Junior workers at the Office Inspectorate of Government have written to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, crying of corruption, impunity and maladministration taking place at the office that is supposed to fight corruption in public offices, saying that the institution requires a new leadership at the helm.
A group of disgruntled staff at IGG on March 3, 2019 wrote to the Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit Lt Col. Edith Nakalema, calling on her office to intervene and save the situation at the IGG’s office. “We write in good faith, and pray that your good office shall take action on that matter,” the letter reads in part.
They accuse the Secretary to the Inspectorate Rose N. Nakafeero together with members of the board and the management team for handpicking and interviewing people and that are yet to issue new appointments to new inspectorate officers without following the normal recruitment procedure set by the Internal Human Resource Policy of 2017 or the Public Service Standing Orders 2010.
The claim some officials at the IGG’s office are receiving bribery of Shs350 million for people whose cases are not registered with the inspectorate. They want President Museveni to disband the management team lead by Mariam F. Wangadya.
in response to the allegations, Justice Mulyagonja said what her staff ought to understand is the fact that the budget allocation to the institution isn’t sufficient to have all salaries increased.On other allegations, Mulyagonja dismissed them as untrue.
“Actually it is members of who staff and their main concern that we don’t listen to them is untrue. However, they do not know the environment we are operating in because everything rotates on the budget allocation given to us. For other issues in their letter are baseless only intended to grab attention” Justice Mulyagonja told Eagle Online in a telephone interview.
The junior staff accuse top managers at the Inspectorate for taking long to confirm their colleagues who were posted to upcountry as Regional Inspectorate Officers or Principal Inspectorate Officers in various regional offices such as Fort Portal, Gulu, Lira, Arua, Moyo, Tororo and Hoima. The officers, according to the petitioners were posted about three years ago on the promise that they would be confirmed in six months but this has not happened.
“After one year of serving in this positions, the officers requested to be confirmed, however, they were told that the institution had maxed out the wage bill, so confirmations could not be made,” the petitioners say in their letter, adding that bosses at the IGG office have further angered their colleagues by insisting that since they were mere “caretakers” they cannot be confirmed in those positions. The petitioners argue that the answer is not convincing since the officers are being paid Acting allowances and have stayed in those positions for more than 12 months.
They quote the Public Service Standing Orders 2010 (A-c) part 9, which says: An appointment on acting basis is expected to last not more than six months, and is subject to direction by the Appointing Authority. Any period of acting appointment beyond six months will be null and void and the officer holding such an appointment shall automatically revert to his or her substantive post, unless the Appointing Authority extends the appointment of another period of six months, but shall not exceed 12 months in total. This arrangement will only apply when a statutory office is temporarily vacated.”
The petitioners say their colleagues, some of whom are acting as Deputy Regional Inspectorate Officers. “What the officers really want is either to be confirmed in those positions immediately or reverted to their old substantive positions,” the letter reads.
They claim bribery cases have made the office of the IGG not to perform as expected.
