Activist threatens to sue Juba University over ‘aggressive’ dismissal of students

JUBA – Activist Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has threatened to sue the University of Juba if it fail to reconsider its decision to illegally dismiss students over last week’s protests.

Last week, the University of Juba Administration dismissed 14 students, suspended, and fined, 14 others for taking part in last week’s protest that was a result of entry measures into campus.

Addressing the media during a press conference held in the organization’s premise today, activist Yakani described the decision taken by the University of Juba as aggressive, and lack a sense of tolerance as long as the institution of higher learning is concerned.

“The question is, do we have legal legitimize to take this decision to court? Yes from principle of human rights, from the Bill of rights which is enshrined in our constitution, once any one of these rights is violated, we are a legal registered entity organization per law of South Sudan and so we can question any decisions once we exposed all the possible options,” he said.

The outspoken activist said that the institution should have disciplined the students in a reasonable manner other than punishing them with a heavy financial penalty of 50,000 SSP which they are unable to pay.

“We can’t compromise with the concept of dismissing students. We will make sure these students go back to their classes. They can be punished in another way rather than discontinuing their learning. This is a loss to the nation and it is a loss to their families,” he told the reporters.

CEPO alerts that if they don’t get any feedback from the President who is also the chancellor of the University and  Minister of Higher Education within the next few days, they will be left with no option then to take the matter to a competent court.

“We shall appeal to the law firm and then this law firm can take this case to court. The law firm has the right to do that and nobody can obstruct the law firm from doing that. We have done this for so many cases,” he notified.