The predicament at the medical colleges of Bahr El Ghazal University has been politicized beyond professional and administrative boundaries.
Higher Education Minister Peter Adwok Nyaba issued a statement to clarify the circumstances affecting the students at the Medicine and Veterinary colleges in the University of Bahr El Ghazal that remain closed since 2010.The minister said the transfer of the colleges from Khartoum to Juba after they were closed in December 17, 2010 was affected by panic and it led to the retention of assets of Juba and Upper Nile by the Government of Sudan.
Dr Adwok explained that the recruitment of academic staff falls under the responsibility of the university administrations and the austerity regime did not affect the process.
He added that many lecturers left the University of Bahr El Ghazal due to bad governance.
Dr Adwok charged that Vice Chancellor Timothy Tellar “summarily dismissed members of academic staff including his deputy without due course of the law.”
The minister added that Professor Tellar rejected a temporary solution for veterinary students to go to Upper Nile University and medicine students to come to the University of Juba to finish their degrees.
Dr Adwok underlined that the issue of the colleges of Medicine and Veterinary is now politicised.
He said Professor Tellar wrote a letter to the President of the Republic on the issue and Western Bahr El Ghazal Governor Rizik Zacharia Hassan brought it to the Council of Ministers on May 10.