closed because there is no food to feed the students.
