The Minister for Relief Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Eng. Hillary Onek has petitioned the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja expressing his dismay over her continuous micromanagement of his office.
In September, the minister expressed his disappointment about how money is being diverted from the ministry’s budget to the Prime Minister’s office. According to a leaked letter dated September 15, from Eng. Onek to Nabbanja, the minister expressed displeasure over the decision to divert Shs5 billion from Shs15 billion budget.
In a letter dated September 26, 2021, copied to President Yoweri Museveni, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Onek said from the time of her appointment, he has been observing with total displeasure the fact that his role and that of his deputy as Ministers in charge of Refugees, Disaster and land policy makers on matters of refugees and disaster management have been totally usurped by her office.
The Minister accused Nabbanja of calling meetings, going to disaster affected places and visiting refugee settlements without informing either his office or that of his deputy. To his shock, Onek said his staff who he supervises are being called for meetings sidelining him and his deputy.
He accused the Prime Minister of calling a meeting with local leadership of Bududa without involving his office or even the area Members of Parliament which may lead to decisions being made that contradicts earlier and official cabinet position.
“You have purged the department of disaster management, taken over the distribution of relief items and causing interdiction of staff members without proper investigation. The interdicted staff was accused of causing financial loss without conducting a forensic audit by involving the office of the Auditor General,” he said.
“On October 5, you wrote to my office halting the settlement of refugees in Kyangwali over land ownership dispute, the decision was arrived at without involving either me or my deputy or any technical staff from the department of refugees,” he said.
“I have worked with the previous three Prime Minister and all along I know that their constitutional role is to coordinate legislative agenda, lead government business in parliament and monitor all ministries and government programmes. They never got involved in the micro management of other ministries. If you decided to micromanage other ministries, what then is the role of sector ministers who are supposed to plan, make policies and deliver on the manifesto to the president?” he asked.
He said that since the Prime Minister has decided to render his docket irrelevant, she should put it in writing to the president who is the appointing authority and he will relieve him of his responsibilities and allow her to carry on her duties.
“I will not be held accountable for decisions that have been taken without my input,” he said.
